Leonard Michaels
| Leonard Michaels | |
|---|---|
Leonard Michaels
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| Born |
January 2, 1933 New York City, United States |
| Died | May 10, 2003 (aged 70) California, United States |
| Occupation | Essayist, screenwriter, novelist |
| Alma mater | University of Michigan |
| Genre | Fiction, non-fiction |
Leonard Michaels (January 2, 1933 – May 10, 2003) was an American writer of short stories, novels, and essays.
Michaels was born in New York City to Jewish parents; his father was born in Poland. He attended New York University and was awarded a BA degree, and then went on to earn an MA and PhD in English Literature from the University of Michigan. After receiving his doctorate, Leonard Michaels moved to Berkeley, California, where he was to spend most of his adult life and become Professor of English. Michaels would later explain literary theory to magazine readers across America.
In 1969, Michael's first book was published - Going Places, a collection of short stories. The book established his reputation as one of the most brilliant of that era's fiction writers; the stories are urbane, funny, and written in a private, hectic diction that gives them a remarkable edge.
His follow-up book, another collection of short stories, was I Would Have Saved Them If I Could, published in 1975. It was considered by some as strong as Michaels' .
Michaels' first novel, released in 1981, was The Men's Club. It is story-like comedy that that simultaneously attacks and celebrates the absurdities of men as they gather in a kind of urban support group. In 1986, the novel was made into a film, directed by Peter Medak, with the screenplay by Michaels, and starring Roy Scheider, Harvey Keitel, , Jennifer Jason Leigh and Frank Langella.
Michaels' second and last novel was published in 1992. Titled Sylvia, it is a fictionalized memoir of his first wife, Sylvia Bloch, who committed suicide. Sylvia is described in the book as "abnormally bright" but prone to violent rages, "like a madwoman imitating a college student."
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