Jim Goad | |
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Born |
James Thaddeus Goad 12 June 1961 Ridley Park, Pennsylvania, United States |
Nationality | American |
Occupation | Author Publisher |
Known for |
Answer Me! The Redneck Manifesto Shit Magnet |
James Thaddeus "Jim" Goad (born June 12, 1961) is an American author and publisher. Goad co-authored and published the cult zine ANSWER Me! and The Redneck Manifesto. Known for his controversial political and socially charged viewpoints, Goad's work has been described as "compelling", "brutally honest" and "original" by author Chuck Palahniuk. Comedian Patton Oswalt cites Goad's writing as an influence.
Jim Goad was born June 12, 1961, in Ridley Park, Pennsylvania. Growing up in Clifton Heights, just outside Philadelphia, Goad described himself as a teenager who was a loner, misanthropic and a weirdo. He attended a Catholic school, and experienced violent treatment by the nuns and his father, eventually learning to fight back. As a teenager he wanted to move to New York City to study acting and was accepted to study at New York University under Stella Adler.
Goad graduated in 1986 with a B.A. in Journalism from Temple University while living in New Jersey. In the early 1980s Goad met Debbie Rosalie at a Johnny Thunders concert in New York City. Debbie was eight years older than Goad, Jewish and lived in Coney Island. The couple lived in New York and Debbie worked at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and Goad at a Lower East Side print shop. The couple left New York suddenly after Goad beat up their Brighton Beach landlord for calling Debbie "stupid". The landlord filed, and then dropped, assault charges, but the Goads would not return to New York, settling in Los Angeles. The couple married in Las Vegas in 1987. Upon arriving in Los Angeles, Goad started working at the Los Angeles Reader, covering local news, and freelancing for Playboy and Details magazine. Goad was unhappy with the content he was covering, and wishing to cover more fringe subjects the couple began publishing their own work.