Neil Strauss
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Neil Darrow Strauss, also known by the pen names Style and Chris Powles, is an American author, journalist and
ghostwriter A ghostwriter is hired to write literary or journalistic works, speeches, or other texts that are officially credited to another person as the author. Celebrities, executives, participants in timely news stories, and political leaders often h ...
. He is best known for his book '' The Game: Penetrating the Secret Society of Pickup Artists'', in which he describes his experiences in the
seduction community Pickup artists (PUA), self-identified as dating coaches, the seduction community or the pickup community, is a movement of men (or women) whose goal is seduction and sexual success. The community exists through Internet newsletters and blogs, mar ...
in an effort to become a "pick-up artist." He is a contributing editor at ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...
'' and also wrote regularly for ''
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 ...
''.


Early life and education

After graduating from high school at the
Latin School of Chicago Latin School of Chicago is a selective private elementary, middle, and high school located in the Gold Coast neighborhood on the Near North Side of Chicago, Illinois, United States. The school was founded in 1888 by Mabel Slade Vickery. Latin S ...
in 1987, Strauss attended
Vassar College Vassar College ( ) is a private liberal arts college in Poughkeepsie, New York, United States. Founded in 1861 by Matthew Vassar, it was the second degree-granting institution of higher education for women in the United States, closely follo ...
, then transferred toRegrets of a pick-up artist
, ''The Age,'' March 28, 2011, by Robyn Doreian
and subsequently graduated in Psychology from
Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...
in 1991. While in school he began his career writing for ''Ear'', an avant-garde magazine, and editing his first book, ''Radiotext(e),'' an anthology of radio-related writings for the postmodern publisher
Semiotext(e) Semiotext(e) is an independent publisher of critical theory, fiction, philosophy, art criticism, activist texts and non-fiction. History Founded in 1974, ''Semiotext(e)'' began as a journal that emerged from a semiotics reading group led by Sylv ...
. He moved on to ''
The Village Voice ''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture paper, known for being the country's first alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf, Ed Fancher, John Wilcock, and Norman Mailer, the ''Voice'' began as a platform for the crea ...
'', where, prior to becoming a reporter and critic, he took on tasks ranging from
copyediting Copy editing (also known as copyediting and manuscript editing) is the process of revising written material ( copy) to improve readability and fitness, as well as ensuring that text is free of grammatical and factual errors. ''The Chicago Manual o ...
to fact-checking to writing copy.


