'The lives it illuminates'

 

“Ithink a biography is only as interesting as the lives and times itilluminates.” – A. Scott Berg

 

Bornin Connecticut on this date in 1949, Berg is one of our premier biographers writingon the lives of Samuel Goldwyn, the founder of MGM; aviator Charles Lindbergh;actress Katherine Hepburn, and President Woodrow Wilson – his most recentbook.  He’s currently researching for abook on Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall.

 

Whilestudying at Princeton, Berg got into writing biographies by expanding on his seniorthesis about Maxwell Perkins, the Scribner’s editor for both F. ScottFitzgerald and Ernest Hemingway.  The resulting book, Max Perkins:Editor of Genius, won a National Book Award and was adapted into the movie“Genius.”  A close friend of Hepburn, he wrote Kate Remembered as abiography-cum-memoir about both their friendship and Hepburn’s acting career.

 

Bergsaid he set a goal at age 22 to write “a series of biographies about great20th Century American cultural figures from different parts ofthe country.”   So far, he’s done 5 – one about every 8-10years.  

 

 “I am a compulsive worker,” hesaid.   “But I'm also a compulsive relaxer.”