Mark Lee (American author)
Encyclopedia
Mark W. Lee is an American novelist, poet and playwright. He has worked as a war correspondent and some of these real-life experiences have appeared in his fiction.
where he became friends with the Pulitzer prize winning poet and novelist Robert Penn Warren
. Lee dedicated his first novel to Warren. [1]
After graduating from Yale in 1973, Lee lived in New York City for several years where he worked as a taxi driver, a language teacher and a security guard. In New York, he became friends with artists Frank Moore and Lillian Mulero. His poetry and nonfiction appeared in the Atlantic Monthly, the Times Literary Supplement and a variety of literary journals.
Lee has always done elaborate research for his literary work. When writing a long poem about Henry Hudson
, he walked alone down the eastern shore of Hudson Bay. His poem, Hudson Bay, 1611, was published in The Sewanee Review.
and the Daily Telegraph. During the civil war that followed the fall of dictator Idi Amin
, he was one of the few western journalists living in Uganda
. After being expelled from the country for writing about military atrocities, Lee returned to the United States. He found that he could no longer write poetry and began writing plays and novels.
{1985) and went on to an award-winning production at the Bush Theatre
in London. Lee's next play, Rebel Armies Deep Into Chad, premiered at New Haven's Long Wharf Theatre
in 1989. Rebel Armies is about the confrontation between two white journalists and two African prostitutes. It has been performed at many theatres throughout America. [2]
Lee's play, Pirates (1992) premiered at South Coast Repertory
in Costa Mesa where it won the American Express California Playwrights competition. An American Romance (1997) premiered at the Road Theatre in Los Angeles. It won 12 regional theatre awards. Lee's play, Century City (1998), premiered at the WPA Theatre in New York. The Private Room, Lee's controversial play set in the prison cells of Guantanamo Bay, premiered at the New End Theatre in London
in 2004. [3]
"Without overwriting, Lee can convey the sprinting pace of a brush fire, the horror of an elephant slaughter, the hair-trigger tenseness of a military checkpoint." [5]
In 2000, Lee traveled to East Timor
and wrote articles about the civil war for the Atlantic Monthly and the Los Angeles Times
.
Lee's second novel, The Canal House, was published by Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill in 2003. The critically praised novel describes the dangerous world of war correspondents and aid workers. It is set in Africa and East Timor. In the Denver Post, the reviewer wrote:
"A story presented in prose so fine it nearly sings, peopled with characters who burn themselves into your mind and heart." [6]
His work appears in Politically Inspired a collection of essays and short stories about the Iraq war published by MacAdam/Cage. In Publishers Weekly
, the reviewer wrote:
Lee's Memo to Our Journalists is a short, punchy list of editorial precautions to reporters in Iraq. It includes such pithy advice as: "If you and your embedded unit are lost in the countryside and searching for the main road, remember that every adult male in the world lies about most things much of the time. Look for a smart, honest nine-year-old." [7]
, the international writers' organization. He gave speeches and interviews attacking the Patriot Act, traveled to Ethiopia
to help imprisoned writers and started the Seattle Chapter of PEN.
In 2008, with funding from PEN Center USA, he established "Tibetan PEN in the Classroom" -- a program where exiled Tibetan writers teach students how write poetry and fiction. [4]
Lee currently lives in New York City. He has two children.
Early life
Lee was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He attended Yale UniversityYale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
where he became friends with the Pulitzer prize winning poet and novelist Robert Penn Warren
Robert Penn Warren
Robert Penn Warren was an American poet, novelist, and literary critic and was one of the founders of New Criticism. He was also a charter member of the Fellowship of Southern Writers. He founded the influential literary journal The Southern Review with Cleanth Brooks in 1935...
. Lee dedicated his first novel to Warren. [1]
After graduating from Yale in 1973, Lee lived in New York City for several years where he worked as a taxi driver, a language teacher and a security guard. In New York, he became friends with artists Frank Moore and Lillian Mulero. His poetry and nonfiction appeared in the Atlantic Monthly, the Times Literary Supplement and a variety of literary journals.
Lee has always done elaborate research for his literary work. When writing a long poem about Henry Hudson
Henry Hudson
Henry Hudson was an English sea explorer and navigator in the early 17th century. Hudson made two attempts on behalf of English merchants to find a prospective Northeast Passage to Cathay via a route above the Arctic Circle...
, he walked alone down the eastern shore of Hudson Bay. His poem, Hudson Bay, 1611, was published in The Sewanee Review.
