Julian Tepper (born April 1, 1979) is an American writer and musician. His novels include ''Balls'' (2012), ''Ark'' (2016), and ''Between the Records'' (2020). He co-founded the Oracle Club, a literary salon in New York City that was open from 2011 until 2017, and was formerly a member of the indie rock band The Natural History.

Early life

Tepper was born in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

and raised on

Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...

Upper East Side The Upper East Side, sometimes abbreviated UES, is a neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, bounded by 96th Street to the north, the East River to the east, 59th Street to the south, and Central Park/Fifth Avenue to the wes ...

.Teddy Wayne
"Interview With Julian Tepper, Author of Balls,"
''

Huffington Post ''HuffPost'' (formerly ''The Huffington Post'' until 2017 and sometimes abbreviated ''HuffPo'') is an American progressive news website, with localized and international editions. The site offers news, satire, blogs, and original content, and ...

'', September 19, 2012.Nora Clancy
"The Oracle Cubs,"
''

Bomb A bomb is an explosive weapon that uses the Exothermic process, exothermic reaction of an explosive material to provide an extremely sudden and violent release of energy. Detonations inflict damage principally through ground- and atmosphere-t ...

'', July 3, 2012. His father,

Robert Tepper Robert Tepper (born May 30, 1950) is an American songwriter, recording artist and singer, best known for his chart-topper, hit song "No Easy Way Out" from the ''Rocky IV'' motion picture Rocky IV (soundtrack), soundtrack. He is also known for co- ...

, is a musician best known for writing the 1980 ballad " Into the Night" and for writing and recording "No Easy Way Out", which appeared in the 1985 film ''

Rocky IV ''Rocky IV'' is a 1985 American sports drama film written, directed by and starring Sylvester Stallone. It is the sequel to ''Rocky III'' (1982) and is the fourth installment in the ''Rocky'' franchise. It also stars Talia Shire, Burt Young, Ca ...

''.
The Leonard Lopate Show
',

WNYC WNYC is the trademark and a set of call letters shared by WNYC (AM) and WNYC-FM, a pair of nonprofit, noncommercial, public radio stations located in New York City. WNYC is owned by New York Public Radio (NYPR), a nonprofit organization that di ...

, August 13, 2012.

Career

Novels

Tepper's debut novel, ''Balls'', was published in 2012. The book is a dark comedy about Henry Schiller, a 30-year-old piano player and neurotic Jew who lives in Manhattan with his younger, more musically gifted girlfriend Paula. When Henry discovers that he has testicular cancer, it prompts an existential crisis.Judith Basya
"Get Acquainted with Julian Tepper's Balls,"
''

Heeb ''Heeb'' is a Jews, Jewish website (and from 2001 to 2010, a quarterly magazine) aimed predominantly at young Jews. The name of the publication is a variation of the ethnic slur "hebe", an abbreviation of Hebrew. However, in this case, the word " ...

'', November 14, 2012. The book has been praised for capturing the feel of New York City. Tepper started writing it in New Orleans and continued it in Finland, but stated that the book didn't start to take form until he returned to New York. Tepper has said ''Balls'' was influenced by

Saul Bellow Saul Bellow (born Solomon Bellows; 10 July 1915 – 5 April 2005) was a Canadian-born American writer. For his literary work, Bellow was awarded the Pulitzer Prize, the Nobel Prize for Literature, and the National Medal of Arts. He is the only wr ...

's 1964 novel ''

Herzog ''Herzog'' (female ''Herzogin'') is a German hereditary title held by one who rules a territorial duchy, exercises feudal authority over an estate called a duchy, or possesses a right by law or tradition to be referred to by the ducal title. T ...

'', as well as the work of

Fyodor Dostoyevsky Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky (, ; rus, Фёдор Михайлович Достоевский, Fyódor Mikháylovich Dostoyévskiy, p=ˈfʲɵdər mʲɪˈxajləvʲɪdʑ dəstɐˈjefskʲɪj, a=ru-Dostoevsky.ogg, links=yes; 11 November 18219 ...

Franz Kafka Franz Kafka (3 July 1883 – 3 June 1924) was a German-speaking Bohemian novelist and short-story writer, widely regarded as one of the major figures of 20th-century literature. His work fuses elements of realism and the fantastic. It ...

and

Woody Allen Heywood "Woody" Allen (born Allan Stewart Konigsberg; November 30, 1935) is an American film director, writer, actor, and comedian whose career spans more than six decades and multiple Academy Award-winning films. He began his career writing ...

. Tepper's second novel, ''Ark'', was published in 2016. Set in Manhattan, it follows three generations of the formerly wealthy, artistic, infighting Arkin family.Jonathan Russell Clark
"A New Novel Tells the Story of a Family Who Lost Everything,"
''

New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...

'', September 16, 2016. Some of the characters were based on Tepper's real-life family members.Brian McGreevy
"The Rumpus Mini-Interview Project #62: Julian Tepper,"
''The Rumpus'', December 15, 2016. ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' wrote, "Despite some early stumbles, 'Ark' is an engaging and entertaining novel, and an insightful take on just how easy it can be to slip from the upper class." Tepper wrote an autobiographical novel, ''Between the Records'', based on his own, as well as his family's, life in music. An excerpt appeared in the May/June 2018 Issue of ''

Playboy ''Playboy'' is an American men's lifestyle and entertainment magazine, formerly in print and currently online. It was founded in Chicago in 1953, by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother. K ...

'' magazine. It was published in 2020.

The Oracle Club

Tepper and artist Jenna Gribbon founded The Oracle Club in 2011, a members-only literary salon and workspace for artists and writers in

Long Island City, Queens Long Island City (LIC) is a residential and commercial neighborhood on the extreme western tip of Queens, a borough in New York City. It is bordered by Astoria to the north; the East River to the west; New Calvary Cemetery in Sunnyside to the ...

