Guy Lawson (born 14 June 1963) is a Canadian American journalist and true crime writer who has been published in Harper's, GQ, the New York Times, and Rolling Stone.[1]
Guy Lawson | |
|---|---|
| Born | Guy Lawson June 14, 1963 Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
| Occupation | Writer, journalist |
| Nationality | Canadian American |
| Period | 1993 - present |
| Genre | Nonfiction |
| Subject | True crime |
| Notable works | Arms and the Dudes Octopus: Sam Israel, the Secret Market, and Wall Street's Wildest Con |
| Spouse | Maya Kaimal |
| Children | 2 |
| Website | |
| www | |
Early life and career
editLawson was born in Toronto, Canada to expatriate Australian and Kiwi parents. After his parents divorced, he lived with his mother for a period of time before moving to Saskatchewan to rejoin his father, a journalist and writer, and then to Perth, Western Australia in 1981. He attended the University of Western Australia, before studying law at the University of Cambridge, England.[2] He briefly worked as an attorney on Wall Street in New York City in the 1990s before transitioning to journalism.[3][2]
Journalism
editLawson's first journalism job came as the host of the Canadian literary talk show Imprint in 1993. His first print feature story was in the field of politics, when he was assigned to cover the 1995 the Quebec referendum for Harper's magazine. From there, Lawson earned additional accolades and opportunities, starting with a breakthrough stories for Harper's about small-town Canadian hockey players and life in a flophouse on the Bowery in New York City.
Lawson has been published in numerous major publications throughout his career, covering war, sports, crime and many other subjects. In addition, one of his later works, Arms and the Dudes about the life and crimes of Efraim Diveroli and David Packouz, was adapted into the 2016 film War Dogs, which starred actors Jonah Hill, Miles Teller, Ana de Armas, and Bradley Cooper (who also executive produced the film).[3][4] In addition to War Dogs, several of his other works have been optioned, including Octopus (about hedge fund trader and Ponzi scammer Sam Israel), by HBO, a GQ article called "The Knife" about LA gangs which was acquired by CBS,[3] and a New York Times magazine feature on the first expedition to reach the North Pole, titled "Ice Pack" and in development with Sony.
Personal life
editLawson lives with his wife, Maya Kaimal, an Indian food entrepreneur, whom he married in 2001.[2][5] They have twin children and live in upstate New York. He is an avowed Toronto Maple Leafs fan, remaining loyal to his home province's hockey team despite residing in the United States.[6]
Bibliography
edit- The Brotherhoods: The True Story of Two Cops Who Murdered for the Mafia (2006)
- Octopus: Sam Israel, the Secret Market, and Wall Street's Wildest Con (2012)
- War Dogs: The True Story of How Three Stoners From Miami Beach Became the Most Unlikely Gunrunners in History (2016), also published under the title Arms and the Dudes.
- Hot Dog Money: Inside the Biggest Scandal in the History of College Sports (2024)
Filmography
edit| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | War Dogs | Writer (credited)/Producer |
| 2004 | Frontline | Consultant - 1 episode |
| 2016 | War Dogs: Access Granted | Self |
| 2011 | On the Trail of Easy Rider: 40 Years On... Still Searching for America | Self |
| 1993-1995 | Imprint | Host |
References
edit- ^ "Guy Lawson".
- ^ a b c Shengold, Nina (2015-01-09). "The XY Files: Guy Lawson and the Dudes". Chronogram. online. Retrieved 2019-08-31.
- ^ a b c Zeitchik, Steven (2016-08-12). "'War Dogs' journo on the movie's real moral: 'These guys didn't break the law. The law broke them'". Los Angeles Times. online. Retrieved 2019-08-31.
- ^ "The Stoner Arms Dealers: How Two American Kids Became Big-Time Weapons Traders". Rolling Stone. 2011-03-16. Retrieved 2016-07-08.
- ^ "The Queen of Indian Sauces". Taste. 2019-01-14. Retrieved 2019-09-04.
- ^ Lawson, Guy (April 30, 2018). "A look inside Guy Lawson's dreamy 'man cloud'". The Global and Mail (Interview). Interviewed by Deirdre Kelly. The Global and Mail. Retrieved August 30, 2019.