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{{short description|American writer}}
{{Short description|American writer (1936–2023)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2016}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2022}}
{{more footnotes|date=December 2010}}
{{Infobox writer
{{Infobox writer
| name = Dan Greenburg
| name = Dan Greenburg
| image =
| image =
| caption =
| caption =
| birth_date = {{birth-date and age|June 20, 1936}}
| birth_date = {{birth date|1936|6|20}}
| birth_place = [[Chicago, Illinois]], U.S.
| birth_place = [[Chicago, Illinois]], U.S.
| death_date = {{death date and age|2023|12|18|1936|6|20}}
| death_place = [[The Bronx, New York]], U.S.
| occupation = Writer
| occupation = Writer
| education = [[University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign|University of Illinois]] ([[Bachelor of Arts|BA]])<br>[[University of California, Los Angeles]] ([[Master of Arts|MA]])
| spouse = {{marriage|[[Nora Ephron]]|1967|1976|end=divorced}}<br />{{marriage|Suzanne O'Malley|1980|1998|end=divorced}}<br />{{marriage|Judith C. Wilson|1998| |end= }}
| spouse = {{plainlist|
* {{marriage|[[Nora Ephron]]|1967|1976|end=divorced}}
* {{marriage|Suzanne O'Malley|1980|1998|end=divorced}}
* {{marriage|[[J.C. Greenburg|Judith C. Wilson]]|1998| |end= }}
}}
}}
}}


'''Dan Greenburg''' (born June 20, 1936) is an American writer, humorist, and journalist. His 72 books have been published in 20 languages in 24 countries. His best-selling books for adults include ''[[How to Be a Jewish Mother]]'', ''How to Make Yourself Miserable'', ''Love Kills'', ''Exes'', and ''How to Avoid Love and Marriage''. He writes four series of children's books, ''[[The Zack Files]]'', ''[[Secrets of Dripping Fang]]'', ''[[Maximum Boy]]'', and ''Weird Planet''.
'''Daniel Greenburg''' (June 20, 1936 – December 18, 2023) was an American writer, humorist, and journalist. His 73 books have been published in 20 languages in 24 countries.{{citation needed|date=May 2022}}

His books for adults include the non-fiction books ''[[How to Be a Jewish Mother|How to Be a Jewish Mother: A Very Lovely Training Manual]]'' (1964), ''How to Make Yourself Miserable: Another Vital Training Manual'' (1966, with Marcia Jacobs), and ''How to Avoid Love and Marriage'' (1983, with Suzanne O'Malley) – all [[satire|satirical]] [[self-help books]] – as well as the novels ''Love Kills'' (1978), ''Exes'' (1990), and ''Fear Itself'' (2014).

Greenburg wrote four series of children's books, ''[[The Zack Files]]'', ''Secrets of Dripping Fang'', ''[[Maximum Boy]]'', and ''Weird Planet''.


==Writing career==
==Writing career==
Daniel Greenburg was born on June 20, 1936, in [[Chicago, Illinois]],<ref name=NYT>{{cite web |last1=Rifkin |first1=Glenn |title=Dan Greenburg, Who Poked Fun With His Pen, Dies at 87 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/19/books/dan-greenburg-dead.html |website=[[The New York Times]] |access-date=December 19, 2023}}</ref> the son of Samuel (an artist) and Leah Greenburg.<ref>{{cite web|title=Greenburg, Dan |url=https://www.encyclopedia.com/arts/educational-magazines/greenburg-dan-1936|work=Contemporary Authors|date=April 25, 2022|access-date=May 13, 2022}}</ref>
⚫
He was born in [[Chicago, Illinois]], and received his B.F.A. from the University of Illinois and his M.F.A. from UCLA. Raised to be an artist like his father, Greenburg studied design at the [[University of Illinois]]. While there he read ''[[Catcher in the Rye]]'', which turned him towards being a writer. His first piece of professional writing was "3 Bears in Search of an Author," a retelling of the same story in the voices of [[J.D. Salinger]], [[Ernest Hemingway]], and [[James Joyce]]. The piece was published in ''[[Esquire Magazine]]'', and Esquire commissioned a sequel: "Hansel and Gretel" in the styles of [[Vladimir Nabokov]], [[Jack Kerouac]] and [[Samuel Beckett]].

