IRWIN Award is Crowning Jewel for Author Kenny Kahn

October 5, 2005
Studio City, California

Prominent Southern California criminal defense attorney Kenny Kahn, author of The Carney Kid: Survival of a Young Thief, was presented an IRWIN Award from the Book Publicists of Southern California for the Most Inspirational Campaign 2005. IRWIN stands for Industry Recognition for Writers In the News and was given at the Eleventh Annual IRWIN Awards banquet on October 5, 2005 at the Sportsmen’s Lodge in Studio City (Los Angeles), California.

Kahn’s most entertaining and often humorous book is about his nightmarish childhood growing up in the projects of East Los Angeles with his heroin addicted/carnival con-artist parents. From an early age, being the oldest child, Kenny was responsible for taking care of his younger siblings as his parents partied all night and slept all day. A stint in a foster home and a bout with polio at the age 15 proved additional obstacles for him to overcome, and surmount them he did, in part, by burying himself in a place of refuge that changed his life: Lincoln High School.

Kenny spent as much time at Lincoln High School as possible, joining every club, going out for every sport and spending untold hours at the library reading; anything to keep from going home. His parents ran a drug dealing business and shooting gallery for the local addicts, however, during the summers, starting at the age of 10 in the early 1950s, Kenny started to travel around the United States with his father learning how to be a carnival thief. His father was one of the best, and Kenny grew into an accomplished thief on the circuit, but he knew the life of his parents was a go nowhere proposition.

Kenny was smart and education was the way he escaped from the nightmare of his childhood. He put himself though UCLA as an undergrad and UC Berkeley Law School en route to a highly successful career as a criminal defense attorney. He defended high profile people including Larry Flynt, Ike Turner and Andrew Daulton Lee from the famed "Falcon and the Snowman" movie (The Sean Penn character). In 1987, after being stabbed in court by a deranged client in a Torrance, California courtroom, Kenny took up stand-up comedy. He has played at the Riviera Hotel in Las Vegas and clubs throughout the country.

Using his book as an inspirational tale, Kenny speaks at high schools around the country and has set up an annual writing contest named after his favorite high school teacher, Mr. Raymond Lopez. You can see media interview and reviews on his website, or visit www.theonenetwork.com to see a video interview with Kenny about his life and book.