Nico Walker Explained

Nico Walker
Birth Name:Nicholas Walker
Birth Date:19 April 1985
Occupation:Writer
Nationality:American
Alma Mater:John Carroll University
Period:2018–present
Notable Works:Cherry

Nicholas Walker (born April 19, 1985) is an American author and United States Army veteran who served time in prison for bank robbery.[1] His semi-autobiographical debut novel, Cherry, was published by Alfred A. Knopf on August 14, 2018.

Career

Nicholas Walker was born in the United States on April 19, 1985. From 2005 to 2006, Walker served in the United States Army as a combat medic in Iraq as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom, going on more than 250 combat missions.[2] After being discharged from the military and returning to civilian life, he developed post-traumatic stress disorder and major depressive disorder and became addicted to heroin and Oxycodone. Matthew Johnson, a publisher at Tyrant Books, sent Walker books and encouraged him to write about his life while Walker was in prison. He spent nearly four years writing and rewriting.[3] [4] [5] The resulting novel, Cherry, was published by Alfred A. Knopf and is about "the horrors of war and addiction." In the semi-autobiographical novel, a young man drops out of college and enlists in the Army. He comes home in a poor state, becomes addicted to opiates, and starts robbing banks. According to Vulture.com, upon its publication the book received "near-universal praise."[6] It debuted at number 14 on The New York Times bestseller list.[7] Walker has said that he is using money from sales of the book to pay back some of the banks he robbed. The book was shortlisted for the 2019 Hemingway Foundation/PEN Award.[8] In Walker's acknowledgements in Cherry, he also credits Josh Polikov, Tim O'Connell, Adeline Manson, Anna Kaufman, Daniel Novack, Susan M. S. Brown for helping him write, edit, revise, and publish his semi-autobiographical novel.[9]

Within days of the book's publication, the movie rights were acquired for $1 million by Joe and Anthony Russo's studio AGBO, with the brothers planning to direct and produce, and the script to be written by Jessica Goldberg and starring Tom Holland as the character based on Walker.[10] [11] Walker was offered the opportunity to be an executive producer on the film, but he turned it down. The film, also called Cherry, was released in theaters on February 26, 2021, and on Apple TV+ on March 12, 2021.[12] [13]

Incarceration

To fund his opiate habit, he robbed ten banks around Cleveland in a span of four months, beginning in December 2010. He was arrested in April 2011, pleaded guilty in 2012 and was given an eleven-year sentence. His cellmate was Tony Viola, who was wrongfully accused of mortgage fraud at several banks and was sentenced to twelve and a half years in prison.[14] In 2013, while Walker was behind bars in the Federal Correctional Institution in Ashland, Kentucky, he was profiled in BuzzFeed. This led to a correspondence with Matthew Johnson, a publisher at the independent press Tyrant Books. While incarcerated, Walker was also a GED tutor, teaching fellow inmates.[15]

Personal life

Walker grew up in Atlanta, Las Vegas, and Cleveland. He dropped out of John Carroll University and enlisted in the Army at the age of 19.[16] For his service in Iraq, Walker received seven medals and commendations. He was released from prison early, in October 2019.[17] [18] He lives in Oxford, Mississippi.[19]

Walker and his first wife, Kara, eloped before he deployed in 2005, and divorced a few months after he returned in 2006.[20] Around this time, he was the lead singer and songwriter in a psychedelic garage rock band named Safari, and they released the album Maybe Tomorrow in 2010.[21] In August 2020, Interview reported Walker had married poet Rachel Rabbit White.[22]

As of January 2022, Walker is currently working on his second novel, which will have a focus centralized around incarceration.

