Ralph Pezzullo TOPICS: Journalism Entertainment Global Affairs International Relations Media/Broadcast/Print FEE CATEGORY:* Contact for fee schedule TRAVELS FROM: California Profile Program Outlines Books & Videos Request This Speaker

Ralph Pezzullo: Profile

Ralph Pezzullo is a New York Times-bestselling author as well an award-winning playwright and screenwriter.

Born in New York City, he grew up in Mexico, Vietnam, Bolivia, Colombia, Guatemala, Uruguay and Nicaragua. After receiving a Master's Degree in international affairs from George Washington University, he went to work for Congressman Les Aspin, where he advised on foreign policy and immigration issues. Later, he was employed as a correspondent for Associated Press covering assignments in Latin America and the Caribbean.

In 1994, University of Pittsburgh Press published his nonfiction book, At the Fall of Somoza, which was called "a fascinating and excellent diplomatic history" by Booklist, "a rattling good read" by the Baltimore Sun and "a fascinating and hard-hitting narrative" by Foreign Affairs. His book Jawbreaker: The Attack on Bin Laden and Al-Qaeda (with former CIA operative Gary Berntsen) was published in December 2005 by Crown and quickly became a New York Times, Washington Post and USA Today bestseller. In July 2006 University Press of Mississippi is publishing his book Plunging Into Haiti, which explains how the Haitian immigration problem of the early ‘90s had a profound effect on U.S. foreign policy.

In addition to non-fiction he has also written novels: The Resurrection of Thomas Lea (semi-finalist for the 1999 Faulkner Prize for Fiction), The Testimony of Miguel, (finalist for the Bellwether Prize in 2000) and Eve Missing, a mystery novel, published in November 1993 by Zumaya to wide critical acclaim.

Articles by him have appeared in The Washington Post, GQ, USA Weekend, The Miami Herald, and other publications dealing with a wide range of subjects, including U.S. foreign policy, terrorism and immigration.

He has written for theater (over a dozen plays produced in New York City and across the country), television (Miami Vice, The Learning Channel), radio (The Swamp Fox - an eight-part drama series broadcast by National Public Radio and the BBC) and the movies. His screenplay An Unacceptable Person won a Writer’s Guild East Foundation Award in 1989 and Flashback (written with Steve Fife) was named “Best Screenplay” by the 2000 New York Independent Film & Video Festival.

He is also the recipient of grants from the National Endowment of the Humanities, Mellon Foundation and Jerome Foundation, and is a member of the Dramatists Guild, Author’s League of America, Mystery Writer’s Association, International Thriller Writers and is listed in Who’s Who in America and Who’s Who in the World.

Awards/Grants:

Center International Theatre Festival, Best Play - Wilderness of Mirrors

Kesselring Committee Award, Best Play - The Tail of the Tiger

National Endowment for the Humanities Grant - The Swamp Fox

Mellon Foundation Grant - The Swamp Fox

Peabody Award Nomination - The Swamp Fox

Jerome Foundation Playwriting Fellowships - Wilderness of Mirrors, Hide Mother in My Heart, Gauguin's Parrot, Spain, Okeechobee Split

Writer's Guild East Foundation Fellowship - An Unacceptable Person

New York Independent Film Festival, Best Screenplay - Flashback (with Stephen Fife)

Ensemble Theatre of Cincinnati New Play Festival, Finalist, Best Play - Walk in My Soul

Beverly Hills Best Play Contest, Finalist - Asylum

Rocky Mountain One-Act Play Festival, Best Play - Bullfight

Bellwether Prize for Fiction, Finalist - The Testimony of Miguel

Affiliations:

The Dramatists Guild

Authors League of America

Mystery Writers of America

PEN USA, Membership Committee

Private Eye Writers of America

International Association of Crime Writers

Who's Who in America, 2001-4

Who's Who in the World 2001-4

Independent Film Professionals

Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training

Art Students League, NYC

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