EL Doctorow

Novelist

Birthday January 6, 1931

Birth Sign Capricorn

Birthplace New York City, NY

DEATH DATE Jul 21, 2015 (84)

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About

An award-winning American author of historical fiction, he is best known for his 1971 novel The Book of Daniel, which focuses on the trial and execution of Ethel and Julius Rosenberg. His equally popular 1975 novel Ragtime was adapted into both a Broadway musical and a film.

Before Fame

He graduated from Kenyon College in 1952 with a degree in philosophy. He was drafted into the U.S. Army during World War II and, upon his return to the United States, spent nearly a decade working as a book editor.

Trivia

He received the PEN/Saul Bellow Award for Achievement in American Fiction.

Family Life

He was born in New York City to Russian-Jewish parents. He married Helen Esther Setzer in 1953; together, the couple had three children.

Associated With

He worked with Ayn Rand in an editorial capacity.