Joseph Heller

Joseph Heller1986 crop

Joseph Heller (May 1, 1923 – December 12, 1999) was an American author of novels, short stories, plays, and screenplays. His best-known work is the novel Catch-22, a satire on war and bureaucracy, whose title has become a synonym for an absurd or contradictory choice. Born in Brooklyn, New York, to poor Jewish parents, Heller flew 60 combat missions as a B-25 bombardier in World War II, an experience that later inspired Catch-22.

Early Life

Joseph Heller was born in Coney Island in Brooklyn, New York, to Isaac Donald Heller, a bakery truck driver, and Lena Beber, both of Russian-Jewish descent. After graduating from Abraham Lincoln High School in 1941, Heller joined the United States Army Air Corps on October 26, 1942. Following his military service, he attended college under the G.I. Bill, earning a Bachelor's degree in English from New York University in 1948, a Master's degree from Columbia University in 1949, and studied at the University of Southern California, Oxford University as a Fulbright scholar.

Career

Heller's early career was in advertising, but he also wrote for magazines such as Esquire. His experiences in World War II would form the basis for Catch-22, which was published in 1961 after eight years of writing. The novel was not an immediate bestseller but eventually became a significant part of American literature, influencing not only literature but also expressions in the English language with the concept of a "Catch-22" situation.

Following the success of Catch-22, Heller wrote several other novels, including Something Happened (1974), Good as Gold (1979), God Knows (1984), Picture This (1988), Closing Time (1994), which is a sequel to Catch-22, and Portrait of an Artist, as an Old Man (2000), published posthumously.

Themes and Style

Heller's work is known for its satirical and critical perspective on the absurdity of the modern world, especially in the contexts of war, bureaucracy, and the business world. His writing style is characterized by non-linear narratives, black humor, and a deep sense of irony. Catch-22 itself has become emblematic of the absurdity of war and the incompetence of those in power.

Personal Life and Death

Heller married Shirley Held in 1945, and they had two children before divorcing in 1981. He later married Valerie Humphries, one of his nurses during his recovery from Guillain-Barré syndrome, a debilitating illness that struck him in 1981 and which he chronicled in the memoir No Laughing Matter (1986), co-authored with Speed Vogel.

Joseph Heller died of a heart attack on December 12, 1999, at his home in East Hampton, Long Island. His death marked the end of a prolific career that left a lasting impact on American literature and culture.

Legacy

Joseph Heller's legacy is most strongly associated with Catch-22, a novel that has influenced countless writers and artists and has been adapted into a film (1970) and a television series (2019). The term "Catch-22" has entered the English language, reflecting situations with contradictory rules or conditions. Heller's critique of the military-industrial complex and his exploration of the absurdities of modern life continue to resonate with readers and scholars alike.