Quick Facts
Biography
Charles Salzberg is an American novelist, journalist, editor, and teacher.
Early Life and Education
Salzberg was born in New York City in 1946. He graduated from Barnard School for Boys (now part of Horace Mann School) in 1963. He then attended Syracuse University, earning a bachelor's degree in English in 1967. He attended the Boston University School of Law from 1967-1968.
Journalism
Salzberg got a job in the mail room at New York (magazine) in 1976. Between mail deliveries, he began to pitch article ideas to editor, Elizabeth Crowe. He then became a freelance writer, writing feature articles for periodicals such as Esquire Magazine, GQ, Elle Magazine, Redbook, Good Housekeeping and New York (magazine).
He has written book reviews for The New York Times, The Miami Herald, The Plain Dealer and The Los Angeles Times.
Books
Salzberg is the author of detective and crime fiction, as well as numerous works of nonfiction. His novels include the Henry Swann Detective Series: Swann's Last Song (2008), and Swann Dives In (2012). Swann's Last Song was a New York Post recommendation and was nominated for a Shamus Award. Salzberg's newest novel, Devil in the Hole (2013), is based on the notorious case of John List, who murdered his family and escaped conviction for 18 years.
His nonfiction work includes books about baseball, basketball, coaching, and such well-known personalities as Soupy Sales and wrestler Missy Hyatt.
New York Writers Workshop and Teaching
Salzberg is a well-known writing teacher and mentor and is a founding member of the New York Writers Workshop. His students have included Lauren Weisberger (author of The Devil Wears Prada), Joy Behar (co-host of The View), Susie Essman (co-star of Curb Your Enthusiasm), Sally Koslow (author of Little Pink Slips), Linda Yellin (author of The Last Blind Date and Such a Lovely Couple), and Stephanie Klein (author of Straight Up and Dirty).
Salzberg has taught writing at Sarah Lawrence College, the Open Center, and the Writer's Voice, and has served as Visiting Professor of Magazine Journalism at the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University. In 1996, he was called one of "New York's Great Teachers" by New York Magazine.
Recent years
Salzberg is the current fiction editor of the webzine ducts.org, and editor-in-chief and co-founder of Greenpoint Press.