David Sheff | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1955-12-23)December 23, 1955 (age 69)[1][2] Boston,Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Occupation | Writer |
| Education | University of California, Berkeley |
| Notable works | All We Are Saying: The Last Interview with John Lennon and Yoko Ono |
| Spouse | Karen Barbour |
| Children | 3, includingNic Sheff |
| Website | |
| www | |
David Sheff (born December 23, 1955) is an American author. He is best known for his interviews with artists, scientists, and pop culture figures, as well as his non-fiction books. Much of his writing, including his memoirBeautiful Boy: A Father's Journey Through His Son's Addiction, deals withsubstance addiction.
Sheff is ofRussian Jewish descent.[3] He is originally fromBoston,Massachusetts.[4] He graduated from theUniversity of California, Berkeley.[4]
Working as a journalist, Sheff has written articles and conducted interviews forThe New York Times,Rolling Stone,Playboy,Wired,Fortune, and NPR'sAll Things Considered.
His interview subjects have includedJohn Lennon,Frank Zappa,Steve Jobs,Ai Weiwei,Keith Haring,David Hockney,Jack Nicholson,Ted Taylor,Carl Sagan,Betty Friedan,Barney Frank, andFareed Zakaria.
He has also been an editor of several magazines includingNew West andCalifornia.[4]
Sheff's books include:
Beautiful Boy was based on Sheff'sNew York Times article "My Addicted Son," discussing Sheff's relationship with his son throughout hismethamphetamine addiction.[10][11] Anadaptation directed byFelix van Groeningen was released in 2018.[12]
Sheff argues thataddiction is a brain disease and advocates for putting addicts into therapy programs early.[13][14] He identifies factors such as stress and trauma as major factors that can cause addiction.[14][15] He argues for teaching life skills to reduce the risk of addiction in response to these risk factors.[16][17]
Sheff lives inNorthern California with his wife Karen Barbour. Barbour is an artist, illustrator, and author of children's books. Sheff has three children: Nic, Jasper, and Daisy Sheff.Nic Sheff is a writer for television and film;[18] he also wrote a memoir recounting his years of addiction:Tweak: Growing Up on Methamphetamines.Jasper Sheff is aGrammy Award-nominated[19] musician who has co-written and produced songs[20] forLil Nas X,Elton John,[21]Halsey, andXXXTentacion.Daisy Sheff is an artist whose paintings have been exhibited in many places including White Columns Gallery,[22] Ratio 3, Clearing Gallery,[23] and Grimm Gallery.[24]
In 2009, Sheff was included inTime magazine'sTime 100 and on the magazine's World's Most Influential People list.[25]Beautiful Boy won theBarnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers Award fornonfiction.[26]
He has received several awards from organizations dealing with addiction, includingCollege on Problems of Drug Dependence (CPDD),American Society of Addiction Medicine, the Partnership for Drug-free Kids,American College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ACNP), and theAmerican Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM), and was the first recipient of theAmerican Academy of Addiction Psychiatry (AAAP) Arts and Literature Award.[27]
The interview apparently depended on Yoko's interpretation of my horoscope, just as many of Lenons' business decisions are reportedly guide by the stars. I could imagine explaining to my Playboy editor, 'Sorry, but my moon is in Scorpio–the interview's off.' It was clearly out of my hands. I supplied the info: December 23, three P.M., Boston.