Greenburg studied design at the [[University of Illinois]]. While there, he read ''[[Catcher in the Rye]]'', which inspired him to become a writer.{{citation needed|date=May 2022}} He received his B.A. degree from the University of Illinois and his M.A. degree from the University of California in Los Angeles.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.penguinrandomhouseaudio.com/narrator/11001/dan-greenburg |title=Greenburg, Dan|access-date=May 13, 2022}}</ref>

⚫
His first piece of professional writing{{citation needed|date=May 2022}} was "3 Bears in Search of an Author", a retelling of the same story in the voices of [[J.D. Salinger]], [[Ernest Hemingway]], and [[James Joyce]]. The piece was published in ''[[Esquire (magazine)|Esquire]]'' magazine, and ''Esquire'' commissioned{{cite needed|date=May 2022}} a sequel: "Hansel and Gretel" in the styles of [[Vladimir Nabokov]], [[Jack Kerouac]] and [[Samuel Beckett]].

⚫
After obtaining his M.A. in industrial design, he continued to live in Los Angeles. Dissatisfied with industrial design, he spent three years working at advertising agencies. Meanwhile, his old editor at ''Esquire'', [[Ralph Ginzburg]], had started a new national magazine called ''Eros'' and convinced Dan to move to New York and become its managing editor.<ref>{{cite news |title=Dan Greenburg Turns Fear Funny Side Up|date=August 11, 1976|last=Daniels |first=Mary |work=Chicago Tribune|publisher=Tribune Media}}</ref> In New York, Greenburg began to write a satirical non-fiction book entitled ''[[How to Be a Jewish Mother]]'', which became the bestselling non-fiction book of 1965.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.historycentral.com/sixty/culture/best/BOOKS.html|title=Bestselling Books <!-- 1960s -->|access-date=May 13, 2022}}</ref>

In September 1969, he published ''Porno-Graphics: The Shame of our Art Museums'', a now scarce and far-out-of-print heavily illustrated book with lift-up vinyl page covers, pull-outs, and copies of famous paintings. In a retrospective interview, Greenburg said, "At the time, I was amused by all the people who were being offended by anything slightly sexual. Usually when something sexual is covered up, it becomes more sexual. I thought it was funny. I had already had some success with a couple of books and Random House said to me 'what else can you do?{{'"}}<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.abebooks.com/books/features/dan-greenburg-art-book/index.shtml |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160823083645/http://www.abebooks.com/books/features/dan-greenburg-art-book/index.shtml |archive-date=August 23, 2016 |title=Dan Greenburg: Covering Up Art's Greatest Nudes|access-date=May 13, 2022}}</ref>

Greenburg is probably most well known for authoring a handful of very popular series of children's books, although he still also wrote novels for adults (mostly mysteries and thrillers). He also wrote for television and movies, and has been regularly published in ''Life'', ''Time'', ''The New Yorker'', and other national publications.

When asked how he keeps in touch with what kids like in an interview in 2005, he responded: "I visit schools constantly. I talk to kids, I try out ideas on them, and I ask them what they like to read. Both boys and girls tell me they love scary stories and funny stories the best, and the boys tell me they love to be grossed out. I've tried to do all three things in these books." When asked where he gets ideas for his books, he replied: "1) inspiration from adventures I've survived; 2) a funny title I think up first&nbsp;...; 3) asking myself "What if&nbsp;...?".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.harcourtbooks.com/DrippingFang/interview.asp|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060206203541/http://www.harcourtbooks.com/DrippingFang/interview.asp|title=Interview with Dan Greenburg|archive-date=February 6, 2006|access-date=May 13, 2022}}</ref>


