Paul Harding (born 1967) is an American musician and author, best known for his

debut novel A debut novel is the first novel a novelist publishes. Debut novels are often the author's first opportunity to make an impact on the publishing industry, and thus the success or failure of a debut novel can affect the ability of the author to p ...

'' Tinkers'' (2009), which won the 2010 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction"From Drum Set to Pulitzer"
, SeaCoast Online, October 2010 and the 2010 PEN/Robert W. Bingham Prize among other honors. Harding was the drummer in the band

Cold Water Flat A cold water flat is an apartment that has no running hot water. In most developed countries, current building codes make cold water flats illegal, but they used to be common in such cities as Detroit, Chicago and New York City until the mid-twen ...

throughout its existence from 1990 to 1996.

Life and career

Paul Harding grew up on the north shore of Boston in the town of Wenham, Massachusetts. As a youth he spent a lot of time "knocking about in the woods," which he attributes to his love of nature.Paul Harding’s Magical ‘Tinkers’
audio interview with

Christopher Lydon Christopher Lydon (born 1940 in Boston, Massachusetts) is an American media personality and author. He was the original host of '' The Connection'', produced by WBUR and syndicated to other NPR stations, and created '' Open Source'', a weekly ra ...

, May 7th, 2009. His grandfather fixed clocks and he apprenticed under him, an experience that found its way into his novel ''Tinkers''. Harding has a B.A. in English from the

University of Massachusetts Amherst The University of Massachusetts Amherst (UMass Amherst, UMass) is a public research university in Amherst, Massachusetts and the sole public land-grant university in Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Founded in 1863 as an agricultural college, ...

The Literary Horologist: Paul Harding “Tinkers” With Time
, OpenLoopPress interview and an MFA from the

Iowa Writers' Workshop The Iowa Writers' Workshop, at the University of Iowa, is a celebrated graduate-level creative writing program in the United States. The writer Lan Samantha Chang is its director. Graduates earn a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degree in Creative ...

and has taught writing at

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of highe ...

and the

University of Iowa The University of Iowa (UI, U of I, UIowa, or simply Iowa) is a public research university in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. Founded in 1847, it is the oldest and largest university in the state. The University of Iowa is organized into 12 co ...

. After graduating from the University of Massachusetts, he spent time touring with his band

in the US and Europe. He had always been a heavy reader and recalls reading

Carlos Fuentes Carlos Fuentes Macías (; ; November 11, 1928 – May 15, 2012) was a Mexican novelist and essayist. Among his works are ''The Death of Artemio Cruz'' (1962), ''Aura'' (1962), '' Terra Nostra'' (1975), ''The Old Gringo'' (1985) and ''Christopher ...

' '' Terra Nostra'' and thinking "this is what I want to do". In that book Harding "saw the entire world, all of history". When he next had time off from touring with the band he signed up for a summer writing class at

Skidmore College Skidmore College is a private liberal arts college in Saratoga Springs, New York. Approximately 2,650 students are enrolled at Skidmore pursuing a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree in one of more than 60 areas of study. Histo ...

in New York. His teacher was

Marilynne Robinson Marilynne Summers Robinson (born November 26, 1943) is an American novelist and essayist. Across her writing career, Robinson has received numerous awards, including the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 2005, National Humanities Medal in 2012, and t ...

and through her he learned about the

writing program. There he studied with

Barry Unsworth Barry Unsworth FRSL (10 August 19304 June 2012) was an English writer known for his historical fiction. He published 17 novels, and was shortlisted for the Booker Prize three times, winning once for the 1992 novel '' Sacred Hunger''. Biograph ...

, Elizabeth McCracken and later Robinson. At some point he realized some of the people he admired most were "profoundly religious" and so he spent years reading

theology Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing th ...

, and was "deeply" influenced by

Karl Barth Karl Barth (; ; – ) was a Swiss Calvinist theologian. Barth is best known for his commentary '' The Epistle to the Romans'', his involvement in the Confessing Church, including his authorship (except for a single phrase) of the Barmen Declar ...

and

John Calvin John Calvin (; frm, Jehan Cauvin; french: link=no, Jean Calvin ; 10 July 150927 May 1564) was a French theologian, pastor and reformer in Geneva during the Protestant Reformation. He was a principal figure in the development of the system ...

. He considers himself a "self-taught modern New England transcendentalist". Musically, he admires jazz drummers and considers

John Coltrane John William Coltrane (September 23, 1926 – July 17, 1967) was an American jazz saxophonist, bandleader and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the history of jazz and 20th-century music. Born and raise ...

's drummer,

Elvin Jones Elvin Ray Jones (September 9, 1927 – May 18, 2004) was an American jazz drummer of the post-bop era. Most famously a member of John Coltrane's quartet, with whom he recorded from late 1960 to late 1965, Jones appeared on such widely celebrate ...

, the greatest. Harding's second novel, ''Enon'' (2013), concerns characters from his first novel, ''Tinkers'', looking at the lives of George Crosby's grandson, Charlie Crosby, and his daughter Kate. Harding lives near Boston with his wife and two sons."2010 Pulitzer Prizes"

The Pulitzer Prizes The Pulitzer Prize () is an award for achievements in newspaper, magazine, online journalism, literature, and musical composition within the United States. It was established in 1917 by provisions in the will of Joseph Pulitzer, who had made hi ...

. Retrieved April 15, 2016.

Awards and honors

*2010

Pulitzer Prize for Fiction The Pulitzer Prize for Fiction is one of the seven American Pulitzer Prizes that are annually awarded for Letters, Drama, and Music. It recognizes distinguished fiction by an American author, preferably dealing with American life, published durin ...

, winner *2010 PEN/Robert W. Bingham Prize, winner *2012 Fernanda Pivano Award

Works

*'' Tinkers'' (New York: Bellevue Literary Press, 2009. ) *'' Enon'' (New York:

Random House Random House is an American book publisher and the largest general-interest paperback publisher in the world. The company has several independently managed subsidiaries around the world. It is part of Penguin Random House, which is owned by Germ ...

, 2013. ) *'' This Other Eden'' (New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2023. )

References

External links

Interview with Paul Harding, on Beyond the MarginsReading from ''Tinkers'' and discussing bringing his book into existence at the Maine Festival of the Book, April 2011
{{DEFAULTSORT:Harding, Paul 1967 births Living people 21st-century American novelists American male novelists Pulitzer Prize for Fiction winners University of Massachusetts Amherst alumni Iowa Writers' Workshop alumni People from Wenham, Massachusetts 21st-century American male writers 20th-century American drummers American male drummers 20th-century American male musicians