Career

Strauss was invited by
Jon Pareles Jon Pareles (born October 25, 1953) is an American journalist who is the chief popular music critic in the arts section of ''The New York Times''.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 ...
'' where he wrote the Pop Life column and front-page stories on
Wal-Mart Walmart Inc. (; formerly Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.) is an American multinational retail corporation that operates a chain of hypermarkets (also called supercenters), discount department stores, and grocery stores from the United States, headquarter ...
's CD-editing policies, music censorship, radio
payola Payola, in the music industry, is the illegal practice of paying a commercial radio station to play a song without the station disclosing the payment. Under US law, a radio station must disclose songs they were paid to play on the air as spons ...
, and the lost wax figures of
country music Country (also called country and western) is a genre of popular music that originated in the Southern and Southwestern United States in the early 1920s. It primarily derives from blues, church music such as Southern gospel and spirituals, ...
stars. He was then invited by
Jann Wenner Jann Simon Wenner ( ; born January 7, 1946) is an American magazine magnate who is a co-founder of the popular culture magazine ''Rolling Stone'', and former owner of '' Men's Journal'' magazine. He participated in the Free Speech Movement while ...
to become a contributing editor at ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...
'' where he wrote cover stories on
Kurt Cobain Kurt Donald Cobain (February 20, 1967 – April 5, 1994) was an American musician who served as the lead vocalist, guitarist and primary songwriter of the rock band Nirvana. Through his angst-fueled songwriting and anti-establishment persona ...
,
Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone (; ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Widely dubbed the " Queen of Pop", Madonna has been noted for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, songwriting, a ...
,
Tom Cruise Thomas Cruise Mapother IV (born July 3, 1962), known professionally as Tom Cruise, is an American actor and producer. One of the world's highest-paid actors, he has received various accolades, including an Honorary Palme d'Or and three Gol ...
, Orlando Bloom, the
Wu-Tang Clan Wu-Tang Clan is an American hip hop group formed in Staten Island, New York City, in 1992. Its original members include RZA, GZA, Ol' Dirty Bastard, Method Man, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, U-God, and Masta Killa. Close affili ...
,
Gwen Stefani Gwen Renée Stefani (; born October 3, 1969) is an American singer, songwriter, fashion designer and actress. She is a co-founder, lead vocalist, and the primary songwriter of the band No Doubt, whose singles include "Just a Girl", "Spiderwebs ...
,
Stephen Colbert Stephen Tyrone Colbert ( ; born May 13, 1964) is an American comedian, writer, producer, political commentator, actor, and television host. He is best known for hosting the satirical Comedy Central program ''The Colbert Report'' from 2005 to ...
, and
Marilyn Manson Brian Hugh Warner (born January 5, 1969), known professionally as Marilyn Manson, is an American rock musician. He came to prominence as the lead singer of the band which shares his name, of which he remains the only constant member since it ...
. He won the
ASCAP The American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) () is an American not-for-profit performance-rights organization (PRO) that collectively licenses the public performance rights of its members' musical works to venues, broadca ...
Deems Taylor Award Joseph Deems Taylor (December 22, 1885 – July 3, 1966) was an American music critic, composer, and promoter of classical music. Nat Benchley, co-editor of ''The Lost Algonquin Roundtable'', referred to him as "the dean of American music." Ear ...
for his coverage of
Kurt Cobain Kurt Donald Cobain (February 20, 1967 – April 5, 1994) was an American musician who served as the lead vocalist, guitarist and primary songwriter of the rock band Nirvana. Through his angst-fueled songwriting and anti-establishment persona ...
's death for ''Rolling Stone'' and his profile of
Eric Clapton Eric Patrick Clapton (born 1945) is an English rock and blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He is often regarded as one of the most successful and influential guitarists in rock music. Clapton ranked second in ''Rolling Stone''s list of ...
in ''The New York Times'' Arts & Leisure section. Strauss also contributed to ''
Esquire Esquire (, ; abbreviated Esq.) is usually a courtesy title. In the United Kingdom, ''esquire'' historically was a title of respect accorded to men of higher social rank, particularly members of the landed gentry above the rank of gentlema ...
'', ''
Maxim Maxim or Maksim may refer to: Entertainment * ''Maxim'' (magazine), an international men's magazine ** ''Maxim'' (Australia), the Australian edition ** ''Maxim'' (India), the Indian edition *Maxim Radio, ''Maxim'' magazine's radio channel on Sir ...
'', ''
Spin Spin or spinning most often refers to: * Spinning (textiles), the creation of yarn or thread by twisting fibers together, traditionally by hand spinning * Spin, the rotation of an object around a central axis * Spin (propaganda), an intentionally b ...
'', ''
Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...
'', ''
Details Detail(s) or The Detail(s) may refer to: Film and television * ''Details'' (film), a 2003 Swedish film * ''The Details'' (film), a 2011 American film * ''The Detail'', a Canadian television series * "The Detail" (''The Wire''), a television epis ...
'', and ''
The Source ''The Source'' is an American hip hop and entertainment website, and a magazine that publishes annually or . It is the world's longest-running rap periodical, being founded as a newsletter in 1988 by Jonathan Shecter. David Mays was the ma ...
'' in addition to writing liner notes for albums by
Nirvana ( , , ; sa, निर्वाण} ''nirvāṇa'' ; Pali: ''nibbāna''; Prakrit: ''ṇivvāṇa''; literally, "blown out", as in an oil lampRichard Gombrich, ''Theravada Buddhism: A Social History from Ancient Benāres to Modern Colombo.' ...
and others. He has also appeared in
Beck Beck David Hansen (born Bek David Campbell; July 8, 1970) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He rose to fame in the early 1990s with his Experimental music, experimental and Lo-fi music, lo-fi style, and became ...
's music video Sexx Laws which also featured
Jack Black Thomas Jacob Black (born August 28, 1969) is an American actor, comedian, and musician. He is known for his acting roles in the films '' High Fidelity'' (2000), ''Shallow Hal'' (2001), ''Orange County'' (2002), '' School of Rock'' (2003), ''E ...
, in
Thirty Seconds to Mars Thirty Seconds to Mars (commonly stylized as 30 Seconds to Mars) is an American rock band from Los Angeles, California, formed in 1998. The band consists of brothers Jared Leto (lead vocals, guitar, bass, keyboards) and Shannon Leto (drums, pe ...
' video Up in the Air, and he made a brief appearance as a cancer patient in episode 4, season six of ''
Curb Your Enthusiasm ''Curb Your Enthusiasm'' is an American television sitcom produced and broadcast by HBO since October 15, 2000, and created by Larry David, who stars as a semi-fictionalized version of himself. It follows David's life as a semi-retired televisio ...
''.