⚫
==Personal life and death==
⚫
After obtaining his M.F.A. in industrial design, the first such degree bestowed by UCLA, he continued to live in Los Angeles. Dissatisfied with industrial design, he spent three years working at advertising agencies. Meanwhile, his old editor at ''Esquire'', [[Ralph Ginzburg]], had started a new national magazine called ''Eros'' and convinced Dan to move to New York and become its managing editor.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Daniels |first1=Mary |title=Dan Greenburg turns fear funny-side up. |url=http://archives.chicagotribune.com/1976/08/11/page/35/article/dan-greenburg-turns-fear-funny-side-up |access-date=August 22, 2016 |work=Chicago Tribune |publisher=Tribune Media |date=August 11, 1976}}</ref> In New York, Greenburg began to write a satirical non-fiction book entitled ''[[How to Be a Jewish Mother]]'', which became the bestselling book of 1965 and allowed him to become a full-time author, journalist, and script writer.
Greenburg's first wife was film director and author [[Nora Ephron]] (1941–2012). After seven years, their marriage ended in an amicable divorce.


His second wife was writer Suzanne O'Malley, whom he married in 1980; they remained married for fifteen years before they separated, eventually divorcing in 1998. With O'Malley, he had a son, [[Zack O'Malley Greenburg]]; Dan Greenburg's children's book series ''The Zack Files'' was named for him.
In 1969, he published ''Porno-Graphics: The Shame of our Art Museums'' where famous nudes from the art world are covered up using movable parts. In an interview<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.abebooks.com/books/features/dan-greenburg-art-book/index.shtml |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160823083645/http://www.abebooks.com/books/features/dan-greenburg-art-book/index.shtml |archive-date=August 23, 2016 |title=Dan Greenburg: Covering Up Art's Greatest Nudes}}</ref> with AbeBooks, Greenburg said, "At the time, I was amused by all the people who were being offended by anything slightly sexual. Usually when something sexual is covered up, it becomes more sexual. I thought it was funny. I had already had some success with a couple of books and Random House said to me 'what else can you do?'"


⚫
Greenburg's third wife was [[J.C. Greenburg|Judith C. Wilson]], a children's book author.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1998/10/18/style/weddings-judith-wilson-and-dan-greenburg.html|title=Weddings; Judith Wilson and Dan Greenburg |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=October 18, 1998|access-date=May 13, 2022}}</ref> They resided in [[Hastings, New York|Hastings]], [[Oswego County, New York]].
⚫
==Personal life==
Greenburg's first wife was writer and film director [[Nora Ephron]]. After seven years, their marriage ended in an amicable divorce. His second wife was writer Suzanne O'Malley, who was married to him for fifteen years before they separated, divorcing five years later. With her he had a son, [[Zack O'Malley Greenburg]], for whom Dan Greenburg's children's-book series ''The Zack Files'' was named. At age five, Zack Greenburg played the title role of Lorenzo in the film ''[[Lorenzo's Oil]]''. Zack Greenburg grew up to become a staff writer at ''[[Forbes]]'' magazine and the author of a biography of [[Jay-Z]].


Greenburg died of complications from a stroke at a hospice in [[the Bronx]], on December 18, 2023, at the age of 87.<ref name=NYT/>
⚫
Greenburg third wife is Judith C. Wilson, who as [[J.C. Greenburg]] writes children's books, including the 18-volume series ''[[Andrew Lost]]''.<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/1998/10/18/style/weddings-judith-wilson-and-dan-greenburg.html "WEDDINGS; Judith Wilson and Dan Greenburg"]. ''The New York Times''. October 18, 1998. Retrieved 2014-04-17.</ref> They live in [[Westchester County, New York]].<ref>''Cat People'', Bill Hayward, introduction by Rogers E. M. Whitaker, New York: Dolphin/Doubleday, 1978, p. 36.</ref>


==Selected works==
==Selected works==


===Books for adults===
===Books for adults===
* ''[[How to Be a Jewish Mother]]: A Very Lovely Training Manual'' (1964)
* ''How to Be a Jewish Mother: A Very Lovely Training Manual'' (1964)
* ''Kiss My Firm But Pliant Lips'' (1965)
* ''Kiss My Firm But Pliant Lips'' (1965)
* ''How to Make Yourself Miserable: Another Vital Training Manual'' (1966)
* ''How to Make Yourself Miserable: Another Vital Training Manual'' (1966)
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* ''Exes'' (1990)
* ''Exes'' (1990)
* ''Moses Supposes: The Bible As Told to Dan Greenburg'' (1997)
* ''Moses Supposes: The Bible As Told to Dan Greenburg'' (1997)
* ''Claws'' (2006)


