| Michael Capuzzo | |
|---|---|
| Occupation | journalist, author |
| Notable work(s) | Close to Shore: The Terrifying Shark Attacks of 1916 |
Michael Capuzzo (born May 1, 1957 in Boston, Massachusetts) is an American journalist and author best-known for his nonfiction book Close to Shore (Broadway Books, Random House), a historical thriller about the first shark attacks in American history, in Edwardian-era New Jersey, that were an inspiration for the book and movie Jaws. The book spent five months on the New York Times besteller and extended list, was a People magazine "Top Ten Book of 2001," and was written, according to The New Yorker, "with an artistry reminiscent of Stephen Crane...deserves a place among the adventure classics."
In 2002 Capuzzo fired his literary agent, David Vigliano, and hired Robert Gottlieb of the Trident Media Group to represent him. Capuzzo, according to the New York Observer, wanted to interest publishers in his ideas for a novel and film, but publishers were not interested, and Capuzzo sold only one book, The Arms of Angels, later retitled and published as The Murder Room.[1]
Capuzzo's latest book is The Murder Room: The Heirs of Sherlock Holmes Gather to Solve the World's Most Perplexing Cold Cases (2010, Gotham Books/Penguin Books). It is the true story of the pro bono Vidocq Society of Philadelphia, a private group of famous detectives from 19 states and 11 foreign countries, named for the legendary 19th Century Parisian sleuth E. F. Vidocq, who investigate cold murders they first consider over a white-tablecloth lunch in a Victorian dining room. The book focuses on the Vidocq Society's three founders, who Capuzzo says combine to form the archetypal great detective: the renowned private eye and former federal agent William Fleisher; celebrated forensic artist and lothario Frank Bender, the subject of a 60 Minutes profile; and internationally known forensic psychologist and criminal profiler Richard Walter, known as "the living Sherlock Holmes." The book will be the subject of an ABC News prime-time one-hour special on August 6, 2010. Kirkus Reviews said The Murder Room is "terrifying, engrossing, inspirational and surprisingly funny."
The Murder Room has received mixed reviews.[2]
Capuzzo is currently the editor and owner, with his wife Teresa Banik Capuzzo, of Mountain Home Magazine, an award-winning storytelling magazine with 100,000 readers, published out of Wellsboro (pop. 3,000) in the mountains of Pennsylvania. Previously he was a staff writer for The Philadelphia Inquirer (1986–1994) and The Miami Herald (1979–1986). He has also written for Esquire, Sports Illustrated, Life (magazine) and Reader's Digest. For six years he wrote a nationally syndicated humor and service column about animals and the environment, "Wild Things," for United Features Syndicate, which was published in 40 newspapers including Newsday.
Capuzzo has won more than 40 awards for newspaper writing and editing including the National Headliner's Award for feature writing; National Association of Black Journalists awards for profiles of Henry Aaron (for Sports Illustrated) and Birdie Africa (for the Philadelphia Inquirer), and an award from the Sunday Magazine Editor's Association. The Philadelphia Inquirer nominated him four times for the Pulitzer Prize in feature writing and national reporting. The "Wild Things" column won numerous public service awards from animal-welfare groups including the Humane Society of the United States and the ASPCA in New York City, and the "Pawlitzer Prize" from Alpo for humorous writing about dogs. He is married to Teresa Banik and has two children, Grace and Julia Capuzzo, from a previous marriage who live in New Jersey.Wellsboro, Pennsylvania.[3][4]
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