Today is the birthday of
one my favourite writers—F. Scott Fitzgerald. Born on September 24, 1896 in
Saint Paul, Minnesota, he is one of the great American writers of the 20th century. The man who often glorified the flapper in his work would, along with his wife Zelda, come to symbolize the 1920s—the era that he
dubbed “the Jazz Age.”
After dropping out of
Princeton and serving in the Army, he published his first novel, This Side of Paradise (1920), at the age
of 24 and became an overnight success. Four more novels followed as well as countless short
stories in which he chronicled the dreams and downfalls of his generation. He once
said, “Show me a
hero, and I'll write you a
tragedy.” With the character of
Jay Gatsy in The Great Gatsby (1925) he created not only the
ultimate American hero but a brilliant, tragic masterpiece.
It is often remarked that his writing appears effortless and yet he was a serious artist who worked hard to infuse his stories with a rhythm and tone that is both beautiful and uniquely Fitzgerald.
It is often remarked that his writing appears effortless and yet he was a serious artist who worked hard to infuse his stories with a rhythm and tone that is both beautiful and uniquely Fitzgerald.
In her poem “The
Flapper,” Dorothy Parker wrote that the flapper “may render thanks to God and
Scott Fitzgerald.” In fact, we should all render thanks to Fitzgerald for the amazing
collection of work that he gave us. So thank you Scott and happy birthday.
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