Joseph Heller(1923-1999)
- Writer
- Actor
Joseph Heller was born May 1, 1923, in the Coney Island section of New
York City. He is best known for his 1961 novel 'Catch-22', whose title
gave the English language a new phrase for a no-win situation. The
situation was that of protagonist Yossarian, who claims that he is too
crazy to fly any more bombing missions, but is told by the military
that anyone who seeks to avoid combat must be sane. After high school
Heller enlisted in the U.S. Air Force as a bombardier, then transferred
to cadet school. He flew more than 60 bombing missions during his tour
of duty. Heller earned a Bachelor of Arts from New York University in
1948, a Master of Arts from Columbia University in 1949 and a Fulbright
Scholarship to Oxford University. He taught English at Pennsylvania
State University, wrote advertising copy for Time and Look magazines,
and was a promotion manager for McCall's magazine. Teaching jobs at
Yale University and University of Pennsylvania followed, as well as
television and screen-writing work.
