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[[Image:perksofbeingwallflower1.jpg|thumb|The Perks of Being a Wallflower|300px|right|[[The Perks of Being a Wallflower]] by Stephen Chbosky]]

'''Stephen Chbosky''' (born [[January 25]], [[1970]]) is an [[United States|American]]  [[author]], [[editing|editor]], [[screenwriter]], and [[film director]]. 

A native of [[Upper St. Clair, Pennsylvania|Upper St. Clair]],[http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07357/843948-42.stm] [[Pennsylvania]], [[United States|U.S.]], he is best known as the author of the coming-of-age novel ''[[The Perks of Being a Wallflower]]''. Now in its twenty-sixth printing, and available in six languages worldwide, it met with acclaim, but also stirred up controversy for its portrayals of [[youth sexuality|teen sexuality]], [[masturbation]], and [[drug use]].

In addition to writing ''The Perks of Being a Wallflower'', Chbosky also edited a short story anthology,  ''Pieces'' (ISBN 0-671-00195-7). Chbosky also wrote and directed the independent film ''[[The Four Corners of Nowhere]]'', and wrote the screenplay for the film adaptation of the musical, ''[[Rent (musical)|Rent]]'', released on November 23, 2005. He is also co-creator, executive producer, and writer of the new CBS apocalyptic TV drama ''[[Jericho (TV series)|Jericho]]''. Chbosky is an active [[gay]]-[[rights]] supporter.

==References==
* Source: Contemporary Authors Online. The Gale Group, 2006. PEN (Permanent Entry Number):  0000161510.

==External links==
*{{imdb name|0154716}}  
* [http://movies.ign.com/articles/673/673041p1.html Interview with Stephen Chbosky on IGN Film Force]'''''{{Infobox Writer
| name = Stephen Chbosky
| image       = Replace this image male.svg
| caption = 
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1970|1|25}}
| birth_place = 
| occupation = [[author|Novelist]], [[screenwriter]], [[film director]]
| genre =
| movement =
| period = 
| debut_works = '''Debut novel:''' ''[[The Perks of Being a Wallflower]]'' (1999)
| influences = [[F. Scott Fitzgerald]], [[J. D. Salinger]], [[Stewart Stern]], [[Tennessee Williams]]
| influenced =
| signature = 
| website =
| footnotes =
}}
'''Stephen Chbosky''' (born [[January 25]], [[1970]]) is an [[United States|American]]  [[author|novelist]], [[screenwriter]], and [[film director]] best known for the coming-of-age novel ''[[The Perks of Being a Wallflower]]'' (1999).  He also wrote the screenplay for the 2005 film ''[[Rent (film)|Rent]]'', and is co-creator, executive producer, and writer of the CBS television series ''[[Jericho (TV series)|Jericho]]'', which began airing in 2006.

==Biography==
Stephen Chbosky was raised in [[Upper St. Clair, Pennsylvania|Upper St. Clair]], [[Pennsylvania]], the son of Fred and Lea Chbosky.<ref name= "trib">Blank, Ed.  [http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/s_396885.html "Movie musical brings dream to life for screenwriter"], [[Pittsburgh Tribune-Review]], 2005-11-22.  Retrieved on [[2008]]-[[01-04]].</ref>  As a teenager, Chbosky "enjoyed a good blend of the classics, horror and fantasy", and was heavily influenced by [[J. D. Salinger]]'s novel ''[[The Catcher in the Rye]]'', along with the writing of [[F. Scott Fitzgerald]] and [[Tennessee Williams]].<ref name= "bei">Beisch, Ann.  [http://www.layouth.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=Issue&action=IssueArticle&aid=1393&nid=19 "Interview with Stephen Chbosky, author of The Perks of Being a Wallflower"], [[LA Youth]], November-December 2001.  Retrieved on [[2007]]-[[07-10]].</ref>  Chbosky graduated from [[Upper St. Clair High School]] in 1988, around which time he met [[Stewart Stern]], screenwriter of the 1955 [[James Dean]] film ''[[Rebel Without a Cause]]''.  Stern became Chbosky's "good friend and mentor", and proved a major influence on Chbosky's career.<ref name= "ign">Stax.  [http://movies.ign.com/articles/673/673041p1.html "10 Questions: Stephen Chbosky"], IGN Film Force, 2005-12-01.  Retrieved on [[2008]]-[[01-04]].</ref>

