Last Updated: 03 Jan, 2025 | Views: 226
Age: 67
Profession: Writer
Other Profession(s): Journalist, Musician
Famous For: Literary Virtuoso
Higher Education: Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism
About (profile/biography)
James McBride embodies renaissance artistry as a National Book Award winner, musician, and screenwriter. From his groundbreaking memoir "The Color of Water" to his latest works, McBride weaves jazz rhythms into his prose, drawing from his dual identity as both a writer and accomplished saxophonist to create uniquely American stories that explore race, identity, and redemption.
James McBride Career Milestones:
• 1995: Published "The Color of Water" (2+ million copies sold)
• 2013: Won National Book Award for "The Good Lord Bird"
• 2015: Received National Humanities Medal from President Obama
• 2020: Released "Deacon King Kong" to critical acclaim
• 2023: Published "The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store"
James McBride Awards & Recognition:
• National Book Award for Fiction
• American Academy of Arts and Letters Award
• National Humanities Medal
• Anisfield-Wolf Book Award
• Stephen Sondheim Award for American Musical Theater
James McBride Unknown Facts:
• Still performs regular jazz gigs in small clubs under a pseudonym, often testing story ideas through music first.
• Writes his first drafts by hand using vintage fountain pens, a habit from his journalism days at The Boston Globe.
• Maintains a collection of over 20 saxophones, each named after a character from his books.
• Composed an entire jazz suite based on "The Color of Water" before writing the book.
• Teaches writing workshops in prisons, believing storytelling can change lives as it changed his.
• Starts each writing day playing John Coltrane's "A Love Supreme" on saxophone.
• Lives part-time in a converted church where he writes and hosts community jazz sessions.
• Keeps his National Book Award next to his mother's old Bible, his two most treasured possessions.
Wait!
Here're some popular profiles for you.