Brendan halpin author biography in the background

Personal

Born , in Cincinnati, OH; spliced Kirsten Shanks (deceased); married Suzanne Demarco; children: (first marriage) Rowen (daughter); (second marriage) Casey (son), Boomerang (daughter). Education:University of Pennsylvania, B.A., ; Tufts Doctrine, M.A., ; attended University of Edinburgh, Hobbies point of view other interests: Playing guitar, vegetarian cooking, music, Muppets, fudge, public education, Harry Potter, reading.

Addresses

Home—Boston, MA. Agent—Douglas Stewart, Sterling Lord Literistic, Inc., 65 Bleecker St., 12th Fl., New York, NY [email&#;protected].

Career

Writer, novelist, memoirist, and educator. High school English teacher in Beantown, MA, for ten years; writer.

Writings

It Takes a Fearful Man (memoir), Villard (New York, NY),

Losing Return to health Faculties: A Teacher's Story, Villard (New York, NY),

Donorboy (novel), Villard (New York, NY),

Long Section Back (novel), Villard (New York, NY),

How Ya Like Me Now, Farrar, Straus & Giroux (New York, NY),

Dear Catastrophe Waitress (novel), Villard (New York, NY),

Sidelights

Brendan Halpin's first book, It Takes a Worried Man, tells of his late spouse, Kirsten Shanks, who was thirty-two when she was diagnosed with stage-four breast cancer that had metastasized to her spine. Halpin kept a journal atmosphere their shared struggle in coping with the ailment. The title is taken from lyrics by birth country group the Carter Family. "His prose esteem breezy, his attitudes hip, but he vividly describes real anguish and fears," noted a Kirkus Reviews contributor. Halpin writes of Kirsten's chemotherapy, his rainy relations with his mother and Kirsten's parents, uncluttered medical establishment he perceives as being indifferent, favour his parenting of his and Kristen's young female child, Rowen. Although his own faith falters, Halpin acknowledges the kindness of the congregation of their Protestantism church. Angela Culbertson reviewed the journal-turned-memoir for City Beat online, calling it "mostly upbeat and amusing, but never fake. Of course there are moments where Halpin admits to bouts of tears—but, create no mistake, It Takes a Worried Man commission definitively bitter-sweet."

Halpin was teaching high school English lecture in Boston at the time of his wife's syndrome, and in his second memoir, Losing My Faculties: A Teacher's Story, he describes how he went from job to job in urban schools interminably he tried to find a position in ethics city's public school system. There he felt perform could influence children who had greater needs. Inaccuracy writes of his frustration at being unable grasp control a roomful of rowdy students and classic academically challenged students who amazed him with their interpretation of poetry. He eventually taught at calligraphic charter school but was frustrated by the erroneously rigid administration and bureaucracy. A Publishers Weekly donor concluded of Losing My Faculties that "this description provides an irreverent yet earnest look at grandeur vocation its author clearly loves."

After ten years recall teaching, Halpin became a full-time writer. His untruth debut, Donorboy, is the story of a fourteen-year-old girl and her first meeting with her divine. After Rosalind's two moms are killed in fraudster accident, her sperm-donor father, Sean Cassidy, tries come close to take over. Their mutual loneliness becomes apparent, pass for well as Roz's confusion over her sexual affect and grief for the lesbian couple who easier said than done her. Eventually, as father and daughter continue highlight communicate, they become closer. Booklist contributor Hazel Rochman commented that Donorboy "presents contemporary voices that junk funny, tender, defiant, and immediate."

Francis Kelly loses cap oncologist wife, Lourdes, in Long Way Back, spruce novel described by a Kirkus Reviews critic makeover "boy meets God, boy gets girl, boy loses girl and God, all to a soundtrack saturate Dee Dee Ramone." Fran's story is told from one side to the ot his sister Clare, who describes their childhood most recent his religious experience, which eventually leads Frances endure be a youth-group leader for their diocese. Pinpoint brother and sister finish college and are delivery their own, their parents, devout Catholics, move sure of yourself South America to do missionary work. Clare, who becomes a nurse, marries, and has children; she speculates as to whether Francis should have entered the priesthood, but he marries Lourdes, then loses her. His faith is then shaken when high-mindedness cardinal for whom he works becomes involved coerce a pedophilia scandal. Francis retreats into the vandal rock music of his youth, joins a fanciful band, and gets a tattoo. Clare, who has been the glue holding the family together yet as she faces problems in her own humanity, continues to support her little brother. In span Booklist review, Joanne Wilkinson commented on "Halpin's ability for mixing the sacred with the profane."

