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Lawrence Wright

ローレンス・ライト

Rōrensu Raito

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1947-08-02 （Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States）
Nationality
United States
Languages
English
Residence History
Austin, Texas, United States

Career

Occupations
Journalist, Writer, Screenwriter, Playwright
Active Years
1970-
Affiliations
The New Yorker (staff writer / contributor), NYU School of Law, Center for Law and Security (fellow), Texas Monthly (contributor), Rolling Stone (contributor)

Education

Tulane University
Degree: BA
Country: United States
American University in Cairo
Applied Linguistics
Degree: MA
Period: 1968–1969
Year of Graduation: 1969
Country: Egypt
Taught English in Egypt after/around his MA

Awards

Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction
2007
Work: The Looming Tower: Al-Qaeda and the Road to 9/11
Organization: Columbia University / Pulitzer Prize Board
Result: Winner
J. Anthony Lukas Book Prize
2007
Work: The Looming Tower: Al-Qaeda and the Road to 9/11
Organization: Nieman Foundation / J. Anthony Lukas Prize Project
Result: Winner
Los Angeles Times Book Prize
2006
Work: The Looming Tower: Al-Qaeda and the Road to 9/11
Organization: Los Angeles Times
Result: Winner
IRE Award
2006
Work: The Looming Tower: Al-Qaeda and the Road to 9/11
Organization: Investigative Reporters and Editors
Result: Winner
National Book Award (Nonfiction)
2013
Work: Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood, and the Prison of Belief
Organization: National Book Foundation
Result: Finalist
National Book Critics Circle Award (Nonfiction)
2013
Work: Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood, and the Prison of Belief
Organization: National Book Critics Circle
Result: Shortlist
Primetime Emmy Award (Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special)
2015
Work: Going Clear (documentary based on his book)
Organization: Emmy Awards
Result: Winner
Peabody Award
2015
Work: Going Clear (documentary)
Organization: Peabody Awards
Result: Winner

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

The Looming Tower: Al-Qaeda and the Road to 9/11

2006 Nonfiction (investigative journalism / history) 432 pages

A detailed investigative history tracing the rise of al-Qaeda and the events leading to the September 11 attacks, examining the group's members, ideology, and failures of U.S. agencies.

TerrorismState securityFailures of intelligence agencies

Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood, and the Prison of Belief

2013 Nonfiction (investigative journalism) 448 pages

An investigative account of the Church of Scientology, its leadership, ties to Hollywood, and testimonies from current and former members.

Religion and powerInternal structures of beliefHollywood
Adaptations
  • [Documentary film] Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief / Alex Gibney (2015)

Remembering Satan: A Tragic Case of Recovered Memory

1994 Nonfiction (investigative journalism) 384 pages

Explores a high-profile case involving recovered memories, examining the trials, social reactions, and the reliability of such memories.

MemoryLaw and psychologySocial issues

The End of October

2020 Fiction (thriller) 400 pages

A thriller novel about a fictional global pandemic, addressing public health, international response, and ethical dilemmas.

PandemicPublic healthInternational politics

Bibliography

  • City Children, Country Summer: A Story of Ghetto Children Among the Amish
  • In the New World: growing up with America, 1964–1984
  • Saints and Sinners
  • Remembering Satan: A Tragic Case of Recovered Memory
  • Twins: And What They Tell Us About Who We Are
  • The Looming Tower: Al-Qaeda and the Road to 9/11
  • Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood, and the Prison of Belief
  • Thirteen Days in September: Carter, Begin and Sadat at Camp David
  • The Terror Years: From Al-Qaeda to the Islamic State
  • God Save Texas: A Journey into the Soul of the Lone Star State
  • The End of October
  • Mr. Texas: A Novel
  • The Plague Year: America in the Time of Covid

Adaptations

  • Going Clear (documentary film, dir. Alex Gibney)
  • My Trip to Al-Qaeda (HBO documentary, featuring Lawrence Wright)
  • The Siege (co-wrote screenplay)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Long-form investigative nonfictionNarrative nonfictionFact-driven reporting with emphasis on interviews
Recurring Motifs
Uncovering power structuresInfluence of religion and ideologyTension between states and individuals

Legacy

Lawrence Wright is regarded as an important nonfiction writer whose meticulous reporting on subjects such as al-Qaeda and Scientology has influenced public understanding of national security, religion, and institutional power. His work, notably The Looming Tower, has earned major awards and media adaptations.

In Popular Culture

  • Widely known through the Going Clear documentary (2015) and appearances in HBO documentaries.

Quotes

  • Wherever you are, death will find you, even in the looming tower. (phrase cited in The Looming Tower)
    Source: The Looming Tower (quote sourced from the Quran) (2006)

Trivia

  • Graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School (Dallas) in 1965.
  • Plays keyboard in Austin blues collective WhoDo.
  • The End of October, a pandemic thriller, was published during the COVID-19 pandemic.