- Damon DiMarco
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Damon DiMarco Born 16 October 1971
Princeton, New Jersey, United StatesOccupation Writer, Actor Notable work(s) Tower Stories: An Oral History of 9/11; The Actor's Art & Craft; My Two Chinas: The Memoir of a Chinese Counterrevolutionary
damondimarco.comDamon DiMarco (born October 16, 1971), is a New York City author, actor, and historian. His oral history work has been compared to that of Studs Terkel.[1] He was born in Princeton, New Jersey.
Contents
Oral histories
DiMarco's oral histories include Tower Stories: An Oral History of 9/11, which chronicles the September 11 attacks in 2001, from diversified perspectives on the destruction of the World Trade Center. When asked why he wrote the book, DiMarco told CNN news anchor Betty Nguyen that "as a writer, my specialty is words. And so I couldn't go down to ground zero and dig, I couldn't pull bodies out. My service was to compile the accounts of people who did extraordinary things."[2]
The book features a foreword from former Governor of New Jersey and Chairman of the 9/11 Commission Thomas Kean, who praised the book for being as important as the Federal Writer's Project under the Roosevelt Administration and the Works Progress Administration Slave Narrative.[3] Tower Stories was also praised by William F. Buckley. Senator Bill Baroni of the New Jersey 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.[4] A starred Publishers Weekly review called Tower Stories a "monumental work" and says that "DiMarco's contribution to the memory of that horrific day is enormous; the testimonies collected here form an amazing, one-of-a-kind account."[5] MSNBC Today cited it as one of "five must-read books about 9/11 and its legacy"[6], and said it was "arguably the most successful attempt at capturing the enormity of the events of 9/11."
DiMarco has appeared as a television and radio guest for 9/11-related events, notably on CNN, Premiere Radio Networks, and the National Geographic Channel.[7][8]
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. They note the diversity of perspectives he brings to bear on a single issue, as well as the fact that his interview subjects are often highly-intelligent people whom mainstream media have failed to notice.[9] DiMarco himself has voiced dissatisfaction with mainstream media.[10]
Books on acting
DiMarco wrote The Actor's Art & Craft with Bill Esper, one of the "most important contemporary master-acting teachers" in the United States.[11] Esper founded the William Esper Studio and the Professional Actors Training Program at Rutgers University's Mason Gross School of the Arts.[12] DiMarco has been called Esper's protege.[13] The Actor's Art & Craft details how Esper explores and elaborates on the famous acting techniques pioneered by legendary acting teacher Sanford Meisner. The book features a foreword by David Mamet, who studied under Esper at the Neighborhood Playhouse; it has been endorsed by Meisner-trained actors such as Sam Rockwell, Patricia Heaton, Mary Steenburgen, and Calista Flockhart among others.[14]
The Quotable Actor collects 1001 quotes from actors on such diverse subjects as imagination, rehearsal, technique, and the actor's lifestyle. Featured quotes come from diverse sources including Constantin Stanislavski, Daniel Day-Lewis, Ellen Burstyn, Paul Newman, Jack Nicholson, Stella Adler, Forest Whitaker, Laurence Olivier, and many more.
Collaborations
DiMarco collaborated on Out of Bounds, written 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.[15][16] 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." Reviewer Beth Greenfield, writing for Time Out New York, advised readers "Do Not Buy This Book", perhaps based on Simmons' apparent hypocrisy.[17]
DiMarco wrote My Two Chinas: The Memoir of a Chinese Counter-revolutionary with noted Chinese political dissident, Tang Baiqiao. The books covers events surrounding Tang's life, including his experiences at the Tiananmen Square Protests of 1989, and after. My Two Chinas features a preface by photojournalist Jeff Widener who was a Pulitzer finalist for his iconic Tank Man photo; an introduction by Prof. Robert Thurman of Columbia University; and a foreword by the Dalai Lama.[18] A starred Publishers Weekly review called the book "beautifully-written" and notes that it "fully embraces the poetry and stories of China . . .both a history lesson and a heart-wrenching read."[19]
Acting
DiMarco has acted in regional theatre and lists television roles on his acting resume.[20]
- Guiding Light, 2000
- Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, 2000
- As the World Turns, 1999–2001
- Law & Order, 2007
- One Life to Live, 2005–2007
Education
DiMarco attended Steinert High School in Hamilton Township, Mercer County, New Jersey where he served as President of his senior class.[21]
He earned a double Bachelors Degree in English Literature and Theatre Arts from Drew University, and delivered the commencement speech for his undergraduate class alongside Olympia Dukakis, who was being honored that year.
DiMarco 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.
He has taught in the Theatre Arts department at Drew University, and at the New York Film Academy.
Bibliography
- Tower Stories: the Autobiography of September 11, 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 with William Esper (2008)
- The Quotable Actor: 1001 Pearls of Wisdom from Actors Talking about Acting (2009)
- My Two Chinas: The Memoir of a Chinese Counterrevolutionary with Tang Baiqiao (2011)
- Fat Kid Got Fit: And So Can You with Bill Baroni (2011)
References
- ^ Publisher's Weekly Reviews
- ^ CNN transcript September 11, 2004
- ^ [Tower Stories: An Oral History of 9/11 by Damon DiMarco (2007) ISBN 9781595800213]
- ^ Amazon Book Review
- ^ Publishers Weekly
- ^ MSNBC Today
- ^ CNN Interview
- ^ National Geographic Channel Fall 07 Schedule
- ^ American Library Association Review
- ^ Hamilton Post article
- ^ Johns Hopkins MUSE Theatre Review
- ^ [The New Generation of Acting Teachers: More than 20 revealing interviews with today's master teachers on the art and craft of acting" by Eve Mekler (1987) ISBN 978-0140088984]
- ^ BackStage Magazine Article
- ^ [The Actors' Art & Craft by William Esper and Damon DiMarco (2008) ISBN 9780307279262]
- ^ 700 Club Article
- ^ New York Times article
- ^ Time Out New York article, January 16, 2006
- ^ Amazon
- ^ Publishers Weekly March, 2011
- ^ Internet Movie Database
- ^ Hamilton High East Class of 1989 website
External links
Categories:- 1971 births
- American biographers
- American dramatists and playwrights
- American historians
- Living people
- American military historians
- Oral historians
- People from New York City
- People from Princeton, New Jersey
- Rutgers University alumni
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