===Books for children===
===Books for children===
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* ''Don't Count on Dracula'' (#21)
* ''Don't Count on Dracula'' (#21)
* ''This Body's Not Big Enough for Both of Us'' (#22)
* ''This Body's Not Big Enough for Both of Us'' (#22)
* ''Greenish Eggs and Dinosaurs" (#23)
* ''Greenish Eggs and Dinosaurs'' (#23)
* ''My Grandma, Major League Slugger'' (#24)
* ''My Grandma, Major League Slugger'' (#24)
* ''Trapped in the Museum of Unnatural History'' (#25)
* ''Trapped in the Museum of Unnatural History'' (#25)
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* ''Just Add Water&nbsp;... and Scream!'' (#29)
* ''Just Add Water&nbsp;... and Scream!'' (#29)
* ''It's Itchcraft!'' (#30) {{Col-break}}
* ''It's Itchcraft!'' (#30) {{Col-break}}
[[Secrets of Dripping Fang]] chapter books
Secrets of Dripping Fang chapter books
* ''The Onts'' (#1)
* ''The Onts'' (#1)
* ''Treachery and Betrayal at Jolly Days'' (#2)
* ''Treachery and Betrayal at Jolly Days'' (#2)
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* ''Jumbo the Boy and Arnold the Elephant'', illustrated by Susan Perl ([[Bobbs-Merrill]], 1969), [[picture book]]
* ''Jumbo the Boy and Arnold the Elephant'', illustrated by Susan Perl ([[Bobbs-Merrill]], 1969), [[picture book]]
* ''The Bed Who Ran Away from Home'', illus. John Wallner ([[HarperCollins]], 1991), picture book
* ''The Bed Who Ran Away from Home'', illus. John Wallner ([[HarperCollins]], 1991), picture book
* ''Young Santa'', illus. Warren Miller ([[Viking Press]], 1991), [[chapter book]] <!--72pp-->
* ''Young Santa'', illus. Warren Miller ([[Viking Press]], 1991), [[chapter book]]
* ''Claws'' ([[Random House]], 2006), chapter book <!--144pp-->
* ''Claws'' ([[Random House]], 2006), chapter book


===Filmography===
===Filmography===
Most of these films were based on Greenburg novels.
* ''[[Live a Little, Love a Little]]'' (1968), based on his novel ''Kiss My Firm But Pliant Lips''
* ''[[Live a Little, Love a Little]]'' (1968), based on his novel ''Kiss My Firm But Pliant Lips''
* ''[[I Could Never Have Sex with Any Man Who Has So Little Regard for My Husband]]'' (1973), based on his novel ''Chewsday''
* ''[[I Could Never Have Sex with Any Man Who Has So Little Regard for My Husband]]'' (1973), based on his novel ''Chewsday''
* ''[[Fore Play]]'' (1975)
* ''[[Fore Play]]'' (1975), with [[Bruce Jay Friedman]] and [[David Odell]]
* ''[[Private Lessons (1981 film)|Private Lessons]]'' (1981), based on his novel ''Philly''
* ''[[Private Lessons (1981 film)|Private Lessons]]'' (1981), based on his novel ''Philly''
* ''[[Private School (film)|Private School]]'' (1983)
* ''[[Private School (film)|Private School]]'' (1983)
* ''[[The Guardian (1990 film)|The Guardian]]'' (1990), based on his novel ''The Nanny''
* ''[[The Guardian (1990 film)|The Guardian]]'' (1990), based on his novel ''The Nanny''
* ''Private Lessons II'' (1993)
* ''Private Lessons II'' (1993), based on his novel ''Philly''


