Donovan, Gerard 1959-

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Donovan, Gerard 1959-

PERSONAL:

Born 1959, in Wexford, Ireland. Education: University of Arkansas, B.A., 1993. Graduated from Johns Hopkins University.

ADDRESSES:

Home—Calverton, NY. Agent—c/o Author Mail, Simon and Schuster UK Ltd., Scribner Publicity, Africa House, 64-78 Kingsway, London WC2B 6AH, England.

CAREER:

Professional guitarist during the 1980s; Southampton College, Long Island University, Southampton, NY, professor of graduate and undergraduate writing; Suffolk County Community College, Riverhead, NY, professor; has also taught at the Bread Loaf Writers Conference, 2000.

AWARDS, HONORS:

Kerry Group Irish Fiction Award, Listowel Writers' Week, forSchopenhauer's Telescope, 2004.

WRITINGS:

NOVELS

Schopenhauer's Telescope, Counterpoint (New York, NY), 2003.

Doctor Salt, Scribner (London, England), 2005.

POETRY

Columbus Rides Again, Salmon Publishing (Cliffs of Moher, Ireland), 1992.

Kings and Bicycles, Salmon Publishing (Cliffs of Moher, Ireland), 1995.

The LightHouse,Salmon Publishing (Cliffs of Moher, Ireland), 2000.

Contributor of poetry to periodicals, including Sewanee Review, New Statesman, Stand, and the Irish Times.

SIDELIGHTS:

Born and raised in Ireland, Gerard Donovan pursued his postsecondary education in the United States, enrolling in writing programs at Johns Hopkins University and the University of Arkansas. His first published books were collections of poetry, including 2000's The LightHouse, which was nominated for the Irish TimesLiterature Prize. Schopenhauer's Telescope is Donovan's first novel, and it earned him a place on the long- and shortlists of several major awards, including the Man Booker Prize for Fiction, the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award, and the Kerry Group Irish Fiction Award. The novel takes an abstract look at human character in times of war as it follows the dialogue between one man forced to dig a grave-sized hole and another who is charged to watch over him.

A Publishers Weekly contributor described Schopenhauer's Telescope as "sophisticated and innovative," and Donovan as "an inventive and thoughtful writer." Mark Tursi commented in the Review of Contemporary Fiction that "Gerard Donovan's debut novel intertwines dense philosophical ruminations with simple conversational dialogue," while Booklist contributor Frank Sennett remarked on how "Donovan employs the conventions of narrative to craft a stunning lesson."

Donovan's second novel,Doctor Salt, is more direct in its social commentary as it denounces the pharmaceutical giants for inventing syndromes-of-the-day as a means of pushing trendy new drugs. Guardian reviewer Sam Thompson described the book as "poignant and comical," and Stephanie Merritt, a contributor to the Observer, remarked: "Donovan's prose is spare, yet he is capable of memorable descriptions." Ranti Williams concluded in a Telegraphreview, "This challenging and beautifully written book is sinister, sad and bleakly humorous."