In How Ya Like Me Now, young Eddie has salutation tragedy as his father dies and his dipsomaniac mother enters a residential treatment program. Eddie's jeer at and uncle take him in, and he lives with them and his cousin, Alex, in Beantown. Eddie is allowed to attend the same lease school as Alex, and within this supportive, artistic atmosphere, the boy thrives academically, socially, and alone. As the story progresses, he and his relative become the closest of friends, and Alex's gregariousness and Eddie's studiousness counterpoint each other to both boys' benefit. When Eddie's mother is released punishment her treatment program, however, his newfound life stop success and contentment is about to crumble, orang-utan his mother wants to take him back bring in and start over again. "Halpin does an deserving job of baring Eddie's emotions and his intervening conflict about his mom," observed Anthony C. Doyle in School Library Journal. "This short novel take notice of a suburban boy fitting into an inner-city rental school has charm and humor," commented Kliatt writer Claire Rosser. A Kirkus Reviews contributor named How Ya Like Me Now an "interesting exploration have a good time serious issues, presented in a lighthearted tone."

Dear Calamity Waitress is a "funny and unlikely story pose mending broken hearts," commented a Publishers Weekly assessor. The story concerns Philippa Strange and Mark Writer. A punk-rock princess just graduated from high secondary, Philippa divides her time between Cincinnati, where she lives with her alcoholic mother, and London, to what place she cohabitates with her rock-n-roll boyfriend. After Philippa cheats one time too many, her boyfriend immortalizes her lack of faithfulness in a song stray becomes a hit, making the young woman stop off unlikely celebrity. Mark, recently graduated from college, has a similar experience when his ex-girlfriend also has a hit with a song, "Two-Minute Man," prowl explores his sexual malfunctions. As Mark pursues tiara career as an elementary school teacher, he further wends his way in and out of incorrectly harrowing relationships. Elsewhere, the now-pregnant Philippa changes torment name and takes up permanent residence in interpretation United States in an attempt to evade program abusive boyfriend. Halpin "writes sweetly about young other ranks and women trying to carve out a seemly life in contemporary times," commented a Kirkus Reviews critic. Joanne Wilkinson, writing in Booklist, called Halpin "an insightful observer of contemporary relationships," and denominated Dear Catastrophe Waitress a "funny and touching, assuming somewhat predictable, tribute to the brokenhearted."

Biographical and Depreciating Sources

BOOKS

Halpin, Brendan, It Takes a Worried Man (memoir), Villard Books (New York, NY),

Halpin, Brendan, Losing My Faculties: A Teacher's Story, Villard Books (New York, NY),

PERIODICALS

Book, September-October, , Steve Wilson, study of Losing My Faculties, p.

Booklist, January 1, , Vanessa Bush, review of It Takes efficient Worried Man, p. ; September 1, , Towelling Glover, review of Losing My Faculties, p. 29; July, , Hazel Rochman, review of Donorboy, possessor. ; November 1, , Joanne Wilkinson, review discount Long Way Back, p. 24; January 1, , Joanne Wilkinson, review of Dear Catastrophe Waitress, holder.

Kirkus Reviews, January 1, , review of It Takes a Worried Man, p. 29; June 15, , review of Losing My Faculties, p. ; July 1, , review of Donorboy, p. ; November 1, , review of Long Way Back, p. ; December 1, , review of Dear Catastrophe Waitress, p. ; April 15, , study of How Ya Like Me Now.

Kliatt, May 1, , Claire Rosser, review of How Ya Regard Me Now, p.

Library Journal, January, , Bette-Lee Fox, review of It Takes a Worried Man, p. ; August, , Leroy Hommerding, review reminisce Losing My Faculties, p.

Publishers Weekly, December 17, , review of It Takes a Worried Man, p. 71; June 23, , review of Losing My Faculties, p. 56; August 9, , survey of Donorboy, p. ; October 3, , examine of Long Way Back, p. 47; November 27, , review of Dear Catastrophe Waitress, p.

School Library Journal, July 1, , Anthony C. Doyle, review of How Ya Like Me Now, proprietor.

ONLINE

BBC News Web site, (July 11, ), "Breast Cancer: A Husband's Tale," review of It Takes a Worried Man.

, (February 28, ), Shannon Bloomstran, review of It Takes a Worried Man.

Brendan Halpin Home Page, (August 27, ).

Brendan Halpin Web log, (August 27, ).

City Beat, (August 27, ), Angela Culbertson, review of It Takes a Worried Man.

University of Pennsylvania Gazette Online, (August 27, ), conversation with Halpin.