, which closed in 2017.

Music

Tepper played bass in The Natural History, an indie rock trio formed in New York in 2001, with his brother Max Tepper on lead vocals and guitar. He co-wrote their song "Don’t You Ever", which was covered by

Spoon A spoon is a utensil consisting of a shallow bowl (also known as a head), oval or round, at the end of a handle. A type of cutlery (sometimes called flatware in the United States), especially as part of a place setting, it is used primarily for ...

as "

Don't You Evah ''Don't You Evah'' is the fifth EP by the indie rock band Spoon. It was released on April 8, 2008, by Merge Records.Katie Hasty"Spoon's Spring: New EP, Remixes, Tour" ''Billboard.com'', February 15, 2008. It was released to promote the title tr ...

" on their 2007 album ''

Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga ''Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga'' is the sixth studio album by American rock band Spoon. It was first released on July 10, 2007, through Merge Records and Anti-. It received critical acclaim and appeared on several year-end album lists. The album debuted at num ...

'', and was also released as a single/EP on April 8, 2008. The original version by The Natural History was included on the 8-song EP, alongside remixes of the Spoon version by

Ted Leo Theodore Francis Leo is an American singer and musician. He is the frontman and lead guitarist of the rock group Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, and in 2013, he and Aimee Mann formed the indie rock duo The Both. Early life Born in South Bend, In ...

Diplo Thomas Wesley Pentz (born November 10, 1978), known professionally as Diplo, is an American DJ and music producer. He is the co-creator and lead member of the electronic dancehall music project Major Lazer, a member of the supergroup LSD with ...

and

Matthew Dear Matthew Dear (born April 4, 1979) is an American electronic music producer and DJ. History Texas-born Dear moved to Michigan as a teenager, where he was inspired by the sound of Detroit Techno. Dear met Sam Valenti IV at a party while attendin ...

. Spoon included "Don't You Evah" on '' Everything Hits at Once: The Best of Spoon'', released by

Matador Records Matador Records is an independent record label, with a roster of mainly indie rock, but also punk rock, experimental rock, alternative rock, and electronic acts. History Matador was created in 1989 by Chris Lombardi in his New York City apart ...

in July 2019. An article written for ''

'' magazine by Julian Tepper includes a Q & A with Spoon's

Britt Daniel John Britt Daniel (born April 14, 1971) is an American musician. He is the co-founder, lead singer and guitarist of the rock band Spoon, as well as the co-founder, guitarist, bassist, and singer of the band Divine Fits. Daniel also founded numero ...

, in which the Tepper brothers and Daniel recount the story behind "Don't You Evah". The Natural History released an EP and two full-length albums and disbanded in 2005.

Bibliography

Books

* ''Balls'' (Rare Bird Books, 2012) * ''Ark'' (

Dzanc Books Dzanc Books is an American independent press book publisher. It is a non-profit 501(c)(3) private foundation. Michelle Dotter is publisher and editor-in-chief. Background Dzanc Books was founded in 2006 by Steven Gillis, a lawyer turned novelis ...

, 2016) * ''Between the Records'' (Rare Bird Books, 2020)

Essays

"Dr. Collier,"
''

The Paris Review ''The Paris Review'' is a quarterly English-language literary magazine established in Paris in 1953 by Harold L. Humes, Peter Matthiessen, and George Plimpton. In its first five years, ''The Paris Review'' published works by Jack Kerouac, Philip ...

'', August 1, 2012
"In Which Philip Roth Gave Me Life Advice,"
''The Paris Review'', December 25, 2012
"The Strange Story Behind Spoon's "Don't You Evah"—and the Overlooked Band That Wrote It,"
''

'', August 1, 2019

Discography

* '' The Natural History'' (EP on

Startime International Startime International is a record label founded in 2000 by Isaac Green, owned by Sony Music Entertainment, based in New York City, and distributed by Columbia Records. Its roster includes Foster the People, Coin, Natalie Prass, Bully, Made Viole ...

, 2002) * '' Beat Beat Heartbeat'' (LP on Startime International, 2003) * '' People That I Meet'' (LP on Beat Beat Beat, 2007)

Filmography

* '' Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close'' (as Deli Waiter, dir.

Stephen Daldry Stephen David Daldry CBE (born 2 May 1960) is an English director and producer of film, theatre, and television. He has won three Olivier Awards for his work in the West End and three Tony Awards for his work on Broadway. He has received three ...

, 2011) * ''

Gossip Girl ''Gossip Girl'' is an American teen drama television series based on the novel series of the same name written by Cecily von Ziegesar. The series, developed for television by Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage, ran on The CW network for six sea ...

'' (as himself, "Salon of the Dead", season 5, episode 20, April 16, 2012)

Caity Weaver Caity Weaver is an American journalist, humorist, and writer at ''The New York Times''. Previously she wrote for ''GQ'' magazine and ''Gawker'', and contributed to ''Mental Floss''. Career In 2011, Weaver joined ''Gawker''. With her irreverent w ...

"Gossip Girl: British Invasion,"

TV.com TV.com was a website owned by Red Ventures that covered television series and episodes with a focus on English-language shows made or broadcast in Australia, Canada, Ireland, Japan, New Zealand, the United States, and the United Kingdom. Origin ...

, April 17, 2012.

References

External links

*
The Oracle Club website
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Tepper, Julian Living people 1979 births 21st-century American novelists Writers from Manhattan American male novelists Jewish American novelists American rock bass guitarists American male bass guitarists People from the Upper East Side 21st-century American male writers Novelists from New York (state) 21st-century American bass guitarists 21st-century American male musicians 21st-century American Jews