===Dramatic works===
===Dramatic works===
Greenburg's plays have been performed on Broadway, Off Broadway, at the American Conservatory Theater, Yale University, and at the Actors Studio, where he was a member of the Playwrights Unit, led by Norman Mailer.
Greenburg's plays have been performed on Broadway, off-Broadway, at the American Conservatory Theater, Yale University, and at the Actors Studio, where he was a member of the Playwrights Unit.
* ''Free to be...You and Me'' (co-author of revue which ran on Broadway and Off)
* ''[[Free to Be... You and Me]]'' (contributor){{citation needed|date=May 2022}}
* ''[[Oh! Calcutta!]]'' (1969, 1976) <ref>{{cite web|url=https://playbill.com/production/oh-calcutta-edison-theatre-vault-0000013076|title=Oh! Calcutta! (Broadway, Edison Theatre, 1976) – Playbill|access-date=May 13, 2022}} (contributor)</ref>
* ''[[Oh! Calcutta!]]'' (co-author of Kenneth Tynan revue which ran on Broadway for 21 years)
* ''Arf!'' and ''The Great Airplane Snatch'' (author of one-acts that ran Off-Broadway)
* ''Arf!'' and ''The Great Airplane Snatch'' (author of one-acts that ran off-Broadway){{citation needed|date=May 2022}}
* ''The Restaurant'' (author of one-act play which ran Off-Broadway)
* ''The Restaurant'' (author of one-act play which ran off-Broadway){{citation needed|date=May 2022}}
* ''Convention'' (author of one-act play which ran Off-Broadway)
* ''Convention'' (author of one-act play which ran off-Broadway){{citation needed|date=May 2022}}
* ''[[How to Be a Jewish Mother]]'' (co-author, author of the original book). Stage adaptations of Greenburg's best-selling book have been running in France almost continuously for over 30 years; they've also been produced in Spain, Poland, Israel, Brazil, Holland, Turkey, and have again opened in Brazil. A new adaptation is in the works by Greenburg and British co-author Adam Rolston.
* ''[[How to Be a Jewish Mother]]'' (December 1967) (co-author, author of the original book).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://playbill.com/production/how-to-be-a-jewish-mother-hudson-theatre-vault-0000005841|title=How to Be a Jewish Mother (Broadway, Hudson Theatre, 1967) – Playbill|access-date=May 13, 2022}}</ref> Stage adaptations of Greenburg's best-selling book have been running for over 30 years; they've been produced in France, Spain, Poland, Israel, Brazil, Holland, Turkey, and Brazil.{{citation needed|date=May 2022}}


===Television===
===Television===
* ''Murder in Mind'' (ABC-TV adaptation by Greenburg of his own best-selling thriller, ''Love Kills'')
* ''A Deadly Vision'' (a 1997 [[television film|made-for-TV movie]] adaptation by Greenburg of his best-selling novel, ''Love Kills'')
* ''The Zack Files'' (award-winning 52-episode series based on Greenburg's best-selling book series)
* ''[[The Zack Files]]'' (a 2000–2002 television series based on Greenburg's best-selling children's book series)
* ''[[Mad About You]]'' (story credit on the [[Paul Reiser]] series)
* ''[[Mad About You]]'' (story credit on the [[Paul Reiser]] television series)
* ''[[Steambath (TV series)|Steambath]]'' (adapted the [[Bruce Jay Friedman]] [[Steambath (play)|play]] as a TV pilot)
* ''[[Steambath (TV series)|Steambath]]'' (one episode)


⚫
Greenburg has also written numerous sitcom pilots for CBS-TV and NBC-TV, including a fireman sitcom{{citation needed|date=May 2022}} for producer-comedian [[Alan King]], which Greenburg researched by spending months with NYC firefighters{{citation needed|date=May 2022}}, and a cop sitcom{{citation needed|date=May 2022}} for producer [[Sonny Grosso]], which Greenburg researched by spending months with NYC homicide cops.{{citation needed|date=May 2022}}
Greenburg has also written numerous sitcom pilots for CBS-TV and NBC-TV, including
⚫
a fireman sitcom for producer-comedian Alan King (which Greenburg researched by spending months with NYC firefighters) and a cop sitcom for producer and cop-who-broke-The-French-Connection-case Sonny Grosso (which Greenburg researched by spending months with NYC homicide cops).{{citation needed|date=August 2016}}