Bibliography

Notes and References

  1. News: Lawrence . Quil . An Iraq Veteran, Heroin Addict, Bank Robber And Debut Novelist . August 22, 2018 . NPR . August 13, 2018 . October 31, 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20191031093750/https://www.npr.org/2018/08/13/638218702/an-iraq-veteran-heroin-addict-bank-robber-and-debut-novelist . live .
  2. Web site: Nico Walker, Author of "Cherry" BZ Listening Episode 74 . April 27, 2024 . October 3, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221003070420/https://podcasts.apple.com/ie/podcast/74-talking-with-nico-walker-author-of-cherry/id1435821509?i=1000547539639 . live .
  3. News: Alter . Alexandra . How a Young War Veteran Became a Serial Bank Robber, Then a Novelist . August 22, 2018 . The New York Times . August 10, 2018 . November 1, 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20191101164822/https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/10/books/cherry-nico-walker.html . live .
  4. News: Charles . Ron . Nico Walker is a convicted bank robber. 'Cherry' proves he's also a must-read author. . August 22, 2018 . Washington Post . August 14, 2018 . July 27, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200727020707/https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/books/nico-walker-is-a-convicted-bank-robber-cherry-proves-hes-also-a-must-read-author/2018/08/13/fcfff502-9b30-11e8-8d5e-c6c594024954_story.html?noredirect=on . live .
  5. News: Lorentzen . Christian . Nico Walker's Cherry Might Be the First Great Novel of the Opioid Epidemic . August 22, 2018 . Vulture . July 24, 2018 . August 24, 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180824034946/http://www.vulture.com/2018/07/cherry-might-be-the-first-great-opioid-epidemic-novel.html . live .
  6. News: Rathburn . Daniel . Nico Walker's Cherry Got Near-Universal Praise . August 23, 2018 . Vulture . August 22, 2018 . August 22, 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180822185700/http://www.vulture.com/2018/08/nico-walker-cherry-review-roundup.html . live .
  7. News: First a Decorated War Vet, Then a Bank Robber, Now a Best-Selling Novelist . August 30, 2018 . The New York Times . August 24, 2018 . August 30, 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180830012832/https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/24/books/review/best-seller-cherry-nico-walker.html . live .
  8. Web site: Announcing the 2019 PEN America Literary Awards Finalists. January 15, 2019. PEN America. February 23, 2019. October 30, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20191030134810/https://pen.org/2019finalists/. live.
  9. Book: Walker, Nico . Cherry . 315–317.
  10. News: Fleming . Mike Jr. . AGBO Nearing $1M 'Cherry' Book Deal; 'Avengers: Infinity War's Russo Bros Eye Directing . August 30, 2018 . Deadline Hollywood . August 24, 2018 . August 24, 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190824071032/https://deadline.com/2018/08/cherry-nico-walker-bank-robber-author-avengers-infinity-wars-joe-and-anthony-russo-million-dollar-movie-deal-1202451767/ . live .
  11. News: McNary . Dave . Russo Brothers Close Deal to Direct PTSD Drama 'Cherry' . August 30, 2018 . Variety . August 24, 2018 . August 31, 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180831002528/https://variety.com/2018/film/news/russo-brothers-ptsd-movie-cherry-1202916432/ . live .
  12. Breznican. Anthony. Tom Holland in the Wild and Woeful 'Cherry': Exclusive First Look. 2020-11-24. Vanity Fair. November 24, 2020 . en-us. November 24, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201124175551/https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2020/11/first-look-tom-holland-russo-brothers-cherry. live.
  13. News: Fleming . Mike . Apple Makes Big Deal For Joe & Anthony Russo-Directed 'Cherry;' Tom Holland & Ciara Bravo Drama Becomes Oscar Season Entry . 12 October 2020 . Deadline . 25 September 2020 . September 29, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200929171743/https://deadline.com/2020/09/cherry-tom-holland-apple-joe-russo-anthony-russo-major-film-deal-nico-walker-novel-cherry-ciara-bravo-oscar-season-1234585213/ . live .
  14. Web site: Free Tony Viola! . April 27, 2024 . April 27, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240427022358/https://www.freetonyviola.com/about . live .
  15. Web site: Rogers . Nate . What Does Life Beyond 'Cherry" Look Like? . March 11, 2021 . April 27, 2024 . April 4, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240404203332/https://www.theringer.com/2021/3/11/22321723/nico-walker-cherry-movie-author-russo-brothers-adaptation . live .
  16. News: Stewart . Dillon . Three Things To Know About Nico Walker's Cherry Before Russo Bros. Start Shooting In Cleveland . 14 January 2022 . March 27, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230327142652/https://clevelandmagazine.com/entertainment/books/articles/three-things-to-know-russo-bros.-to-shoot-nico-walker%27s-cherry . live .
  17. News: Wong . Collin . Nico Walker: The veteran who wrote his debut novel from a jail cell . 12 October 2020 . The Observer . 16 July 2020 . October 12, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201012223459/https://observer.case.edu/nico-walker-the-veteran-who-wrote-his-debut-novel-from-a-jail-cell/ . live .
  18. News: Heisig . Eric . Imprisoned Cleveland-area author moved to halfway house while production commences for movie adaption directed by Russo brothers . 12 October 2020 . The Plain Dealer . 17 October 2019 . September 27, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200927225111/https://www.cleveland.com/court-justice/2019/10/imprisoned-cleveland-area-author-moved-to-halfway-house-to-start-work-on-movie-adaptation-directed-by-russo-brothers.html . live .
  19. News: Hall . Kevin . From Bank Robber to Hollywood: Why Cherry Author Nico Walker Isn't Watching the Movie of His Life . 16 March 2021 . GQ . 26 February 2021 . March 24, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230324083043/https://www.gq.com/story/nico-walker-cherry-movie-tom-holland-interview . live .
  20. News: Lachenal . Jessica . Emily In Cherry Seems To Share Some Similarities With A Real Person . 16 March 2021 . Bustle . 12 March 2021 . June 3, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230603181856/https://www.bustle.com/entertainment/is-emily-in-cherry-based-on-a-real-person . live .
  21. News: Rogers . Nate . "Hopefully He Won't End Up Robbing Banks Again": The Wild Life of Nico Walker . 16 March 2021 . The Ringer . 11 March 2021 . April 4, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240404203332/https://www.theringer.com/2021/3/11/22321723/nico-walker-cherry-movie-author-russo-brothers-adaptation . live .
  22. Web site: 2020-08-13. Rachel Rabbit White, in Her Boudoir. 2020-08-14. Interview Magazine. en-US. August 19, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200819102355/https://www.interviewmagazine.com/culture/rachel-rabbit-white-nico-walker-porn-carnival. live.

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