Steven Kunes
Curriculum Vitae
Education:
New York University, 1978, Bachelor of Arts in Creative Writing & Comparative Literature (double concentration, summa cum laude, 3.92 GPA).
Guest Lecturer:
Lindenwood University (2024), TEDx Speaker “Square One at 60” (2021), The Lear Center/USC (2012-2013), New York University (2005-Present), Pepperdine University (2003).
Motion Pictures:
Screen Projects in Development: "Over My Dead Body: The Hollywood Lifetime Achievement Awards" (Amazon Studios), “Door Number Three” (Heyday Films/Warner Bros. Pictures).
Produced Screen Projects (Uncredited Participating Writer/Script Doctor): “The Theory of Everything” (2014), “Atlas Shrugged: Part I” (2011), “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” (2009), “Catch Me If You Can” (2002), “Cast Away” (2000), “The Pelican Brief” (1993), “Ghost” (1990), “Rain Man” (1988).
Unproduced Screen Projects: “Where Is Joe Merchant?” (2006/Shimon Arama/Warners), “Restoration” (2006/Warners), “Clock Without Hands” (2000/Miramax), “Acquitted!” (1999/Warners), “Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant” (1992/Tri-Star), “The Linderman Pyramid” (1992/Touchstone), “First Comes Love” (1992/Fox), “Rum Runners” (1988/Amblin’/Universal), “Bonds That Tie” (1985/Columbia), “The Windows of Richard Allen” (1984/Paramount), “Seascape” (1982/Gil Evans), “Second of Four” (1979), “The Graduate: Part Two” (1978/Turman-Foster Productions).
Stage:
“Suzy & Sam” (2019), premiered on March 7, 2019 at the Dramatists Guild Foundation Music Hall in NYC.
“Then Again” (2016), premiered on October 4, 2016 at Theatre West, Los Angeles, California.
“Captain of a Lost Ship” (2012), workshop and staged reading at McCarter Theatre, Princeton, New Jersey.
“Hopeless Romantic” (2010), opened on August 14, 2010 at Center Stage Theater, Santa Barbara, California.
“Clock Without Hands” (2007), based on the last novel by Carson McCullers, and incorporating notes from her close friend Tennessee Williams. Performed in workshop at the Manhattan Theatre Club in NYC.
Musical Theater:
“Singer!” (1979), a treatment for a Broadway musical based on the life and times of Isaac Merritt Singer, the man who made famous (and appropriated) the sewing machine that was actually invented by Elias Howe.
Television:
Current Television Projects: “Over My Dead Body” (original comedy series for Amazon Prime.)
Half-Hour Pilots: “Coral Gables” (Falcon Productions/Univision), “Is There a Lawyer in the House?” (Ron Dunas Productions/CBS), “About Luis” (Viacom Productions/CBS), “Ms. Liberty” (Grosso-Jacobson Productions/CBS), “Jackson & Friends” (Centerpoint Productions/ABC), “The MasqueRaiders” (American Greetings Productions/ABC), “P.O.P.” and “Good Evening, He Lied” (Embassy TV/Norman Lear/NBC).
One-Hour Pilots: “N.O.R.S.A.T.” (A. Shane Company/Robert Conrad/NBC), “Hittin’ Home” (Michael Krauss Productions-Viacom/Synd.).
Half-Hour Episodic: “South Park” (staff-Comedy Central), “Out of This World” (staff-Synd.), “Trial & Error” (ABC), “Mr. President” (staff-FOX), “What’s Happening Now” (Synd.), “Marblehead Manor” (Synd.), “Small Wonder” (Synd.), “Kate & Allie” (CBS), “Family Ties” (staff-NBC), “Cheers” (staff-NBC), “Webster” (ABC), “aka Pablo” (staff-ABC).
One-Hour Episodic: “thirtysomething” (staff-ABC), “High Mountain Rangers” (ABC), “Our House” (NBC), “Charley Hannah” (ABC), “Stir Crazy” (CBS), “Love Boat” (ABC).
Movies-of-the-Week: “Final Approach” (Edgar Scherick Productions/CBS), “Revenge from the Shadows” (Helios Productions/NBC), “Stolen Love” (Palone Company/ABC).
Afterschool Specials: “Split Ends” (Ruby-Spears Productions/ABC), “My Mother Was Never a Kid” (Hallmark/ABC).
Prime-Time Specials: "The Oscars 2024" (ABC), "The Oscars 2022" (special material/ABC), “Salute to America’s Pets” (Bob Hope Entertainment/NBC), “The Magical World of Disney” (Andrew Solt Productions/NBC), “Alvin Goes Back 2 School: NBC’s Saturday Morning Kick-Off Special” (Helios Productions/NBC).
Comedy/Variety: “The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson” (staff-Carson Productions/NBC).
Spec Scripts: “Hill Street Blues,” “Taxi,” “M*A*S*H,” “Barney Miller.”
Stand-Up Comedy Material & Sketches: Johnny Carson, Rodney Dangerfield, Chris Rock, Roseanne Barr, Larry Miller, Richard Jeni, Dennis Wolfberg, Kathy Najimy & Mo Gaffney (“Kathy & Mo”), Paul Rodriguez.
Overall Deals: Viacom Productions, Embassy Television (Norman Lear).
Podcast:
"Over My Dead Body" (original comedy series for Amazon Prime is also available as an audio-only podcast on all major platforms -- 33 in total).
