David Von Drehle

Journalist[8]

What is David Von Drehle known for?

David James Von Drehle, a distinguished author and journalist, was born on February 6, 1961 in Denver, Colorado, and raised in Aurora, Colorado. He began his career in journalism at the young age of 17, working with The Denver Post as a sports writer. He later climbed the ranks through various publications, earning numerous awards throughout his career. Von Drehle is a regarded figure in journalism and his contributions are impressive.

He attended the University of Denver and graduated with a B.A. in 1983. During his time at University of Denver, he served as a Boettcher Foundation Scholar and was the editor of the student newspaper, the Denver Clarion. Later, he graduated from the University of Oxford in 1985 with a Master of Letters in English literature, thanks to a Marshall Scholarship.

Throughout his illustrious career, Von Drehle moved onto the Miami Herald as a staff writer and New York Correspondent from 1985 to 1991. During this tenure, he was awarded the prestigious Livingston Award for a series titled "The Death Penalty: A Failure of Execution", which further earned him the Silver Gavel Award from the American Bar Association for excellence in Media and the Arts in 1989. His excellence in journalism didn't go unnoticed, as he also received an American Society of News Editors Distinguished Writing Award.

With an insatiable quest for change and excellence, Von Drehle joined The Washington Post in 1991, and transitioned into a political writer during the 1992 presidential primary. After a stint as the editor of the Arts section and the Assistant Managing Editor in charge of the Style section, he left The Washington Post in 2006 to become Editor-at-Large for Time magazine. During his tenure at Time, Von Drehle penned more than 60 cover stories, covering a spectrum of impactful events and figures, including the 2008 Person of the Year, Barack Obama, and the controversial commentator Glenn Beck.

Von Drehle has also made significant contributions to literature, authoring several award-winning and bestselling books. Among his notable works is "Among the Lowest of the Dead", a narrative history and analysis of the modern death penalty system in Florida, which was honored with the American Bar Association Silver Gavel.

Currently, Von Drehle resides in Kansas City, Missouri with his wife Karen Ball, the White House correspondent for the New York Daily News, and their four children. His scholarly and journalistic work serve as a testament to his impact in the field of literature and journalism.

For more information on David Von Drehle, visit his profile at The Washington Post.

To explore more of his journalistic and literary accomplishments, you can check out some of his articles featuring in Time Magazine.

For an insight into his thought process and views, you can listen to his discussions on NPR's Morning Edition here.