John Jiler
John Jiler is an American playwright, novelist, and journalist living in New York City. Early life. Jiler was born in New York. His father, Milton W. Jiler, was a financial analyst and his mother, Dorothy Hayes, was a former editor at Vogue Magazine. Jiler started his education at the Riverdale Country School. He then attended the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Hartford. Career. After completing his education, Jiler began working as an actor. He performed at the Hartford Stage Company, the Public Theater, and other venues. He won the Chicago Drama Critics Award. After acting, Jiler  started writing. His first play, "African Star" was done at the Eugene O’Neill Playwrights Conference. He has been awarded a Jerome Fellowship, a Weissberger Prize from New Dramatists, and the Harold Arlen Award. For his musical "Avenue X" he won the Richard Rodgers and Edward Kleban Awards. "Avenue X" began at New York's Playwrights Horizons and has played some fifty cities around the world. Jiler's first book, "Dark Wind" was published by St. Martin's Press and was called “a classic” by the Village Voice. His most recent, "Sleeping With The Mayor" was aNew York Times Notable Book  Of The Year. As a journalist, he has written for publications such as The New York Times, The Village Voice, and The Nation. Family. Jiler is married to historian Elizabeth Hovey. They have two children, Jake and Stella.