Greenburg has also been a frequent talk show guest on such programs as the Today Show, The Tonight Show, Larry King Live, and Late Night with David Letterman. With fellow author Avery Corman, Greenburg has also appeared as a stand-up comedian on TV talk shows hosted by Sir David Frost, Dick Cavett, Merv Griffin, as well as at the New York Improv comedy club.
Greenburg was also a television talk show guest on the Today Show, The Tonight Show, Larry King Live, and Late Night with David Letterman. With fellow author Avery Corman, Greenburg has also appeared as a stand-up comedian on television talk shows hosted by Sir David Frost, Dick Cavett, and Merv Griffin, and has performed at the New York Improv comedy club.


==Journalism==
==Journalism==
More than 150 of Greenburg's articles and humor pieces have appeared in such periodicals as ''[[The New Yorker]]'', ''[[Playboy]]'', ''[[The Huffington Post]]'', ''[[Vanity Fair (magazine)|Vanity Fair]]'', ''[[New York Magazine]]'', ''[[Esquire (magazine)|Esquire]]'', ''[[The New York Times Magazine]]'', ''[[The New York Times Book Review]]'', ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'', ''[[Life (magazine)|Life]]'', ''[[Newsweek]]'', ''[[Ms. Magazine]]'', ''[[Cosmopolitan (magazine)|Cosmopolitan]]'', ''[[Mademoiselle (magazine)|Mademoiselle]]'', ''[[Readers Digest]]'', and have been reprinted in 44 anthologies of humor and satire in the U.S. and the United Kingdom.
More than 150 of Greenburg's articles and humor pieces have appeared in such periodicals as ''[[The New Yorker]]'', ''[[Playboy]]'', ''[[The Huffington Post]]'', ''[[Vanity Fair (magazine)|Vanity Fair]]'', ''[[New York (magazine)|New York]]'', ''[[Esquire (magazine)|Esquire]]'', ''[[The New York Times Magazine]]'', ''[[The New York Times Book Review]]'', ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'', ''[[Life (magazine)|Life]]'', ''[[Newsweek]]'', ''[[Ms. (magazine)|Ms.]]'', ''[[Cosmopolitan (magazine)|Cosmopolitan]]'', ''[[Mademoiselle (magazine)|Mademoiselle]]'', and ''[[Reader's Digest]]'', and have been reprinted in dozens of anthologies of humor and satire in the U.S. and the United Kingdom.


==Acting==
==Acting==
Greenburg has had small acting roles in several films he has written, including ''Private Lessons'', ''Private School'', and ''I Could Never...'' He had speaking scenes in ''[[Doc (film)|Doc]]'' (1971), the Frank Perry remake of ''Gunfight at the O.K. Corral'', playing the role of [[John Clum]], editor of the Tombstone ''Epitaph''. The ''New Yorker'' film critic [[Penelope Gilliatt]] mentioned Greenburg favorably in her review.{{citation needed|date=August 2016}}
Greenburg had small acting roles in several films he wrote, including ''Private Lessons'', ''Private School'', and ''I Could Never...''. He also played [[John Clum]] in ''[[Doc (film)|Doc]]'' (1971), the [[Frank Perry]] remake of ''Gunfight at the O.K. Corral''.


==References==
==References==
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* {{official website|http://www.dangreenburg.com}}
* {{official website|http://www.dangreenburg.com}}
* {{IMDb name|338633}}
* {{IMDb name|338633}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20060709074705/http://www.harcourtbooks.com/DrippingFang/interview.asp Dan Greenburg] interview at HarcourtBooks.com
* {{LCAuth|n50030478|Dan Greenburg|80|}}
* {{LCAuth|n50030478|Dan Greenburg|80|}}


