Michael Thomas (Man Gone Down author) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Michael Thomas
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| Born | Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Occupation | Author |
| Nationality | American |
| Education | Master's degree |
| Alma mater | Hunter College |
| Notable works | Man Gone Down |
| Notable awards | International Dublin Literary Award (2009) |
| Children | Three |
Michael Thomas is an American writer. He is known for his first novel, Man Gone Down. This book won the International Dublin Literary Award in 2009. He received a prize of €100,000 for his work. Man Gone Down was also recommended by The New York Times.
Contents
About Michael Thomas
His Early Life and Education
Michael Thomas was born and grew up in Boston, a city in the United States. He went to Hunter College in New York City for his first degree. Later, he earned a master's degree from Warren Wilson College. Today, he teaches at Hunter College.
Life in New York City
Michael Thomas lives in New York City with his family. He is married and has three children. They live in Brooklyn. Before becoming a famous author, he worked many different jobs. He worked in bars and restaurants. He also delivered pizza and drove a taxi. He even worked on movie sets.
Michael Thomas's Writing Journey
From Poetry to Novels
Before he became a well-known novelist, Michael Thomas wrote poetry. He also performed as a singer-songwriter. While he was in graduate school, he studied creative writing. His main project was a collection of short stories. One of these short stories later became his first novel.
Man Gone Down
Winning a Big Award
Michael Thomas's first novel, Man Gone Down, won the International Dublin Literary Award. This happened on June 11, 2009. This award is one of the richest literary prizes in the world. It gives €100,000 to the winner. The award is open to books written in any language.
Thomas was the third author to win with a first novel. Other authors who did this were Andrew Miller in 1999 and Rawi Hage in 2007.
What Judges Said About the Book
The judges praised Man Gone Down. They said it had "energy and warmth." They also felt it showed how people live today. Michael Thomas said he felt "a little desperate" while writing the book.
Man Gone Down was chosen from a long list of 147 books. These books came from 41 different countries. It also beat seven other books that made the final short list. Some of these books were by famous authors like Doris Lessing and Joyce Carol Oates. The National Library Service of Barbados nominated his book for the award. In 2007, The New York Times named Man Gone Down as one of its top ten books.
Michael Thomas went to the award ceremony in Dublin. He said he was "stunned" to win. He also said he couldn't believe he made it to the short list. He planned to use the prize money to pay bills and for his home.
The Story of Man Gone Down
The novel Man Gone Down is about an African-American man. He is separated from his white wife and their children. He has only four days to find a certain amount of money. If he gets the money, his family can come back to him. The story explores the idea of trying to achieve the American Dream. Thomas describes the book as having "gallows humour," which means it has dark but funny moments.
Michael Thomas has been working on his second book. It is expected to be a non-fiction book.