''The Game'' and the seduction community

After leaving ''The New York Times'' to ghostwrite Jenna Jameson's memoirs, Strauss joined a sub-culture of pick-up artists known as the
seduction community Pickup artists (PUA), self-identified as dating coaches, the seduction community or the pickup community, is a movement of men (or women) whose goal is seduction and sexual success. The community exists through Internet newsletters and blogs, mar ...
, creating the persona of "Style" in 2001Neil Strauss (Style)
''Dating Skills Review''
and pseudonym of "Chris Powles", eventually publishing an article in ''The New York Times'' about his experiences in 2004. In 2005, he published '' The Game: Penetrating the Secret Society of Pickup Artists'' ( Regan Books, 2005), a book about his transformation into "Style", a pickup artist under the tutelage of
Mystery Mystery, The Mystery, Mysteries or The Mysteries may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Fictional characters *Mystery, a cat character in ''Emily the Strange'' Films * ''Mystery'' (2012 film), a 2012 Chinese drama film * ''Mystery'' ( ...
. In addition to documenting his experiences with pickup artists like Mystery, Steve P, Rasputin (Hypnotica),
Ross Jeffries Paul Jeffrey Ross, known by the pseudonym Ross Jeffries, is an American author and pick-up artist. Neil Strauss, in his 2005 book '' The Game'', describes Jeffries as the "godfather" of the modern pick-up artist community. Career In 1988 Jeff ...
, and numerous others, it also describes his interactions with celebrities including
Britney Spears Britney Jean Spears (born December 2, 1981) is an American singer. Often referred to as the " Princess of Pop", she is credited with influencing the revival of teen pop during the late 1990s and early 2000s. After appearing in stage productio ...
,
Tom Cruise Thomas Cruise Mapother IV (born July 3, 1962), known professionally as Tom Cruise, is an American actor and producer. One of the world's highest-paid actors, he has received various accolades, including an Honorary Palme d'Or and three Gol ...
, and
Courtney Love Courtney Michelle Love (née Harrison; born July 9, 1964) is an American singer, guitarist, songwriter, and actress. A figure in the alternative and grunge scenes of the 1990s, her career has spanned four decades. She rose to prominence as t ...
. The book made a month-long appearance in ''The New York Times'' bestsellers list in September–October 2005, and reached the #1 position on
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immediately after its release in the United States. Strauss appeared on various TV shows, including The View and ''ABC Primetime'', and he participated in many book signings. It was optioned to be made into a film by
Spyglass Entertainment Spyglass Media Group, LLC, formerly Spyglass Entertainment, is an American film production company founded by Gary Barber and Roger Birnbaum in 1998. History Spyglass Entertainment On August 21, 1998, Gary Barber, former vice chairman and CO ...
, with
Chris Weitz Christopher John Weitz (born November 30, 1969) is an American film director, screenwriter, and producer. He is best known for his work with his brother Paul on the comedy films '' American Pie'' and '' About a Boy''; the latter earned the Weit ...
adapting and producing. After publishing the book, Strauss temporarily retired as a pickup artist and settled with a longtime girlfriend Lisa Leveridge, who played guitar in
Courtney Love Courtney Michelle Love (née Harrison; born July 9, 1964) is an American singer, guitarist, songwriter, and actress. A figure in the alternative and grunge scenes of the 1990s, her career has spanned four decades. She rose to prominence as t ...
's band ''The Chelsea''. An article in the ''Sunday Mirror'' suggested that Leveridge broke up with Strauss in February 2006 to date
Robbie Williams Robert Peter Williams (born 13 February 1974) is an English singer and songwriter. He found fame as a member of the pop group Take That from 1990 to 1995, and achieved commercial success after launching a solo career in 1996. His debut stud ...
. Strauss denied the Williams rumor, but confirmed his breakup with Leveridge on his mailing list a few months later. His follow-up book, the graphic novel ''
How to Make Money Like a Porn Star ''How to Make Money Like a Porn Star'' is the first graphic novel published by ReganBooks/HarperCollins, written by New York Times bestselling author Neil Strauss Neil Darrow Strauss, also known by the pen names Style and Chris Powles, is an ...
'', was published on September 26, 2006. The same year, "Shoot", Strauss' short film about becoming a rock star, was released. He co-wrote, directed and performed in ''Shoot''. Also in 2006, in collaboration with Dave Navarro and ''
Entourage An entourage () is an informal group or band of people who are closely associated with a (usually) famous, notorious, or otherwise notable individual. The word can also refer to: Arts and entertainment * L'entourage, French hip hop / rap collecti ...
'' writer Cliff Dorfman, he created a one-hour TV drama ''The Product'' for FX. He also worked with James Gandolfini on a show, ''Roadies'', for HBO. In 2007, he released a follow-up to ''The Game,'' ''
Rules of the Game ''The Rules of the Game'' (original French title: ''La règle du jeu'') is a 1939 French Satire, satirical comedy-drama film directed by Jean Renoir. The ensemble cast includes Nora Gregor, Paulette Dubost, Mila Parély, Marcel Dalio, Julien ...
,'' a two-book boxed set. Strauss has continued to be involved with pickup artistry through his dating coaching company Stylelife Academy, founded in 2007. Most of the coaching is done by employed coaches, rather than Strauss himself, though he does make appearances at yearly conferences and in some video products sold by the company. In 2012, Strauss released a board game/party game as a follow up to ''The Game'' and ''Rules of the Game'' called "Who's Got Game? The Game with Benefits." Strauss is credited with popularizing the pick-up artist community and making its existence widely known. In an October 2015 interview he said of that community "there are some really damaged people with hateful and distorted views of reality gathering other people who share those views", attracting people with "neurotic wounds" and with "character disorders", trying to find help and to change themselves.


