David Karp

Who was David Karp?

David Karp was a U.S. novelist and television writer. He also used the pseudonyms Wallace Ware and Adam Singer.

Born in Manhattan, Karp worked for his living from an early age. His employment included selling shirts from an outdoor stand, theatre-ushering, leading a recreation group, and dish-washing. In 1942 he enlisted in the United States Army and served in the Signal Corps in the Philippines and in Japan.

He left the Army in 1946 and continued his interrupted education, graduating from the City College of New York in 1948. He started his media career as a continuity writer for a New York radio station and published his first novel in 1952. When writing for television he often tackled controversial topics.

He was married to Lillian Klass Karp from 1944 until her death in 1987, after which he married Claire Leighton Karp. He had two sons, Ethan Ross Karp and Andrew Gabriel Karp, both of Los Angeles. David Karp died of emphysema in Pittsfield, Massachusetts.