Jim Goad
Jim Goad (born James Thaddeus Goad June 12, 1961) is a freelance writer and the former publisher of ANSWER Me! He was born near Philadelphia, PA, and has lived in Brooklyn, Los Angeles and Portland, OR. He received a BA Journalism from Temple University in 1986 and now lives in Schwenksville, PA. He is noted for his perfectionism, his temper, and his exaggerated, often humorous writing style.
Through the run of ANSWER Me!, he was married to Debbie Goad, and credited her as the magazine's co-publisher. He now claims that she contributed little and that he rewrote her pieces heavily. The Goads divorced in December 1997, and Debbie died of ovarian cancer in 2000.
In 1997, Jim Goad began a mutually abusive affair with zinester Sky Ryan. Goad eventually filed a restraining order against Ryan, but they continued their relationship until 1998, when he was arrested for beating her. He served a prison term and was paroled in 2001.
In the summer of 2001, Goad participated in the Angry White Male Tour, but left halfway through after falling out with organizer Shane Bugbee.
Goad is the author of two books, the sociological treatise The Redneck Manifesto and the memoir Shit Magnet (which he wrote while incarcerated). He has contributed to many magazines (notably Vice) and, as of summer 2006, is working on a book about NASCAR.
As a child, Goad wanted to be an actor, but his parents did not allow him to pursue it. He has created several audio recordings, including two country albums. His website features a sampling of his writing new and old, along with an invitation-only message board.