Journalism
In the early 1980s, Lee traveled to East Africa where he worked as a foreign correspondent for ReutersReuters
Reuters is a news agency headquartered in New York City. Until 2008 the Reuters news agency formed part of a British independent company, Reuters Group plc, which was also a provider of financial market data...
and the Daily Telegraph. During the civil war that followed the fall of dictator Idi Amin
Idi Amin
Idi Amin Dada was a military leader and President of Uganda from 1971 to 1979. Amin joined the British colonial regiment, the King's African Rifles in 1946. Eventually he held the rank of Major General in the post-colonial Ugandan Army and became its Commander before seizing power in the military...
, he was one of the few western journalists living in Uganda
Uganda
Uganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by...
. After being expelled from the country for writing about military atrocities, Lee returned to the United States. He found that he could no longer write poetry and began writing plays and novels.
Plays
His first play, California Dog Fight, was set at an illegal dog fight the Sacramento delta. It premiered at the Manhattan Theatre ClubManhattan Theatre Club
Manhattan Theatre Club is a theater company located in New York City. Under the leadership of Artistic Director Lynne Meadow and Executive Producer Barry Grove, Manhattan Theatre Club has grown since its founding in 1970 from an Off-Off Broadway showcase into one of the country’s most acclaimed...
{1985) and went on to an award-winning production at the Bush Theatre
Bush Theatre
The Bush Theatre is based in Shepherd's Bush, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. It was established in 1972 above The Bush public house by Brian McDermott, and has since become one of the most celebrated new writing theatres in the world. An intimate venue renowned for its close-up...
in London. Lee's next play, Rebel Armies Deep Into Chad, premiered at New Haven's Long Wharf Theatre
Long Wharf Theatre
Long Wharf Theatre is a nonprofit institution in New Haven, Connecticut, a pioneer in the not-for-profit regional theatre movement, the originator of several prominent plays, and a venue where many internationally known actors have appeared....
in 1989. Rebel Armies is about the confrontation between two white journalists and two African prostitutes. It has been performed at many theatres throughout America. [2]
Lee's play, Pirates (1992) premiered at South Coast Repertory
South Coast Repertory
South Coast Repertory is a professional theatre company located in Costa Mesa, California.Tony Award-winning South Coast Repertory, founded in 1964 by David Emmes and Martin Benson and now under the leadership of Artistic Director Marc Masterson and Managing Director Paula Tomei, is widely...
in Costa Mesa where it won the American Express California Playwrights competition. An American Romance (1997) premiered at the Road Theatre in Los Angeles. It won 12 regional theatre awards. Lee's play, Century City (1998), premiered at the WPA Theatre in New York. The Private Room, Lee's controversial play set in the prison cells of Guantanamo Bay, premiered at the New End Theatre in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in 2004. [3]
Novels
Mark Lee's first novel, The Lost Tribe, was published in 1998 by Picador USA. The book describes an epic journey of Africans and Americans looking for the contemporary descendants of the Lost Tribes of Israel. In the Washington Post Book World, the reviewer wrote:"Without overwriting, Lee can convey the sprinting pace of a brush fire, the horror of an elephant slaughter, the hair-trigger tenseness of a military checkpoint." [5]
In 2000, Lee traveled to East Timor
East Timor
The Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, commonly known as East Timor , is a state in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the nearby islands of Atauro and Jaco, and Oecusse, an exclave on the northwestern side of the island, within Indonesian West Timor...
and wrote articles about the civil war for the Atlantic Monthly and the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
.
Lee's second novel, The Canal House, was published by Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill in 2003. The critically praised novel describes the dangerous world of war correspondents and aid workers. It is set in Africa and East Timor. In the Denver Post, the reviewer wrote:
"A story presented in prose so fine it nearly sings, peopled with characters who burn themselves into your mind and heart." [6]
His work appears in Politically Inspired a collection of essays and short stories about the Iraq war published by MacAdam/Cage. In Publishers Weekly
Publishers Weekly
Publishers Weekly, aka PW, is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers and literary agents...
, the reviewer wrote:
Lee's Memo to Our Journalists is a short, punchy list of editorial precautions to reporters in Iraq. It includes such pithy advice as: "If you and your embedded unit are lost in the countryside and searching for the main road, remember that every adult male in the world lies about most things much of the time. Look for a smart, honest nine-year-old." [7]
Human rights work
Mark Lee has been deeply involved in freedom of speech and human rights activities for PENInternational PEN
PEN International , the worldwide association of writers, was founded in London in 1921 to promote friendship and intellectual co-operation among writers everywhere....
, the international writers' organization. He gave speeches and interviews attacking the Patriot Act, traveled to Ethiopia
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
to help imprisoned writers and started the Seattle Chapter of PEN.
In 2008, with funding from PEN Center USA, he established "Tibetan PEN in the Classroom" -- a program where exiled Tibetan writers teach students how write poetry and fiction. [4]
Lee currently lives in New York City. He has two children.