Damon DiMarco

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Damon DiMarco

Born 16 October 1971 (1971-10-16) (age 36)
Princeton, New Jersey, United States
Occupation Writer, Actor

Damon DiMarco (b. October 16, 1971, Princeton, New Jersey) is a New York City biographical and narrative author, actor, and historian whose oral history work has been compared to that of Studs Terkel.[1]

Contents

[edit] Oral Histories

DiMarco's oral histories include Tower Stories: An Oral History of 9/11, which chronicles the September 11, 2001 attacks, from diversified perspectives on the destruction of the World Trade Center. The book features a foreword from former New Jersey governor and Chairman of the 9/11 Commission Thomas Kean, who praised the book as being important as the Federal Writer's Project under the Roosevelt Administration and the Slave Narrative.[2] Tower Stories was also praised by William F. Buckley.

Senator Bill Baroni of the New Jersey State Senate called Tower Stories the "perfect supplement to the 9/11 Commission Report," noting that DiMarco's oral history provides human and emotional context to the Commission Report's stark factualization.[3]

DiMarco has appeared as a television and radio commentator for 9/11-related events, notably on CNN and the National Geographic Channel.[4][5]

Other oral histories include Heart of War: Soldiers' Voices from the Front Lines of Iraq, a collection of first-person narratives from U.S. veterans of the War in Iraq.

Critics of DiMarco's oral history work praise the respect he pays to his interviewees, and note the diversity of perspectives he brings to bear on a single issue. His interview subjects are often highly-intelligent people whom mainstream media have failed to notice.[6] DiMarco himself has voiced his dissatisfaction with mainstream media.[7]

[edit] Collaborations

DiMarco has collaborated on celebrity autobiographies, having penned Out of Bounds with Roy Simmons, a former offensive lineman for Georgia Tech who went on to play for the New York Giants and took the field in Super Bowl XVIII for the Washington Redskins. Simmons became the first former NFL player to publicly announce that he is HIV positive, and one of the first to reveal the extent to which drugs and alcohol backdrop the world of professional football.[8][9] Following the release of Out of Bounds, Simmons caused controversy among the gay and lesbian community by publicly stating that homosexuality is "against God's will."[10]

Another book, The Actor's Art & Craft with Bill Esper, explores and elaborates on the famous acting techniques pioneered by legendary acting teacher Sanford Meisner (forthcoming from Random House in 2008). The book features a foreword by David Mamet, who studied under Esper at the Neighborhood Playhouse, and has been endorsed by Meisner-trained actors such as Sam Rockwell, Patricia Heaton, Mary Steenburgen, and Calista Flockhart among others.[11]


[edit] Acting

DiMarco has acted in regional theatre and lists television and film roles on his acting resume.[12]

[edit] Education

DiMarco attended Steinert High School in Hamilton Township, Mercer County, New Jersey. He earned a double Bachelors Degree in English Literature and Theatre Arts from Drew University, where he teaches in the Theatre department.

He went on to receive his Master of Fine Arts degree from Rutgers University Mason Gross School of the Arts while studying acting under Bill Esper of the William Esper Studio. Damon has also taught acting at the New York Film Academy.

[edit] Bibliography

  • Tower Stories: the Autobiography of September 11th, 2001 (2004)
  • Out of Bounds: Coming Out of Sexual Abuse, Addiction, and My Life of Lies in the NFL Closet in collaboration with Roy Simmons (2005)
  • Heart of War: Soldiers' Voices from the Front Lines of Iraq (2007)
  • Tower Stories: an Oral History of 9/11 A revised, updated edition. (2007)
  • The Actor's Art & Craft in collaboration with William Esper (2008)

[edit] External links

[edit] References

  1. ^ Publisher's Weekly Reviews
  2. ^ [Tower Stories: An Oral History of 9/11 by Damon DiMarco (2007) ISBN 9781595800213]
  3. ^ Amazon Book Review
  4. ^ CNN Interview
  5. ^ National Geographic Channel Fall 07 Schedule
  6. ^ American Library Association Review
  7. ^ Hamilton Post article
  8. ^ 700 Club Article
  9. ^ New York Times Article
  10. ^ Time Out New York Article
  11. ^ [The Actors' Art & Craft by William Esper and Damon DiMarco (2008) ISBN 9780307279262]
  12. ^ Internet Movie Database