Marriage and divorce

On August 31, 2013, Strauss married the model Ingrid De La O, whom he met in 2010. Before the wedding, he held a funeral-themed bachelor's party, laying to rest his 'Style' persona. In March 2015, Strauss had a child and shared the news on his website, along with information on his new book, '' The Truth: An Uncomfortable Book About Relationships'', which was released on October 13, 2015. ''The Truth'', a sequel to ''The Game'', covers his struggles to build and maintain a relationship with Ingrid after his years of immersion in the seduction community. Strauss and Ingrid De La O divorced in October 2018. In February 2020, Strauss confirmed his divorce from Ingrid De La O on Gabrielle Reece's podcast and talked about his life after his divorce among other things.


Other works

On March 4, 2009, ''The New York Times'' wrote that Strauss (along with rock biographer Anthony Bozza) had started his own publishing company, Igniter, as an imprint of HarperCollins. Igniter's first title was ''The Man Behind the Nose'', published in 2010. It was followed by ''Satan Is Real: The Ballad of the Louvin Brothers'', published in 2012. Strauss's book '' Emergency: This Book Will Save Your Life'' (Harper, 2009), for which he spent three years amongst survivalists, tax-dodgers, billionaire businessmen, and the government itself, was hailed by ''Rolling Stone'' as an "escape plan" for the current world crisis. It entered ''The New York Times'' bestseller list at No. 3. He received the presidents Volunteer Service Award for his search-and-rescue work during the writing of ''Emergency''. The rights to the movie were picked up by
Columbia Pictures Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production studio that is a member of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group, a division of Sony Pictures Entertainment, which is one of the Big Five studios and a subsidiary of the mu ...
, with
Robert Downey Jr. Robert John Downey Jr. (born April 4, 1965) is an American actor and producer. His career has been characterized by critical and popular success in his youth, followed by a period of substance abuse and legal troubles, before a resurgence of ...
attached as a producer and probable lead actor. In 2010, Strauss received the James Joyce Award from the Literary & Historical Society of
University College Dublin University College Dublin (commonly referred to as UCD) ( ga, Coláiste na hOllscoile, Baile Átha Cliath) is a public research university in Dublin, Ireland, and a collegiate university, member institution of the National University of Ireland ...
. Neil Strauss's 2011 release entitled '' Everyone Loves You When You're Dead: Journeys Into Fame and Madness'' was also a New York Times bestseller. Released March 15, 2011, the book is a compilation of 228 celebrity vignettes conducted throughout Strauss's career as a pop culture journalist. Neil Strauss's 2015 release entitled '' The Truth: An Uncomfortable Book About Relationships'' was also a New York Times bestseller. Released in October, 2015, this autobiographical book covers his attempts to form and maintain a long-term relationship following his years in the seduction community. It made the November 1, 2015 NYTimes bestseller list. Several detailed reviews were published in Grantland and the Chicago Tribune after its publication. In June, 2017, ''I Can't Make This Up: Life Lessons'' was published with co-author
Kevin Hart Kevin Darnell Hart (born July 6, 1979) is an American comedian and actor. Originally known as a stand-up comedian, he has since starred in Hollywood films and on TV. He has also released several well-received comedy albums. After winning se ...
and immediately was a #1 NY Times Bestseller. In 2019, Strauss launched '' To Live and Die in LA.'', a true crime podcast following the death of Adea Shabani. It hit No. 1 on the iTunes podcasts, and was in the top 10 for four months. On December 5, 2021, Strauss became the first mainstream author to mint a book on
Ethereum Ethereum is a decentralized, open-source blockchain with smart contract functionality. Ether (Abbreviation: ETH; sign: Ξ) is the native cryptocurrency of the platform. Among cryptocurrencies, ether is second only to bitcoin in market capita ...
titled '' Survive All Apocalypses: From Machine Uprisings to Bear Markets''. Strauss also has a chapter of advice in
Tim Ferriss Timothy Ferriss (born July 20, 1977) is an American entrepreneur, investor, author, podcaster, and lifestyle guru. He became well-known through his ''4-Hour'' self-help book series—including ''The 4-Hour Work Week'', ''The 4-Hour Body'', and '' ...
' book ''
Tools of Titans ''Tools of Titans: The Tactics, Routines, and Habits of Billionaires, Icons, and World-Class Performers'' (2016) is a self-help book by Timothy Ferriss, an American writer, educational activist, and entrepreneur. He interviewed more than 100 "wor ...
''. Near the end of 2021 Strauss began working on a fictional "tell-all" book about the NFT collection The Bored Ape Yacht Club, entitled ''Bored and Dangerous''.