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{{DEFAULTSORT:Greenburg, Dan}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Greenburg, Dan}}
[[Category:1936 births]]
[[Category:1936 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:2023 deaths]]
[[Category:20th-century American novelists]]
[[Category:20th-century American novelists]]
[[Category:21st-century American novelists]]
[[Category:21st-century American novelists]]

Revision as of 05:16, 25 April 2024

Dan Greenburg
Born(1936-06-20)June 20, 1936
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
DiedDecember 18, 2023(2023-12-18) (aged 87)
The Bronx, New York, U.S.
OccupationWriter
EducationUniversity of Illinois (BA)
University of California, Los Angeles (MA)
Spouse
​
​
(m. 1967; div. 1976)​
Suzanne O'Malley
​
​
(m. 1980; div. 1998)​
​
(after 1998)​

Daniel Greenburg (June 20, 1936 – December 18, 2023) was an American writer, humorist, and journalist. His 73 books have been published in 20 languages in 24 countries.[citation needed]

His books for adults include the non-fiction books How to Be a Jewish Mother: A Very Lovely Training Manual (1964), How to Make Yourself Miserable: Another Vital Training Manual (1966, with Marcia Jacobs), and How to Avoid Love and Marriage (1983, with Suzanne O'Malley) – all satirical self-help books – as well as the novels Love Kills (1978), Exes (1990), and Fear Itself (2014).

Greenburg wrote four series of children's books, The Zack Files, Secrets of Dripping Fang, Maximum Boy, and Weird Planet.

Writing career

Daniel Greenburg was born on June 20, 1936, in Chicago, Illinois,[1] the son of Samuel (an artist) and Leah Greenburg.[2]

Greenburg studied design at the University of Illinois. While there, he read Catcher in the Rye, which inspired him to become a writer.[citation needed] He received his B.A. degree from the University of Illinois and his M.A. degree from the University of California in Los Angeles.[3]

His first piece of professional writing[citation needed] was "3 Bears in Search of an Author", a retelling of the same story in the voices of J.D. Salinger, Ernest Hemingway, and James Joyce. The piece was published in Esquire magazine, and Esquire commissioned[citation needed] a sequel: "Hansel and Gretel" in the styles of Vladimir Nabokov, Jack Kerouac and Samuel Beckett.

After obtaining his M.A. in industrial design, he continued to live in Los Angeles. Dissatisfied with industrial design, he spent three years working at advertising agencies. Meanwhile, his old editor at Esquire, Ralph Ginzburg, had started a new national magazine called Eros and convinced Dan to move to New York and become its managing editor.[4] In New York, Greenburg began to write a satirical non-fiction book entitled How to Be a Jewish Mother, which became the bestselling non-fiction book of 1965.[5]

In September 1969, he published Porno-Graphics: The Shame of our Art Museums, a now scarce and far-out-of-print heavily illustrated book with lift-up vinyl page covers, pull-outs, and copies of famous paintings. In a retrospective interview, Greenburg said, "At the time, I was amused by all the people who were being offended by anything slightly sexual. Usually when something sexual is covered up, it becomes more sexual. I thought it was funny. I had already had some success with a couple of books and Random House said to me 'what else can you do?'"[6]

Greenburg is probably most well known for authoring a handful of very popular series of children's books, although he still also wrote novels for adults (mostly mysteries and thrillers). He also wrote for television and movies, and has been regularly published in Life, Time, The New Yorker, and other national publications.

When asked how he keeps in touch with what kids like in an interview in 2005, he responded: "I visit schools constantly. I talk to kids, I try out ideas on them, and I ask them what they like to read. Both boys and girls tell me they love scary stories and funny stories the best, and the boys tell me they love to be grossed out. I've tried to do all three things in these books." When asked where he gets ideas for his books, he replied: "1) inspiration from adventures I've survived; 2) a funny title I think up first ...; 3) asking myself "What if ...?".[7]

Personal life and death

Greenburg's first wife was film director and author Nora Ephron (1941–2012). After seven years, their marriage ended in an amicable divorce.

His second wife was writer Suzanne O'Malley, whom he married in 1980; they remained married for fifteen years before they separated, eventually divorcing in 1998. With O'Malley, he had a son, Zack O'Malley Greenburg; Dan Greenburg's children's book series The Zack Files was named for him.

