Robert Mailer Anderson is a renowned author, known for his critically acclaimed novel "Boonville", which received high praise from esteemed writers such as Norman Mailer, Carl Hiaasen, Jonathan Lethem, and William Gibson.
Anderson's literary career began at the tender age of fifteen, when he started contributing to The Anderson Valley Advertiser, a small-town newspaper edited and published by his uncle, Bruce Anderson. The Wall Street Journal described the publication as "the best small town newspaper in the United States".
His short story "Briley Boy" was featured in the anthology San Francisco Noir, and he has also written the graphic novels "My Fairy Godfather" and "Windows on the World", as well as the play "The Death of Teddy Ballgame".
Anderson's professional endeavors extend beyond literature. He was a trustee of the SFJAZZ board, where he led the $65 million capital campaign to build the SFJAZZ Center, aptly named "The World is Listening". This phrase was later used to promote the 55th Annual Grammy Awards.
As a music producer, Anderson has been nominated for two Grammys, one Latin Grammy, and won two NAACP Image Awards. He is a member of PEN Oakland, a three-time San Francisco Library Laureate, and in 2016, he received the San Francisco Arts Medallion for his outstanding leadership in the arts.
Anderson has also been recognized for his contributions to the arts, including being named the Colonial Standard Bearer for the 2013 Selkirk Common Riding in Selkirk, Scotland. In 2020, he was appointed to the California Humanities Board of Directors by Governor Gavin Newsom.
Among his other artistic pursuits, Anderson was co-owner of the Quotidian art gallery, which was known for its innovative and provocative exhibits. In 2004, he designed an anti-Iraq War poster campaign, featuring an Abu Ghraib prisoner, the American flag, and the slogan "Got Democracy?". This poster is now part of the collection at The Smithsonian Institution and the Center for the Study of Political Graphics in Los Angeles.
