David J. Remnick (born October 29, 1958) is an American journalist, writer, and editor. He won a Pulitzer Prize in 1994 for his book Lenin's Tomb: The Last Days of the Soviet Empire, and is also the author of Resurrection and King of the World: Muhammad Ali and the Rise of an American Hero. Remnick has been editor of The New Yorker magazine since 1998. He was named "Editor of the Year" by Advertising Age in 2000. Before joining The New Yorker, Remnick was a reporter and the Moscow correspondent for The Washington Post. In 2010, he published his sixth book, The Bridge: The Life and Rise of Barack Obama.
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Background
Remnick was born to a Jewish family in Hackensack, New Jersey, the son of Barbara (Seigel), an art teacher, and Edward C. Remnick, a dentist. He was raised in nearby Hillsdale, in a Jewish home with, he has said, "a lot of books around". He attended Yavneh Academy in Paterson. Remnick was a childhood friend of comedian Bill Maher. He attended Pascack Valley High School in Hillsdale, where he studied Russian and was thereby inspired to also study the politics and culture of the USSR.
Remnick graduated summa cum laude from Princeton University in 1981 with an A.B. in comparative literature; there he met writer John McPhee, was a member of the University Press Club, and helped found The Nassau Weekly. His senior thesis was titled "The Sympathetic Thread: 'Leaves of Grass' 1855-1865." Remnick has implied that after college he wanted to write novels, but due to his parents' illnesses, he needed to get a job. Wanting to write, he took a job at The Washington Post.
