Dave Eggers.

Dave Eggers is one of the reasons why I do (or try to do) what I do. I’ve read all of his books; I can’t say that for any other author.

Check out A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius (his memoir about raising his younger brother), What is the What (chronicle of the life of a Sudanese Lost Boy), Zeitoun (a Syrian man’s account of personal tragedy after Katrina), and You Shall Know our Velocity (his most fictional work that has his protagonist trying to fly around the world in a week, inexplicably needing to give away $32,000)

…or the publishing company he founded: McSweeney’s (http://www.mcsweeneys.net/)

…or the educational foundation 826 Valencia that teaches reading and writing skills (for free) to underprivileged youth (http://www.826valencia.org/)

…or his wife, Vendela Vida, who co-adapted the movie Away We Go with Eggers and is an author in her own right (http://www.alaturka.info/images/images_content/kultur/literatur/VendelaVida.jpg ).