Laurence Klavan grew up in a creative household near New York City, the son of a comedian/disc jockey, Gene Klavan, a fixture for decades on that city’s radio airwaves. His first writing job was as an obit and police reporter for local papers, the quality of his work convincing him that his future was in fiction. His theater work has included one-acts like “Sleeping Beauty” (“a wonderful example of the one-act breed” – New York Times) and “The Show Must Go On” (the most produced short play in American high schools 2015-2016). He wrote the libretto for the musical, “Bed and Sofa,” with composer Polly Pen, produced by the Vineyard Theater in New York and the Finborough Theatre in London. The New York Times called it “a delight,” and it earned him two Drama Desk nominations for best book and lyrics. It also received two Obie Awards and a second-place Best Musical nod from the New York Drama Critics.
For years, Klavan supported himself behind the scenes in publishing, writing promotion for other people’s books at Ballantine Books at Random House. His own published work includes Edgar Award-winning mystery fiction, the novel, The Cutting Room (“a witty spoof…worth its weight in popcorn” – New York Times), and books for young people co-written with his wife, Susan Kim, including the YA graphic novels City of Spies (“a terrific adventure story…rip-roaring fun” – Publishers Weekly) and Brain Camp (a Junior Literary Guild Selection and Scholastic Book Fair Selection). His short work includes more than 100 publications in literary journals, the story collection, The Family Unit’ and Other Fantasies, published by Chizine in Canada, and the novella, Albertine, published in Novella Express from Leamington Books in Scotland. His Web site is www.laurenceklavan.com.
He and Susan Kim continue to live in New York City with their beloved tuxedo cat, Tillie, a former resident of an alley in Jersey City.