In 1992, Chbosky graduated from the [[University of Southern California]]'s screenwriting program.<ref name= "post">Owen, Rob.  [http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06253/719941-237.stm "Upper St. Clair graduate writes for CBS's 'Jericho'"], [[Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]], 2006-09-10.  Retrieved on [[2007]]-[[01-04]].</ref>  He wrote, directed, and acted in the 1995 independent film ''[[The Four Corners of Nowhere]]'', which got Chbosky his first agent, was accepted by the [[Sundance Film Festival]], and became one of the first films shown on the [[Sundance Channel]].<ref name= "trib"/>  In the late 1990s, Chbosky wrote several unproduced screenplays, including ones titled ''Audrey Hepburn's Neck'' and ''Schoolhouse Rock''.<ref name= "bing">Bing, Jonathan.  [http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117787257.html?categoryid=1007&cs=1&query=chbosky "'Perks' guy in pics; Nerve racking up deals"], [[Variety (magazine)|Variety]], 2000-10-04.  Retrieved on [[2008]]-[[01-04]].</ref>

In 1994, Chbosky was working on a "very different type of book" than ''[[The Perks of Being a Wallflower]]'' when he wrote the line, "I guess that's just one of the perks of being a wallflower."<ref name= "bei"/>  Chbosky recalled that he "wrote that line.  And stopped.  And realized that somewhere in that [sentence] was the kid I was really trying to find."<ref name= "bei"/>  After several years of gestation, Chbosky began writing ''The Perks of Being a Wallflower'', an [[epistolary novel]] that follows the intellectual and emotional maturation of a teenager who calls himself Charlie over the course of his freshman year of high school.  The book is semi-[[autobiography|autobiographical]]; Chbosky has said that he "relate[s] to Charlie[...]But my life in high school was in many ways different."<ref name= "bei"/>

The book, Chbosky's first novel, was published by [[MTV|MTV Books]] in 1999, and was an immediate popular success with adolescents; by 2000, the novel was MTV Books' best-selling title,<ref name= "bing"/> and it has sold more than 500,000 copies as of 2005.<ref name= "trib"/>  ''Wallflower'' also stirred up controversy due to Chbosky's portrayal of [[youth sexuality|teen sexuality]], [[masturbation]], and [[drug use]].<ref>http://www.wordriot.org/template.php?ID=552</ref>  In 2000, Chbosky edited ''Pieces'', an anthology of short stories.  The same year, he worked with director [[Jon Sherman]] on a film adaptation of [[Michael Chabon]]'s novel ''[[The Mysteries of Pittsburgh]]'',<ref name= "trib"/> though the project fell apart by August 2000.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://web.archive.org/web/20000926003509/home.earthlink.net/~mchabon/current.html |date = 2000-08-14 | title = In the Works | publisher = Michael Chabon's Web Site: Rattling Around | accessdate = 2007-02-04}}</ref>  Chbosky wrote the screenplay for the [[Rent (film)|2005 film adaptation]] of the [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] [[rock opera|rock musical]] ''[[Rent (musical)|Rent]]'', which received mixed reviews.<ref>http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/rent/</ref>  In late 2005, Chbosky said that he was writing a film adaptation of ''The Perks of Being a Wallflower''.<ref name= "trib"/>

In 2004, Chbosky decided, on the advice of his agent, to begin looking for work in television in addition to film.<ref name= "post"/>  Finding he "enjoyed the people [he met who were working] in television",<ref name= "post"/> Chbosky agreed to serve as co-creator, executive producer, and writer of the [[CBS]] [[serial drama|serial television drama]] ''[[Jericho (TV series)|Jericho]]'', which premiered in September 2006.  The series revolves around the inhabitants of the fictional small town of [[Jericho, Kansas (fictional town)|Jericho, Kansas]] in the aftermath of several nuclear attacks.  Chbosky has said the relationship between Jake Green, the main character, and his mother, reflected "me and my mother in a lot of ways".<ref name= "post"/>  The first season of ''Jericho'' received lackluster [[Nielsen Ratings|ratings]], and CBS canceled the show in May 2007.<ref>[http://www.medialifemagazine.com/artman/publish/article_11271.asp "Flop sweat: 'Jericho' dips to new low"], 2007-04-05.</ref><ref>[http://online.wsj.com/article/SB117932579611204905.html?mod=home_whats_news_us "CBS Rolls Out 5 New Shows for Fall"], [[The Wall Street Journal]].</ref>  A [[grassroots]] campaign to revive the series convinced CBS to renew the series for a second season, which will premiere on [[February 12]], [[2008]].<ref>{{cite web | url=http://jerichoboard.cbs.com/n/pfx/forum.aspx?tsn=1&nav=messages&webtag=CBSMBJericho&tid=13329 | title=A Message From CBS Entertainment | publisher=CBS | author=Nina Tassler | date=[[2007-06-06]] | accessdate=2007-06-06}}</ref><ref>http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news.aspx?id=20071203cbs03</ref>

Chbosky lives in [[Los Angeles]], [[California]], and is an active [[gay]]-[[rights]] supporter.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{imdb name|0154716}}  

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chbosky, Stephen}}
[[Category:1970 births]]
[[Category:American writers]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Writers from Pittsburgh]]
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{{US-screen-writer-stub}}[[Category:University of Southern California alumni]]