January 31st, 2002
American short story writer and novelist John O’Hara (Appointment in Samarra, 1934) is born in 1905 in Pottsville, Pa.
John O’Hara, b. January 31, 1905, d. 1970
O’Hara began his career as a short story writer; he published more than 200 in The New Yorker, starting in 1928. Brendan Gill thought him “among the greatest short-story writers in English.” He successfully turned his hand to novels with Appointment in Samarra in 1934, but thereafter his standing among critics fell, partly due to his defensive, abrasive personality. A master all the same.
Suggested Reading Short stories 14 collections, 1935-74. Novels Appointment in Samarra, 1934. BUtterfield 8, 1935. Pal Joey, 1940. Ten North Frederick, 1955.
Posted by: The Editors
Category: A Week in Literary History, Books and Authors | Link to this Entry