Many consider Richard Yates to be The Writer's Writer. He was born in 1926 in
New York and lived in
California. His first novel, and many consider to be his best,
Revolutionary Road was nominated for the National Book Award in 1961. He also authored eight other works including the novel
The Easter Parade and the wonderful short story collection
Eleven Kinds of Loneliness. He died in 1992, sadly, never attaining the recognition that he deserved.
Many famous writers were either good friends of Yates or promoted his work to an ignorant public. Kurt Vonnegut, Tennessee Williams, Andres Dubus, Dorothy Parker, and the New York Times reviewer Michiko Kakutani.