David Simon

Few could argue that throughout his professional career, writer David Simon failed to capture the stark tragedy of the violent, drug-infested streets of his native Baltimore. As a former investigative reporter for the city's largest daily newspaper and executive producer on some of the grittiest cop shows ever seen on television, Simon made it his mission to tell the stories of the forgotten combatants in the nation's long-fought war on drugs in the most gut-wrenching and realistic way possible. His extended forays into the killing streets have led to writing two best-selling novels chronicling the futility of a drug war gone awry and the brutal despair felt by those on the frontlines, drawing heavily on interviews with both police and drug dealers. The novels were later used as templates for Simon's two highly-acclaimed television shows, "Homicide: Life on the Street" (NBC, 1993-99) and "The Wire" (HBO, 2002-08), both of which earned huge followings from the real-life cops and drug dealers that served as inspiration - a testament to Simon's unflinching drive to show life on the streets as honestly and humanly as possible.