Author: Charles Deemer

Charles Deemer was raised in Virginia, Texas and Southern California. He began his undergraduate studies at the California Institute of Technology, where he was quarterback of the 0-4 Freshman football team, and finished them at UCLA, where he received his BA (Phi Beta Kappa, Honors English). He has an MFA in Playwriting from the University of Oregon. Deemer's play Famililly won the 1997 "Crossing Borders" international new play competition. The public television version of his play Christmas at the Juniper Tavern won an ACE award. Three of his short stories were selected to the "Roll of Honor" in Best American Short Stories. His novel Dead Body In A Small Room was a finalist for ForeWord Magazine's Mystery of the Year award. His book Seven Plays was a finalist for the Oregon Book Award. His other books include Sodom, Gomorrah & Jones, a novel; Kerouac's Scroll, a novel; In My Old Age, poems; and A Charles Deemer Reader. Deemer is a pioneer in hyperdrama, a term he is credited with coining. His short memoir Hyperdrama: My Obsession With A New Theater Form shares his enthusiasm for the new dramaturgy. Deemer is the former editor of Sweet Reason: a journal of ideas, history and culture, former managing editor of Oregon Business magazine, former editor of Oregon Literary Review and former artistic director of Small Screen Video. Deemer recently began making digital films. His DVDs include Three Short Digital Films, Deconstructing Sally and The Farewell Wake. Deemer teaches screenwriting at Portland State University. Check out Mr. Deemer's CDretire blog. You can also reach him by email.