Daniel O'Keefe (writer)
Daniel O'Keefe | |
|---|---|
 O'Keefe in the late 2000s | |
| Born | Daniel Lawrence O'Keefe February 25, 1928 Jersey City, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Died | August 29, 2012 (aged 84) New York City, U.S. |
| Occupation | Writer |
| Education | |
| Subject | Social science |
| Notable works | Stolen Lightning: The Social Theory of Magic Festivus |
| Spouse | Deborah O'Keefe |
| Children | |
Daniel Lawrence O'Keefe (February 25, 1928 – August 29, 2012) was an American writer. He was an editor at Reader's Digest for more than 30 years, where he worked with a wide range of writers.[1]
He is known for creating Festivus, an annual secular holiday celebrated on December 23; it became more widely known after his eldest son, Dan O'Keefe, featured it in a December 1997 episode of the sitcom Seinfeld.[1]
Early life and education
[edit]Born in Jersey City, New Jersey, O'Keefe received a B.A. from Columbia in 1949, an M.A. from Columbia University, and a PhD. from the New School for Social Research. At Columbia, he was national president of Junior Achievement.[2]
He was personally recruited for work by DeWitt Wallace, founder of Reader's Digest.[2] O'Keefe became an editor there, serving for over thirty years. He worked with freelancers such as Ray Bradbury and Nobel Prize-winning Polish poet Czesław Milosz, who lived and worked for decades in California.
Writing
[edit]O'Keefe published the book Stolen Lightning: The Social Theory of Magic in 1982.[3] A Los Angeles Times book review called this book "a spectacular synthesis of sociology, anthropology, and psychoanalysis... a tour de force of accessible scholarship".[4] The New York Times Book Review said it is "a powerful explication of how deeply magic is embedded in society."[3] Commonweal classified it as "a potential classic".[5]
Festivus
[edit]O'Keefe founded Festivus in 1966 to commemorate his first date with his wife Deborah, three years earlier. Later their son Dan O'Keefe became a writer and worked on the Seinfeld television series. During the 1997–1998 season, he introduced Festivus to the rest of us in a Seinfeld episode named "The Strike".
Personal life
[edit]Daniel and Deborah O'Keefe married in 1963. She is a writer, publishing numerous magazine articles, as well as the books Good Girl Messages and Readers in Wonderland, works of literary criticism. The couple had three sons, each of whom became a writer and or composer/lyricist: Dan O'Keefe, Laurence O'Keefe, and Mark O'Keefe.[citation needed]
- Dan is a television writer. In addition to Seinfeld, he has written for Silicon Valley, The Drew Carey Show, The League, Veep, and other shows. In 2005, he published a book, The Real Festivus.[6]
- Laurence is a composer, lyricist, and book-writer of musicals, including Batboy and Heathers. He collaborated on the Broadway show Legally Blonde with his wife, Nell Benjamin.
- Mark (aka Markham) has written for television, specifically the David Letterman and Bill Maher series, and for sitcoms including Newsradio and a show he created, The O'Keefes. He also collaborated with Steven Koren on screenplays for Bruce Almighty and Click.
References
[edit]- ^ a b "DANIEL L. O'KEEFE Obituary". Legacy.com. February 25, 1928. Retrieved September 30, 2012.
- ^ a b Allen Salkin (December 19, 2004). "Fooey to the World: Festivus Is Come". The New York Times. Retrieved December 23, 2010.
- ^ a b Mark Glazer (January 2, 1983). "How Magic Works". The New York Times. Retrieved December 23, 2010.
- ^ "review cited on front cover of Vintage Books 1983 edition".
- ^ "cited on back cover of Vintage Books 1983 edition".
- ^ Dan O'Keefe (2005). "The Real Festivus". Perigee. ISBN 0399532293.
External links
[edit]- Daniel O'Keefe's sons
- Dan O'Keefe profile, Internet Movie Database website
- Laurence O'Keefe profile, Internet Movie Database website
- Mark O'Keefe profile, Internet Movie Database website
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