David Mamet

David Mamet was born in Chicago to Jewish parents and currently resides in Santa Monica, California. He is a playwright, novelist, screenwriter, television producer, director, occasional essayist, and lyricist. His concise, idiomatic dialogue style has become so distinctive that it is now referred to as Mamet speak—a style he attributes to the influence of his family and Harold Pinter. He has written numerous plays, including "Glengarry Glen Ross," for which he was awarded the Pulitzer Prize and the New York Drama Critics' Circle Award, "Oleanna," and "American Buffalo." He has also published essays and novels. Mamet has directed several films, including "House of Games," "Things Change," "Homicide," "State and Main," and "Heist."