Jody Weiner

Jody Weiner (full name: Jody Carl Weiner) is an American novelist, non-fiction author, film producer and lawyer. Weiner wrote the literary suspense novel "Prisoners of Truth" (2004). The novel draws in part from his experiences defending high-profile criminal cases in Chicago. [ Hardy, Thomas and Taylor, Marianne (January 17, 1983), “2 Indicted in Cop Killing”, "Chicago Tribune", page 1 ] Along with Jane Goodall, Mark Bekoff, Dave Soldier and other animal activists, he co-authored "Kinship With Animals" (2006), an anthology of true interspecies encounters. In the book, he writes about his experiences as lawyer for Koko the Gorilla. Weiner also co-edited "Resistance: A Radical Political and Social History of the Lower East Side" by Clayton Patterson (2007). Weiner was also advisor and legal counsel for the documentary "A Conversation with Koko" (1999), which received a Genesis Award for Best PBS Documentary in 2000. [citeweb|url=http://www.hsus.org/about_us/offices_and_affiliates/hsus_hollywood_office/the_genesis_awards/genesis_award_winners_and_memorable_moments/2000_genesis_awards.html|title=The Humane Society |accessdate=2007-08-14 |work=2000 Genesis Awards Official Site] He was also advisor to the feature film "Loveless in Los Angeles" (2006) and writer/director of the animated music video "Lost My Mind Again" (2004)).cite web |url=http://www.prisonersoftruth.com/page2.html |title=About the Author |accessdate=2007-08-09 |work=Prisoners of Truth official site]

Weiner was born and raised in Chicago where he spent eleven years defending criminal cases in state and federal courts. In 1985, he moved to San Francisco. There he began to write books and practice civil law. Weiner’s clients have ranged from an inventor of the MRI machine to a death row inmate, from an NBA All-Star to Koko the signing gorilla. He has also served as corporate counsel for Skyy Spirits, LLC, has advised the Artist’s Guild of San Francisco, the Gorilla Foundation, and is a Director of the Golda Foundation (goldafoundation.org) He holds a B.A. in sociology from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and a J.D. from DePaul University.

Works Published

* "Prisoners of Truth" (2004, softcover 2006, Council Oak Books) (ISBN 1-57178-197-8) and (ISBN 1-57178-124-2)
* "Kinship With Animals" (2006, Council Oak Books) (ISBN 1571781897) (co-author, introduction by William Shatner)
* "Resistance: A Radical Political and Social History of the Lower East Side" by Clayton Patterson. (2007, Seven Stories Press) (ISBN 1583227458) (co-editor)

Critical response

The reviewer for Books-on-line said of "Prisoners of Truth":

A very nice little mystery from someone of whom I've never heard. ... I'm not sure if this is Mr. Weiner's first book or not, but at any rate, it deserves to be a success and to be the start of a series. The characters, both the attorney and the journalist are well defined and interesting [cite web |url=http://67.118.51.201/bol/BookDisplay.cfm?BookNum=30341 |title=Prisoners Of Truth |accessdate=2007-08-09 |work=Books-on-line ]

Notes

External links

* [http://www.prisonersoftruth.com book web site]
* [http://www.counciloakbooks.comproductdetails.cfm?PC=192 publisher web site]
* [http://www.berkeleywritersclub.org/ California writers club Berkeley branch]
* [http://www.goldafoundation.org/board.html Golda Foundation Board member]
* [http://www.gallerybooks.com/bookevents/bookeventsalumni.2007.html#weiner Notice of gallery reading by Weiner]
* [http://www.goodie.org/salonfoxy/features3.html Salon event featuring showing of film directed by Weiner]
* [http://www.wildwritingwomen.com/calendar/juxtapose.html 2004 Writers club event featuring a reading by Weiner]
* [http://sfpl.org/news/atl/july06.pdf Appearance by Weiner at San Francisco public library]
* [http://www.chaucers.booksense.com/NASApp/store/IndexJsp?s=storepicks&page=197467 brief review/blurb of "Kinship with Animals"]
* [http://waa.uwalumni.com/onwisconsin/2005_spring/ANews.pdf Publication notice/blurb for "Prisoners of Truth" in UW "Alumni News" Spring 2005]
* [http://www.banyen.com/Reviews.htm?ISBNNum=1571781897 brief review of "Kinship with Animals"]
* [http://67.118.51.201/bol/BookDisplay.cfm?BookNum=30341 Books-on-line review of "Prisoners of Truth"]