John Donvan (born 1955) is a journalist, broadcaster and debate moderator whose bestselling book, In a Different Key: The Story of Autism, was a Pulitzer Prize Finalist. He serves as host of Open to Debate, a debate series dedicated to raising the level of public discourse in America.
Donvan is the host of Open to Debate (which began as Intelligence Squared US), and is a forum that gathers experts to debate propositions concerning serious topics of public interest in Oxford Union-style debates which may be heard on NPR, and on Fora.TV.
Donvan is an avid storyteller, having premiered his first one-man show "Lose the Kid" in Washington, D.C. in September 2013, under the auspices of SpeakeasyDC.[2]
In 2016, Donvan and Caren Zucker, a journalist and television news producer, co-authored In a Different Key: The Story of Autism.[6] Issues discussed include the Refrigerator mother theory and the possibility of an autism epidemic.[7] One autistic individual covered is Donald Triplett, the first child diagnosed with autism.[8][9][10] Another person profiled is psychiatrist and autism pioneer Leo Kanner.[11] The book discusses the debate over the neurodiversity movement, especially with respect to low-functioning autistics.[7]
Awards
Donvan's broadcast work has won four Emmy Awards, several Overseas Press Club Awards, two Cine Golden Eagles, and has been honored by the National Association of Black Journalists, the Committee of 100, and the Media Action Network for Asian-Americans.[5][2] As a writer, he was a named finalist for the 2017 Pulitzer Prize in general non-fiction for "In A Different Key: The Story of Autism," and also a finalist for the 2011 National Magazine Award for his profile of Donald Triplett. Both works were co-authored with Caren Zucker.[citation needed]