Notable works

* ''
The Long Hard Road Out of Hell ''The Long Hard Road Out of Hell'' is the autobiography of Marilyn Manson, leader of the American rock band of the same name. The book was released on February 14, 1998 and co-authored by Neil Strauss. Summary The book follows Manson's lif ...
'' with
Marilyn Manson Brian Hugh Warner (born January 5, 1969), known professionally as Marilyn Manson, is an American rock musician. He came to prominence as the lead singer of the band which shares his name, of which he remains the only constant member since it ...
(1998) * ''
The Dirt ''The Dirt: Confessions of the World's Most Notorious Rock Band'' () is a collaborative autobiography of Mötley Crüe by the band – Tommy Lee, Mick Mars, Vince Neil and Nikki Sixx – and ''New York Times'' writer Neil Strauss. First publi ...
'' with
Mötley Crüe Mötley Crüe is an American heavy metal band formed in Los Angeles in 1981. The group was founded by bassist Nikki Sixx, drummer Tommy Lee, lead guitarist Mick Mars and lead singer Vince Neil. Mötley Crüe has sold over 100 million albums ...
(2001) * '' How to Make Love Like a Porn Star: A Cautionary Tale'' with
Jenna Jameson Jenna Marie Massoli (born April 9, 1974), known professionally as Jenna Jameson (), is an American model, former pornographic film actress, businesswoman, and television personality. She has been named the world's most famous adult entertainme ...
(2004) * '' The Game: Penetrating the Secret Society of Pickup Artists'' (2005) * ''
How to Make Money Like a Porn Star ''How to Make Money Like a Porn Star'' is the first graphic novel published by ReganBooks/HarperCollins, written by New York Times bestselling author Neil Strauss Neil Darrow Strauss, also known by the pen names Style and Chris Powles, is an ...
'', illustrated by Bernard Chang (2006) * ''
Rules of the Game ''The Rules of the Game'' (original French title: ''La règle du jeu'') is a 1939 French Satire, satirical comedy-drama film directed by Jean Renoir. The ensemble cast includes Nora Gregor, Paulette Dubost, Mila Parély, Marcel Dalio, Julien ...
'' (2007) * '' Emergency: This Book Will Save Your Life'' (2009) *'' Everyone Loves You When You're Dead: Journeys Into Fame and Madness'' (2011) *'' The Truth: An Uncomfortable Book About Relationships'' (2015) *''I Can't Make This Up: Life Lessons'' (2017) *''Survive All Apocalypses: From Machine Uprisings to Bear Markets'' (2021)


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Strauss, Neil American writers about music Celebrity biographers Jewish American writers Ghostwriters Columbia College (New York) alumni Latin School of Chicago alumni Living people Naturalised citizens of Saint Kitts and Nevis Pickup artists The New York Times writers Vassar College alumni Year of birth missing (living people)