Paul Auster was a novelist, poet, and screenwriter best known for his “The New York Trilogy,” the collection of his books “City of Glass,” “Ghosts,” and “The Locked Room.”
- Died: April 30, 2024 (Who else died on April 30?)
- Details of death: Died at his home in New York City of complications from lung cancer at the age of 77.
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Paul Auster’s legacy
Born in Newark, New Jersey, Auster became best known as a chronicler of New York City, thanks in part to the success of “The New York Trilogy.” He was one of the city’s favorite sons and became a literary giant, but his stellar reputation was hard-won. “City of Glass,” Auster’s third published book after the memoir “The Invention of Solitude” and the pseudonymously published novel “Squeeze Play,” was famously rejected 17 times before it found a home at a publishing house. It is a detective novel, but not a typical one; Auster’s postmodern approach distinctly played with and deconstructed the classic mystery novel style.
Auster went on to write 16 more novels, including 2017’s “4321,” which was shortlisted for the prestigious Man Booker Prize. He wrote a number of works of nonfiction and published volumes of his own poetry. Having lived in Paris for a time – and become a favorite non-native son of the French – Auster also translated the works of other authors from France. And of the five screenplays he wrote or co-wrote, the best-known was “Smoke,” which became a critically acclaimed 1995 film starring William Hurt and Harvey Keitel.
Auster continued writing even as he fought cancer. In 2023, he published two books, the novel “Baumgartner” and “Bloodbath Nation,” a nonfiction look at gun violence in America featuring photos by his son-in-law, Spencer Ostrander. Widely honored during his career, several of Auster’s books were finalists for the International Dublin Literary Award, including “Timbuktu,” “The Book of Illusions,” and “Sunset Park.” He received the 1990 Morton Dauwel Zabel Award in recognition of the experimental nature of his work. Among several honors he received from the country of France was the Commandeur de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres.
Notable quote
“I’ve always written by hand. Mostly with a fountain pen, but sometimes with a pencil—especially for corrections. If I could write directly on a typewriter or a computer, I would do it. But keyboards have always intimidated me. I’ve never been able to think clearly with my fingers in that position. A pen is a much more primitive instrument. You feel that the words are coming out of your body and then you dig the words into the page. Writing has always had that tactile quality for me. It’s a physical experience.” — from a 2003 interview for the Paris Review
Tributes to Paul Auster
Full obituary: The New York Times
