Michael Jahn

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Joseph Michael Jahn. American author and critic, 1943-

Born in Cincinnati, Ohio, August 4, 1943. Raised in Sayville, N.Y. Moved to New York City in 1966. Educated at Dowling College, Adelphi University, and Columbia University.(1) Using the byline Mike Jahn, in 1968 became the first rock critic of The New York Times and first full-time rock critic for any major daily newspaper.(2) According to Times legendary metropolitan editor, he hired Jahn specifically to inaugurate the newspaper's coverage of rock.(2) One of his first assignments was to cover the Woodstock Festival.(2)

Jahn wrote more than 200 reviews of performances by rock bands and individual folk and blues artists for the Times, 1968-1971.(3) Jahn also wrote a column syndicated by North American Newspaper Alliance, 1967-1970, and The New York Times, 1970-1973. Jahn wrote the first book about The Doors, "Jim Morrison and the Doors: An Unauthorized Book" and was mentioned by name in the Rolling Stone obituary of Morrison (4,5).

In the mid-1970s, Jahn switched to writing mystery/suspense fiction, eventually publishing about 50 novels and movie and TV adaptations, mostly using the byline Michael Jahn.(1). His first mystery novel, "The Quark Maneuver," won an Edgar Award in 1977.(6,7) In 1982 he began the series "The Bill Donovan Mysteries" with "Night Rituals.)(8) By 2003 he had published nine novels in the series, the most recent being "Murder in Coney Island" (9)A new book in the series is pending as of 2007.(1)

Jahn's original manuscripts and papers are in the Michael Jahn Collection at the Rare Book & Manuscript Library of Columbia University. The collection was established in 2004.

[edit] References

  1. Michael Jahn's New York [1]
  2. Gelb, Arthur. "City Room." New York: Putnam, 2003; p. 519
  3. The New York Times (htp://www.nytimes.com); archives 1851-1980.
  4. Jahn, Mike. "Jim Morrison and the Doors: An Unauthorized Book." New York, Workman, 1969.
  5. TheDoors.com (http://www.doors.com/door_mem/books/books3.html)
  6. Jahn, Mike "The Quark Maneuver." New York: Ballantine; 1977.
  7. Mystery Writers of America. (http://mysterywriters.org/edgarsDB/edgarDB.php)
  8. Jahn, Michael. "Night Rituals." New York: Norton; 1982.
  9. Jahn, Michael. "Murder in Coney Island." New York: St. Martin's Press; 2003.

[edit] External links