Los Angeles Times Book Prize
1 appearances
-
Edition 25 (2004) Winner
Kem Nunn
ケム・ナン
Kem Nunn
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1948
- Nationality
- United States
- Languages
- English
- Residence History
- Pomona, California → Southern California
Career
- Occupations
- novelist, screenwriter, magazine writer, television producer
- Active Years
- 1984-
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of California, Irvine | — | Creative Writing | MFA | — | United States |
University of California, Irvine
Creative Writing
Degree:
MFA
Country:
United States
Also spent time in the graduate creative writing program at Columbia University
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | National Book Award (finalist) | Tapping the Source | — | National Book Foundation | Finalist |
| 2004 | Los Angeles Times Book Prize | Tijuana Straits | — | Los Angeles Times | Winner |
National Book Award (finalist)
1984
Work:
Tapping the Source
Organization:
National Book Foundation
Result:
Finalist
Los Angeles Times Book Prize
2004
Work:
Tijuana Straits
Organization:
Los Angeles Times
Result:
Winner
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
Tapping the Source
1984 Fiction (surf-noir)A dark, politically-tinged novel set in California surf culture. Nunn's breakout work and often cited as a foundational surf-noir novel.
surfingviolencecommunity breakdownnature vs. civilization
Adaptations
- [Film (inspired)] Point Break / Kathryn Bigelow (1991)
Unassigned Territory
1986 FictionA 1980s novel; specific thematic summaries are limited in available sources.
local communityindividuals in transition
Pomona Queen
1992 FictionA novel set around Pomona and its environs, notable for its sense of place and character work.
homeplacefamilyshadows of society
The Dogs of Winter
1997 FictionA 1990s novel with a dark tone and strong interior characterization.
isolationviolencerevenge
Tijuana Straits
2004 FictionSet around the Mexico–U.S. border and the ocean, it explores violence, corruption and family. Winner of a Los Angeles Times book prize.
borderlandscorruptionfamily
Chance
2014 FictionA novel engaging with psychiatry and metaphysical elements. Later adapted into an HBO television series based on the book.
psychiatryidentityethics
Adaptations
- [TV series] Chance / Lenny Abrahamson (2016)
Bibliography
- Tapping the Source (1984)
- Unassigned Territory (1986)
- Pomona Queen (1992)
- The Dogs of Winter (1997)
- Tijuana Straits (2004)
- Chance (2014)
Adaptations
- Tapping the Source → Point Break (inspiration)
- Chance → Chance (HBO TV series)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- surf-noirdark realismpolitical and social motifs
- Recurring Motifs
- sea/surfingviolence and revengebreakdown of local communitiesnature vs. civilization
Legacy
Known for dark, politically-tinged fiction set in California surf culture; often called a founder of 'surf-noir'. Several works have influenced or been adapted for screen.
In Popular Culture
- Tapping the Source is known as an inspiration for the film Point Break
- Involved in HBO series such as John from Cincinnati and Chance
Quotes
-
the inventor of surf-noir
Source: KCRW interview (Michael Silverblatt, 2004) (2004)
Trivia
- Tapping the Source was a finalist for the National Book Award.
- Tijuana Straits received a Los Angeles Times book prize.
- Collaborated with David Milch as a writer on the final season of Deadwood.
- His novel Chance was adapted into the HBO series Chance.