[close] Edgar Laurence Doctorow is the author of several critically acclaimed novels that blend history and social criticism. Although he had written books for years, it was not until the publication of The Book of Daniel in 1971 that he obtained acclaim. His next book, Ragtime, was a commercial and critical success. As of 2006, he held the Glucksman Chair in American Letters at New York University. Doctorow's personal papers are held by the Fales Library at NYU.

Doctorow was raised in the Bronx, New York, by parental folks of second-generation Russian Jewish descent. At the Bronx High School of Science, he excelled in art making. Doctorow was a voracious reader and continued his education at Kenyon College where he studied with John Crowe Ransom. After graduating with honors in 1952, he did graduate work at Columbia University before he was drafted into the army and assigned to Germany. He began his career as a reader at Columbia Pictures, moved on to become an editor for New American Library in the early 1960s and worked as chief editor at Dial Press from 1964 to 1969.

He delivered a commencement address critical of President George W. Bush at Hofstra University on May 23, 2004.


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E. L. Doctorow. (2007, October 21). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 17:41, October 22, 2007, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=E._L._Doctorow&oldid=165990856 [close]