Background
Franklin was born on January 12, 1942 in Enid, Oklahoma, United States; the son of Benjamin Max and Wilma Irene (Winburn) Franklin.
(The new "nonfiction" the adaptation of storytelling techn...)
The new "nonfiction" the adaptation of storytelling techniques to journalistic articles in the manner of Truman Capote, Tom Wolfe, and John McPhee is an innovative genre that has been awarded virtually every Pulitzer Prize for literary journalism since 1979. And now Jon Franklin, himself a two-time Pulitzer Prize winner and undisputed master of the great American nonfiction short story, shares the secrets of his success. Franklin shows how to make factual pieces come alive by applying the literary techniques of complication/resolution, flashback, foreshadowing, and pace. He illustrates his points with a close analysis and annotation of two of his most acclaimed stories, so that the reader can see, step-by-step, just how they were created. This lively, easy-to-follow guid combines readability and excitement with the best of expository prose and illuminates the techniques that beginning journalists—and more experienced ones, too will find immensely helpful: Stalking the true short story Drafting an effective outline Structuring the rough copy Polishing like a pro and the tips, tools, and techniques that will put your stories on the cutting edge
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0452272955/?tag=2022091-20
1994
(If I Die in the Service of Science (First published as Gu...)
If I Die in the Service of Science (First published as Guinea Pig Doctors) details the lives, experiments and discoveries of eight medical doctors who, in the course of their scientific investigations, used their own bodies to verify their revolutionary medical theories. Beginning with John Hunter's work on "the pox" in 18th century England, the book recounts the fascinating, colorful lives of these "guinea pig doctors":the Hartford dentist who "discovered" anesthesia by experimenting on himself with laughing gas the German scientists who toasted his rival with a solution laced with deadly cholera bacteria the famous case of Jesse Lazear, who let himself be bitten by a mosquito carrying yellow fever-and died-to prove to his colleagues that the disease was not spread by bacterial infection. The authors re-create these dramas in absorbing detail, focusing on the misconceptions and superstitions of society and the medical establishment against which each doctor struggled bravely-and won. The result is a rare blend of historical entertainment and incisive examination of the motivations-psychological, financial, social, professional-that drove these doctors to gamble their own lives on their theories. It is a marvelous and instructive study in human dedication.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0595301304/?tag=2022091-20
2003
(A man and puppy exhumed from a 12,000-year-old grave send...)
A man and puppy exhumed from a 12,000-year-old grave sends a two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning science writer on a journey to the dogs Of all the things hidden in plain sight, dogs are one of the most enigmatic. They are everywhere but how much do we really know about where they came from and what the implications are of their place in our world? Jon Franklin set out to find out and ended up spending a decade studying the origins and significance of the dog and its peculiar attachment to humans. As the intellectual pursuit of his subject began to take over Franklin's life, he married a dog lover and was quickly introduced to the ancient and powerful law of nature, to wit: Love me, love my dog. Soon Franklin was sharing hearth and home with a soulful and clever poodle named Charlie. And so began one man's journey to the dogs, an odyssey that would take him from a 12,000-year-old grave to a conclusion so remarkable as to change our perception of ourselves. Building on evolutionary science, archaeology, behavioral science, and the firsthand experience of watching his own dog evolve from puppy to family member, Franklin posits that man and dog are more than just inseparable; they are part and parcel of the same creature. Along the way, The Wolf in the Parlor imparts a substantial yet painless education on subjects as far ranging as psychological evolution and neurochemistry. In this groundbreaking book, master storyteller Franklin shatters the lens through which we see the world and shows us an unexpected, enthralling picture of the human/canine relationship.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0805090770/?tag=2022091-20
2009
(New York Times Notable Book of the Year When the history ...)
New York Times Notable Book of the Year When the history of the Twentieth Century is written, relativity and the opening of the atomic age will probably take a back seat to the revolution in brain science, which forever altered our perception of who we are and why we exist. Molecules of the Mind is the Pulitzer prize-winning story of that most personal of sciences, told by a writer who was there - and who is known for his ability to articulate incredibly abstract processes in clear, lucid and page-turning fashion. "This marvelous book offers the public its first look into the mechanism of what we were once pleased to call the soul," said one reviewer. A religious writer took the opposite stance: "Reading this book is like looking through the gates of hell." Today this New York Times book of the year is still as useful and relevant as the day it was published.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00E5MY5S2/?tag=2022091-20
2013
Franklin was born on January 12, 1942 in Enid, Oklahoma, United States; the son of Benjamin Max and Wilma Irene (Winburn) Franklin.
Franklin received a Bachelor of Science in 1970 and an honorary degree of Doctor of Humane Letters in 1981 from the University of Maryland. In 1982, he was given an honorary degree of Doctor of Humane Letters from College of Notre Dame (nowadays Notre Dame of Maryland University).
Franklin began his career as a journalist at the United States Navy in 1959. Eight years later he took a position of an editor and reporter at Prince Georges Post. Then in 1970, Jon became rewrite man at Baltimore Evening Sun. Also in 1972, he held the position of a science writer at the same newspaper, where he worked until 1986.
In addition, Franklin worked as a part-time instructor at Towson State University. In 1986, he was appointed an associate professor at the University of Maryland. Three years later John served as a head of science journalism department at the Oregon State University.
He worked as a creative writing professor at the University of Oregon from 1991 to 1998. In 1998, John was appointed a science writer and special assignments editor for The News & Observer. Since 2001 he was a Philip Merrill professor of journalism at the University of Maryland. Also since 2010 he has been a professor emeritus of journalism at the same university.
(New York Times Notable Book of the Year When the history ...)
2013(If I Die in the Service of Science (First published as Gu...)
2003(The new "nonfiction" the adaptation of storytelling techn...)
1994(A man and puppy exhumed from a 12,000-year-old grave send...)
2009Franklin is a member of National Association of Science Writers, Society for Professional Journalists, The Writers Guild and Investigative Reporters and Editors.
On December 12, 1959 Jon Franklin married Nancy Sue Creevan, with whom he divorced in 1976. They have 2 daughters. On May 20, 1988 he married Lynn Irene Scheidhauer.