Books:
“Over My Dead Body: Season 1” (Amazon Books, 2021), “Hopeless Romantic: a play” (Amazon Books, 2019), “Pick Six: Six Screenplays” (Amazon Books, 2018), “Uncle Jerry to Win: a novel” (Amazon Books, 2018), “Four on the Floor: Four Plays” (Amazon Books, 2018), “Benedictis: a novel” (unpublished, 1983).
Short Stories:
“The Making of a Heart Surgeon,” “Ashes,” “The Wee Road,” “The Scholarship,” “The Mixologist-in-Residence,” “Into the Fire,” “The Audition.”
Essays:
“Who the Experts Were,” “Survivor in the Classroom,” “Teachers Deserve our Respect,” “No Forwarding Address,” “My Grandmother’s Legacy,” “Lost & Found,” “Saving My Dog Rosie,” “The Not-So-Ugly Duckling,” “A Writer in the Family,” “September, 1976,” “Talk of the Town” (3), “About Men” (2).
Articles:
“The Linderman Pyramid,” “The Empire State Building Turns 50,” “Wife/Mistress,” “The Money Debt,” “There’s a Bit of Bucks County in New York.”
Interviews:
Jimmy Buffett, Martin Herskovitz (Malibu D.A.), L.A. County Sheriff Leroy D. Baca, Hal Linden, Milos Forman, Johnny Carson, Dustin Hoffman.
Subject of Interviews:
Story Beat (podcast, 2024), Writers Guild of America: Writers on Writing Oral History Collection (2023), Fascination Street (podcast, 2023), Laughing Out Loud (podcast, 2023), Over Fifty Starting Over (podcast, 2023), Two Whiskeys & A Cigar (podcast, 2023), Film Addicts (podcast, 2022), Two Fit Crazies & A Microphone (podcast, 2022), Howard Stern Show (Sirius Radio, 2022), Los Angeles Times (2016), Santa Barbara News-Press (2010), Bucks County Courier Times (2016, 1988, 1985 and 1970).
Advertising:
Jantzen Sportswear (1982), Greyhound (1982).
Web Content:
MyGlobalClassroom, Inc. (2000-Present).
Events:
“Laurence/2000 Turns 40” (1993), “Tony Randall Celebrity Love Roast at Radio City Music Hall” (1979).
Publications:
“Vanity Fair,” “The Santa Barbara News-Press,” “The Santa Barbara Independent,” “The Santa Barbara Daily Sound,” “The Malibu Surfside News,” “The Malibu Times,” “The New Yorker,” “The Atlantic Monthly,” “New York Times Sunday Magazine,” “The Saturday Evening Post,” “Playboy,” “Penthouse,” “Gallery,” “Woman’s Day,” “Woman’s World,” “Self,” “The Dial,” “Video Review,” “The Bucks County Courier Times,” "The Armenian Reporter," “New York Quarterly,” “The Minetta Review,” “High Times.”
Archives:
Writers Guild Foundation Archive (selected material), The Paley Center for Media (NYC), The UCLA Film & Television Archive, and The Internet Archive (personal papers and professional works).
Awards:
London-Worldwide Comedy Short Film Festival’s Best Comedy Award (2018/”Over My Dead Body”), City of Santa Barbara Annual Awards (2010/”Letter of Recognition from the Mayor”), Social Venture Partners of Silicon Valley’s iMagine Award (2007/”Great Books e-Curriculum”), National Stuttering Foundation’s Laura Pels Award (2005/”Story Reading Coordinator”), Valley International Film Festival’s Vision Award for Writing (2004/”Rain Man”), International Distance Learning Center’s Helping Hand Award (2003/”MyGlobalClassroom”), Writers Guild of America’s William E. Kelley Award for Hollywood’s Top Ten Unproduced Screenplays (2003/”Acquitted”), NYU’s William Faulkner Award for Short Fiction (1978/”The Mixologist-in-Residence”).
Affiliations:
Writers Guild of America, Authors Guild, Dramatists Guild, PEN America, Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences (Oscars), Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (Emmys), TED Foundation, Social Venture Partners of Silicon Valley, Santa Barbara Museum of Art: Director’s Circle, New York University Alumni Association, Who’s Who in Entertainment, Save the Manatee Foundation, AARP.
Charities:
Founder and Chairman of MyGlobalClassroom, a California non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation. Our international resource center provides, free of charge via the worldwide web and satellite broadband, access to a comprehensive K-12 education, including a vast enrichment curriculum, to underprivileged children around the world. Fundraiser and Instructor at Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles’ Kids Writing Program. Fundraiser and Volunteer for Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (raised funds for the Antelope Valley Fallen Heroes campaign and the 1999 L.A.S.D. Rose Parade float in Pasadena, California). Special Sponsor of the 2005 Malibu Arts Festival: KidzArt Program. Advisory Boardmember (2008-2010) of the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary of Santa Barbara, California. Contributor to the Dramatists Guild Foundation: Write Stuff Society, Save the Manatee Foundation, the Turtle Rescue Mission of Montecito, California, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, and Heal the Bay.
Interests:
Electronic publishing, books by Audrey Niffenegger, the works of Tennessee Williams, amateur “ham” radio (KQ6DF, formerly WA3MZV), Annual Vintage Automobile Show at Pebble Beach’s Concours d’Elegance, California wines, Key West Cigar Factory, Lorelei the manatee, traveling with my children to distant lands.
Contact Information:
Office:
“Over My Dead Body”
1800 Century Park East
10th floor
Los Angeles, California 90067
(818) 927-3442 – Production/Studio City
REFERENCES AND MATERIALS FURNISHED UPON REQUEST