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When I was six I decided I wanted to be a writer,
and I’ve been at it ever since. I started my writing
career in newspapers, and I think I probably would have
paid them, instead of the other way around, for the thrill
of seeing my byline in print. As a newspaper reporter,
I gravitated toward stories that allowed me to dig behind
the scenes and beneath the surface, looking for questions
others hadn't asked or imagined. For me, the job amounted
to this: license to find out the things I had always wanted
to know, about anything and everything that interested,
touched or outraged me. Then, within the space and time
limitations of a daily newspaper, I had the chance to
mold it all into a story to pass onto others. I loved
that work. In 1989, I began writing nonfiction books. And, suddenly, instead of days or hours for each story, I had months and years to immerse myself in the inner workings of the places, characters and events I seek to understand and write about. I had found the greatest job I can imagine — and some very big obligations I try never to forget: to those who welcome me into their lives and trust me with their stories, and to those who give up their hard-earned money and even more valuable time to read my work. I cannot do what I do without them; their generosity is both amazing and humbling. In my books, I try to take readers inside worlds most don’t get to visit or see close up on their own. My first stories were about crime — real-life murder mysteries— and I still enjoy reading and writing true crime. But in my last several books, I found myself pursuing broader narratives about our justice system, our juvenile courts and the problem of wrongful convictions. In my last book, I explored a surprisingly humane part of the medical world — life and hope inside a top neonatal intensive care unit, or Baby ER. And now I’m proud to have School of Dreams published, a journey inside new terrain as well, the always vital and frequently astonishing world of our education system. I spent a year immersed within California’s top public high school, a place of high achievement and high stress, where a culture of high expectations has attracted families from around the world to its modest campus, but where the pressure to succeed can take a heavy toll. This website serves as an extension of my books — providing excerpts, supplemental materials, resources, links and updates that can take you further into the subjects I’ve written about. You’ll also find information here on the general topic of narrative nonfiction, the sort of writing I do, which has the feel and read of a novel, though the information is factual, not fictional. I think it’s one of the most vibrant genres going these days. I’ve also included a new guide for the readers groups and college classes that often inquire about my books. Thank you for visiting my website. I hope to see you again soon. Sincerely,
BioBook Work: I’ve written seven books. Four narrative nonfiction:
Three true crime:
Other Work: I went to the Texas Observer magazine in Austin fresh out of college, then worked for the next ten years as a full-time newspaper reporter at the Pine Bluff (Arkansas) Commercial, the Tucson (Arizona) Citizen, and the Orange County (California) Register. In 1989, I left newspapers to write books full time. I also have consulted for CBS News’ Sixty Minutes and have written for numerous magazines, including a stint as a columnist for the late Buzz Magazine. My work has appeared in the Los Angeles Times Magazine, Readers Digest, California Lawyer, the Oxford American and the New York Times. Since 2001, I’ve been a writer at large for Los Angeles Magazine; several pieces are featured on this site. Honors: A Pulitzer Prize in 1989 for specialized reporting for my coverage of the military. The stories that year included an investigation of decades of fatal helicopter crashes linked to faulty night-vision devices the Pentagon knew were unsuitable for flight; dispatches from Panama during the final days of General Manuel Noriega; an examination of the Navy’s secret research program on dolphins and whales; and the story of the unjust execution of an Army private during World War II, and his nephew’s efforts fifty years later to clear his name. No Matter How Loud I Shout was named best research nonfiction book in 1996 by Pen Center USA, and best book that same year by the Investigative Reporters & Editors organization. Mean Justice was named a best book of 1999 by the Los Angeles Times and was one of three finalists for the 1999 Edgar Allan Poe Award for nonfiction from the Mystery Writers of America. Mississippi Mud was also an Edgar finalist. Other reporting and writing honors include awards from the Overseas Press Club, the Associated Press Managing Editors, and the California Newspaper Publishers Association. Born: Philadelphia. Education: Hampshire College, Amherst, Mass. Current whereabouts: Southern California (since 1985). Favorite authors: John Steinbeck, Raymond Chandler, Harper Lee, Norman Mailer, Tom Wolfe, John McPhee, Tracy Kidder. Reads that wowed me (an eclectic selection): Dispatches, by Michael Herr; Salvador, by Joan Didion; Tapping the Source, by Kem Nunn; The Prince of Tides, by Pat Conroy; Watership Down, by Richard Adams, Griffin and Sabine, by Nick Bantock; and “A Boy of Unusual Vision,” by Alice Steinbach (a Pulitzer-Prize-winning story that appeared in the Baltimore Sun in 1984). Daily Must Reads: New York Times, LA Times, Slate, Salon, Jim Romenesko’s MediaNews, CaliforniaAuthors.com Recent book I wish I wrote: Fast Food Nation, by Eric Schlosser. Recent book I wish no one wrote (or read): Slander, by Ann Coulter. Favorite guilty pleasure: All-night blackjack in Vegas.
Contact Edward Humes:To inquire about booking lectures, signings or other author events, e-mail: CaliforniaAuthors.com. Questions or comments? |
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