Michael Musto

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Michael Musto

Michael Musto
Born
New York City, New York
Occupation Writer, Actor
villagevoice.com/musto Official website

Michael Musto is an American writer who began his professional career at The Village Voice, where he writes the weekly La Dolce Musto celebrity and gossip column. He is an Italian American and a graduate of Columbia University, where he was a theater critic for the Columbia Spectator.[1] He is the author of Downtown and Manhattan on the Rocks. A selection of his columns has been published as La Dolce Musto.

Contents

[edit] Biography

[edit] Early life

Michael Musto was born in Brooklyn, New York on December 3, 1955. He wrote movie reviews as a child, and acted in plays as a way to overcome his shyness.[2] He graduated from New Utrecht High School in Brooklyn in 1972 and from Columbia College of Columbia University in 1976, where he performed with the Barnard Gilbert and Sullivan Society.[3]

[edit] Career

“ I'm a critic, but I do it with humor, and I'm above all self-deprecating. I make fun of myself before anybody, so that kind of frees me to lash out at other people. I'm also out about everything. I've written columns about my promiscuity phases, and my seizure disorder...everything! There's nothing I hold back from my readers and that allows me to go forth without hypocrisy into all kinds of subjects about public figures. ”

—Michael Musto, [4]

Musto is a recurring guest on several TV shows including Countdown with Keith Olbermann and others on the E! channel. He is openly gay and is published regularly in several gay publications, including Out Magazine and ShowPeople. He appeared in drag in a blue dress in the all drag queen music video for Cyndi Lauper's single "Hey Now (Girls Just Want To Have Fun)", and as a reporter in the film Garbo Talks.

Musto was named Best Gossip Columnist in a poll conducted by nycsidewalk.com[citation needed], and in 2002, a UPI profile of Musto called him "one of the wittiest stylists in the English language" [1]. Musto is also known as the author of articles in the village voice that cited rumours about the murder of Angel Melendez. The result of this and subsequent publications by Musto regarding the murder brought to attention a case in which police were otherwise disinterested and resulted in the trial and conviction of the murderers.

On the June 14, 2007 edition of Countdown with Keith Olbermann, Musto coined the word 'celebutard' (combination of the words 'celebrity,' 'debutante' and 'retard') to describe celebutauntes Paris Hilton, Britney Spears, and Lindsay Lohan.

His book is a collection of his columns from the Village Voice through the years.


[edit] Published Works

Musto reading his Wikipedia page in March 2007
Musto reading his Wikipedia page in March 2007

Musto has authored three books:

Musto has provided requested contributions to four published works:

  • Contributed foreword to Boas, Gary Lee. (January 2000) Starstruck: Photographs from a Fan Publisher: Dilettante Press ISBN 0-96642-725-4
  • Contributed as an author to McMullan, Patrick. (November 2003) so8os: A Photographic Diary of a Decade Publisher: powerHouse Books. ISBN 1-57687-187-8
  • Contributed as an author to Hastreiter, Kim. (September 14, 2004) 20 Years of Style: The World According to Paper Publisher: Amazon Remainders Account. ISBN 0-060-72302-5
  • Provided afterword in Haden-Guest, Anthony (October 2, 2006) Disco Years Publisher: powerHouse Books ISBN 1-57687-325-0

[edit] References

  1. ^ Michael Musto Quotes
  2. ^ Michael Musto Quotes
  3. ^ 2003 Broadwayworld.com interview with Musto
  4. ^ Interview with Michael Musto, David Shankbone, Wikinews, October 7, 2007.

[edit] External links

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