Robert Bingham

Robert Bingham (1966 - November 28, 1999) was an American writer and a founding editor of the "Open City Magazine". [ [http://www.opencity.org/main.html OPEN CITY] Accessed September 21, 2006. ]

Bingham graduated from Brown University in 1988. [ [http://brownalumnimagazine.com/storydetail.cfm?ID=1912 BAM: Obituaries, The Classes, March/April 2000] Accessed September 21, 2006. ] He then received a Master of Fine Arts degree from Columbia University. His fiction and non-fiction appeared in "The New Yorker", and he worked for two years as a reporter for the "Cambodia Daily". He wrote the short story collection "Pure Slaughter Value" and the novel "Lightning on the Sun". Robert Bingham died of a heroin overdose at age 33 on November 28, 1999, six months after getting married and five months before the publication of his novel. [ Stacey D'Erasmo. [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9805E7D91E3EF930A15757C0A9669C8B63 Wasted - New York Times] Published April 23, 2000. Accessed September 21, 2006. ] In Robert Bingham's honor, the PEN American Center has established the PEN/Robert Bingham Fellowship for Writers, which awards $35,000 to the most exceptionally talented fiction writer whose debut work represents distinguished literary achievement. [ [http://www.pen.org/page.php/prmID/1308 PEN American Center - PEN/Robert Bingham Fellowship for Writers] Updated 2004. Accessed September 21, 2006. ]

Bingham was a close friend of musician Stephen Malkmus; the title of "Church on White," a song from Malkmus's debut album, "Stephen Malkmus", refers to Bingham's old New York City address.

Bibliography

*"Pure Slaughter Value" (1997)
*"Lightning on the Sun" (2000)

References