Contributor

Turk Pipkin

Writer, filmmaker, co-founder of The Nobelity Project

Writer and filmmaker Turk Pipkin is a New York Times best-selling author, the director of three feature documentaries and 50 short films, the founder of the global education nonprofit, The Nobelity Project, and an actor known for his work on HBO’s The Sopranos, on HBO's The Lefovers and on various feature films and television shows. Turk is the author of ten books of fiction and nonfiction – including WHEN ANGELS SING (Algonguin Books), which is now the feature film Angels Sing, starring Harry Connick, Jr., Connie Britton and Willie Nelson. The NY Times bestseller, THE TAO OF WILLIE (Gotham), was coauthored by Turk and American music legend, Willie Nelson. As an actor, Turk played a recurring role as Janice’s narcoleptic boyfriend Aaron Arkaway in HBO's The Sopranos. In Season 2 and 3 of HBO's critically acclaimed series The Leftovers, Turk plays the iconic role of Pillar Man. Turk feature acting credits include Waiting for Guffman, The Alamo, Friday Night Lights and Rick Linklater’s Scanner Darkly . Turk’s Christmas novel, WHEN ANGELS SING was adpated into the feature film Angels Sing, starring Harry Connick, Jr, Kris Kristofferson, Willie Nelson, Connie Britton and Lyle Lovett. The cast is rounded out by many notable Austin musicians and a role played by Turk. Film rights to Pipkin's latest novel, ALL FOR LOVE, have been purchased by Los Angeles studio TPSC/The Traveling Picture Show Company, with Pipkin as the screenwriter adapting the book. Turk is the founder of the global education nonprofit The Nobelity Project, and the director of three award-winning feature documentaries Nobelity and One Peace at a Time and Building Hope. Audience Award winner at SXSW Film Fest, Building Hope chronicles Turk’s promise to help build the first high school for a remote African community. He is also the writer of 100 hours of prime-time television, including the Emmy Award winning PBS/American Masters film, Willie Nelson - Still is Still Moving." Turk has filmed in 27 countries on 5 continents. In addition to making feature and short films, he helms The Nobelity Project's partner projects, working with local communities to build classrooms, water systems, and libraries at 35 Kenyan schools, on reforestation/tree-planting programs in Kenya, Mexico and Central Texas, and on a library and bookmobile project in Roatan, Honduras. More information at www.nobelity.org. “Nobelity - Nine Ways to Save the World.” - Esquire Magazine