American author Dan Savage (born October 7, 1964) has written six books, op-ed pieces in The New York Times, and an advice column on sexual issues in The Stranger (an alternative newspaper from Seattle, Washington). A graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, Savage began contributing a column, Savage Love, to The Stranger from its inception in 1991. By 1998 his column had a readership of four million. He was associate editor at the newspaper from 1991 to 2001, when he became its editor-in-chief, later becoming its editorial director in 2007.
Savage's books have had successful sales results and have been generally well received. Savage Love: Straight Answers from America's Most Popular Sex Columnist was published in 1998 and features selections from his advice column. His next book The Kid: What Happened After My Boyfriend and I Decided to Go Get Pregnant was published in 1999, and recounts his experiences with his boyfriend whilst deciding to adopt a child. The book received a PEN West Award for Excellence in Creative Nonfiction, and an Off-Broadway musical based on the work was the recipient of the BMI Foundation Jerry Bock Award for Excellence in Musical Theatre. Skipping Towards Gomorrah: The Seven Deadly Sins and the Pursuit of Happiness in America, published in 2002, describes the author's experiences indulging in the seven deadly sins. The book was featured in The Best American Sex Writing 2004, and won a Lambda Literary Award.
Savage's 2005 book The Commitment: Love, Sex, Marriage, and My Family, recounting his personal experience deciding to marry his partner Terry Miller and analyzing same-sex marriage, reached The New York Times Best Seller list, and Nielsen BookScan noted it sold approximately 300,000 copies. After founding the It Gets Better Project in 2010 to reach out to teenagers after incidents of suicide among LGBT youth, his edited compilation of submissions It Gets Better: Coming Out, Overcoming Bullying, and Creating a Life Worth Living was published in 2011. The book features notable contributors, including David Sedaris, Hillary Clinton, and Barack Obama. Sales of the book were successful, and IndieBound reported it reached a list of best-sellers in the United States less than one week after publication. It reached 16th on The New York Times Best Seller list in April 2011. Savage collaborated with Lindy West, Christopher Frizzelle, and Bethany Jean Clement on a college guide, How to Be a Person, which was published in 2012. His 2013 book American Savage reflects on Savage's experiences throughout the founding of the It Gets Better Project and was well received by The Washington Post and the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.
Works Books Author Year Title Identifiers Publisher Notes 1998 Savage Love: Straight Answers from America's Most Popular Sex Columnist PlumeSavage Love includes pieces from the author's sex advice column of the same name. The book received a favorable reception in reviews from Library Journal, Mademoiselle, POZ, and Gay and Lesbian Humanist.1999 The Kid: What Happened After My Boyfriend and I Decided to Go Get PregnantDuttonThe Kid delves into the machinations involved in the process of adopting an infant boy, through the experiences of the author and his boyfriend. The Kid is the recipient of a PEN West Award, for Excellence in Creative Nonfiction. The book was adapted into a musical in 2010 by librettist Michael Zam, with music composed by Andy Monroe, and lyrics by Jack Lechner. It was performed Off-Broadway in Theatre Row, New York City; directed by Scott Elliott. The play was the recipient of the BMI Foundation Jerry Bock Award for Excellence in Musical Theatre in 2009.2002 Skipping Towards Gomorrah: The Seven Deadly Sins and the Pursuit of Happiness in AmericaDuttonThe book's title is a reference to Robert Bork's 1996 book, Slouching Towards Gomorrah. alternate link Skipping Towards Gomorrah examines the concept of happiness in American culture, as obtained by indulging in each of the Seven Deadly Sins. Skipping Towards Gomorrah was selected for inclusion in The Best American Sex Writing 2004, and won a Lambda Literary Award in 2003.2005 The Commitment: Love, Sex, Marriage, and My FamilyDuttonThe Commitment recounts the author's experiences along with his partner, Terry Miller, as they debate getting married after spending 10 years in a relationship together. The book reached The New York Times Best Seller list one month after it was published, and saw successful sales with independent bookstores. The Washington Post reported that according to Nielsen BookScan, approximately 300,000 copies of the book were sold.2012 How to Be a Person: The Stranger's Guide to College, Sex, Intoxicants, Tacos, and Life ItselfSasquatch BooksHow to Be a Person was co-authored with Lindy West, Christopher Frizzelle, Bethany Jean Clement.
The book received a favorable review in the New York Post in their "Required Reading" section.2013 American Savage: Insights, Slights, and Fights on Faith, Sex, Love, and PoliticsDuttonAmerican Savage is a collection of essays that reflect on the author's experiences during the years prior to the book's publication, including the founding of the It Gets Better Project with his husband.
The book received a positive reception from Chandler Burr of The Washington Post, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Entertainment Weekly, and The A.V. Club; while Reason criticized the book for being disorganized.
Editor Year Title Identifiers Publisher Notes2011 It Gets Better: Coming Out, Overcoming Bullying, and Creating a Life Worth LivingDuttonSavage started the It Gets Better Project in September 2010 to address incidents of suicide among LGBT youth. It Gets Better: Coming Out, Overcoming Bullying, and Creating a Life Worth Living contains selections of writings addressed to teenagers within the LGBT community. Celebrities, ordinary individuals and teenagers submitted pieces for inclusion in the book, which includes over 100 essays, selected from 10,000 entries.