Greenburg's third wife was Judith C. Wilson, a children's book author.[8] They resided in Hastings, Oswego County, New York.

Greenburg died of complications from a stroke at a hospice in the Bronx, on December 18, 2023, at the age of 87.[1]

Selected works

Books for adults

  • How to Be a Jewish Mother: A Very Lovely Training Manual (1964)
  • Kiss My Firm But Pliant Lips (1965)
  • How to Make Yourself Miserable: Another Vital Training Manual (1966)
  • Chewsday (1968)
  • Philly (1969)
  • Porno-Graphics: The Shame of Our Art Museums (1969)
  • Scoring (1972)
  • Something's There: My Adventures in the Occult (1976)
  • Love Kills (1978)
  • What Do Women Want? (1982)
  • How to Avoid Love and Marriage (1983)
  • True Adventures (1985)
  • Confessions of a Pregnant Father (1986)
  • The Nanny (1987)
  • Exes (1990)
  • Moses Supposes: The Bible As Told to Dan Greenburg (1997)
  • Claws (2006)

Books for children

Filmography

Dramatic works

Greenburg's plays have been performed on Broadway, off-Broadway, at the American Conservatory Theater, Yale University, and at the Actors Studio, where he was a member of the Playwrights Unit.

Television

Greenburg has also written numerous sitcom pilots for CBS-TV and NBC-TV, including a fireman sitcom[citation needed] for producer-comedian Alan King, which Greenburg researched by spending months with NYC firefighters[citation needed], and a cop sitcom[citation needed] for producer Sonny Grosso, which Greenburg researched by spending months with NYC homicide cops.[citation needed]

Greenburg was also a television talk show guest on the Today Show, The Tonight Show, Larry King Live, and Late Night with David Letterman. With fellow author Avery Corman, Greenburg has also appeared as a stand-up comedian on television talk shows hosted by Sir David Frost, Dick Cavett, and Merv Griffin, and has performed at the New York Improv comedy club.

Journalism

More than 150 of Greenburg's articles and humor pieces have appeared in such periodicals as The New Yorker, Playboy, The Huffington Post, Vanity Fair, New York, Esquire, The New York Times Magazine, The New York Times Book Review, Time, Life, Newsweek, Ms., Cosmopolitan, Mademoiselle, and Reader's Digest, and have been reprinted in dozens of anthologies of humor and satire in the U.S. and the United Kingdom.

Acting

Greenburg had small acting roles in several films he wrote, including Private Lessons, Private School, and I Could Never.... He also played John Clum in Doc (1971), the Frank Perry remake of Gunfight at the O.K. Corral.

References

  1. ^ a b Rifkin, Glenn. "Dan Greenburg, Who Poked Fun With His Pen, Dies at 87". The New York Times. Retrieved December 19, 2023.
  2. ^ "Greenburg, Dan". Contemporary Authors. April 25, 2022. Retrieved May 13, 2022.
  3. ^ "Greenburg, Dan". Retrieved May 13, 2022.
  4. ^ Daniels, Mary (August 11, 1976). "Dan Greenburg Turns Fear Funny Side Up". Chicago Tribune. Tribune Media.
  5. ^ "Bestselling Books". Retrieved May 13, 2022.
  6. ^ "Dan Greenburg: Covering Up Art's Greatest Nudes". Archived from the original on August 23, 2016. Retrieved May 13, 2022.
  7. ^ "Interview with Dan Greenburg". Archived from the original on February 6, 2006. Retrieved May 13, 2022.
  8. ^ "Weddings; Judith Wilson and Dan Greenburg". The New York Times. October 18, 1998. Retrieved May 13, 2022.
  9. ^ "Oh! Calcutta! (Broadway, Edison Theatre, 1976) – Playbill". Retrieved May 13, 2022. (contributor)
  10. ^ "How to Be a Jewish Mother (Broadway, Hudson Theatre, 1967) – Playbill". Retrieved May 13, 2022.

External links

Wikiquote has quotations related to Dan Greenburg.
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