Contributor Year Author Title Identifiers Publisher Contribution2000; Ellen Samuels Out of the Ordinary: Essays on Growing Up with Gay, Lesbian, and Transgender ParentsSt. Martin's PressPreface2001; Bee Lavender Breeder: Real-Life Stories from the New Generation of MothersSeal PressForeword2004 The Best American Sex Writing 2004Running PressFeatured selection: Skipping Towards Gomorrah2004 The "M" Word: Writers on Same-Sex MarriageAlgonquin BooksEssay: "Double Standards"2006; Jill Smolowe A Love Like No Other: Stories from Adoptive ParentsRiverhead TradeChapter: "Living with a Very Open Adoption"2007 Modern Love: 50 True and Extraordinary Tales of Desire, Deceit, and DevotionThree Rivers PressChapter: "DJ's Homeless Mommy"2007 Troubletown Told You So: Comics that Could've Saved Us from this MessTroubletown BooksIntroduction2008; Ellie Knepler, Myrna Knepler Crossing Cultures: Readings for CompositionCengageChapter: "Role Reversal"2008 Things I've Learned from Women Who've Dumped MeGrand Central PublishingChapter: "I am a Gay Man"; "Lesson #14"2009 One Big Happy Family: 18 Writers Talk About Polyamory, Open Adoption, Mixed Marriage, Househusbandry, Single Motherhood, and Other Realities of Truly Modern LoveRiverhead BooksChapter: "The Enemy Within"2012 On Being Different: What It Means to Be a HomosexualPenguin ClassicsForeword2013 Stay Solid!: A Radical Handbook for YouthAK PressContributor: Section "Sex"
Newspapers edited
The Stranger (Seattle, Washington: Tim Keck; Index Newspapers, LLC). . Savage served as associate editor from 1991 to April 4, 2001, when he became editor-in-chief. He became editorial director in September 2007.
Advice column 1991–present By 1998, Savage's advice column had a total of 4 million readers, and was syndicated to 21 newspapers located in Canada and the United States.
Internet
"It Gets Better" , part of the It Gets Better Project (YouTube), with Terry Miller (September 21, 2010)
Television This American Life Live!, Bard Entertainment, National CineMedia, with Mike Birbiglia, Ira Glass, Starlee Kine, Joss Whedon (2009) Savage appeared on a live episode of This American Life in 2009, where he criticized the Catholic Church and discussed his views on atheism. He reflected on his experience during his mother's death. It Gets Better: MTV Television Special (MTV; MTV Studios). February 21, 2012. It Gets Better was a collaborative project between MTV and the It Gets Better Project. Along with his partner Terry Miller, Savage hosted the episode and informed the audience about three youths and their experiences coming to terms with their LGBT status. Savage U (MTV; MTV Studios). 2012. MTV featured Savage in its program Savage U, wherein he traveled to college campuses in the United States to speak about sexuality and answer students' queries. The series premiered on MTV on April 3, 2012. It Gets Better 2: MTV Television Special (MTV; MTV Studios). October 9, 2012. It Gets Better 2 was hosted by Savage and featured an examination of LGBT young adults as they dealt with issues surrounding their alternative sexuality. The Real O'Neals was a sitcom that aired on ABC from March 2, 2016, to March 14, 2017. The series was loosely based on Savage's early life, and he was also one of the show's executive producers.
Theatre It's a Lon Mabon Christmas Carol, Charlie Brown (1993) — play produced by Greek Active, Seattle, Washington; Dan Savage directed and was credited as Keenan Hollahan. The play was co-written by Charles Smith. Play was performed at the Tugs Belmont in Capitol Hill, Seattle, Washington. It's a Lon Mabon Christmas Carol, Charlie Brown was an LGBT-themed adaptation of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. The play included a satire of activist Lon Mabon, and a parody of A Charlie Brown Christmas. Performances by two actors in the production received recognition by The Seattle Times in the "Footlight Awards". The Importance of Being Earnest (1993) — play produced by Greek Active, Seattle, Washington; Dan Savage directed and was credited as Keenan Hollahan. Savage adapted the play from the original by Oscar Wilde. The original play was concurrently being performed at the Intiman Theatre in Seattle, Washington. Savage's adaptation was shown at the Re-Bar Tavern and was billed as the "queer version" of the Intiman Theatre production. The play was styled in the form of a cabaret. The Comedy of Errors (1993) — play produced by Greek Active, Seattle, Washington; Dan Savage directed and was credited as Keenan Hollahan. Male actors took the roles of females, and actresses portrayed the male characters in the play. Macbeth (1994) — play produced by Greek Active, Seattle, Washington; Dan Savage interpreted and adapted the play from the original William Shakespeare and directed; he was credited as Keenan Hollahan. Savage incorporated gender reversal for the actors cast to portray the male and female roles. The play was successful and its run was extended for an additional month past its intended wrap date. Macbeth as adapted by Savage and produced for Greek Active was performed again in 1996; with Savage as director. Mourning Becomes Electra (1994) — play produced by Greek Active, Seattle, Washington; Dan Savage directed and was credited as Keenan Hollahan. Savage adapted the piece from the original play by Eugene O'Neill. He chose to select a slate of only men as actors, and compressed the running time from six hours to two and a half. A Christmas Carol (1994) — play produced by Greek Active, Seattle, Washington; Dan Savage directed and was credited as Keenan Hollahan. Savage modified the production to incorporate cross-dressing actors. Saint Joan (1995) — play produced by Greek Active, Seattle, Washington; Dan Savage directed and was credited as Keenan Hollahan.