Gay Talese
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Brief Biography
Gay Talese is a native of Ocean City, New Jersey. He developed an early passion for writing and began contributing sports stories to the Ocean City Sentinel-Ledger during high school. Talese earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Alabama in 1953 and then worked as a copyboy for The New York Times before serving in the United States Army. In 1956, Talese returned to the Times as a reporter, later doing freelance work for Esquire magazine as well. In 1961, Talese began publishing nonfiction books, many of which became bestsellers. Talese has also published a memoir, A Writer’s Life, and currently divides his time between Ocean City and New York City.
Publications
New York: A Serendipiter's Journey. New York; Harper, 1961.
The Bridge. New York; Harper, 1964.
The Overreachers. New York; Harper, 1965.
The Kingdom and the Power. New York; World Publishing Company, 1969.
Fame and Obscurity. New York; World Publishing, 1970.
Honor Thy Father. New York; World Publishing, 1971.
Thy Neighbor's Wife. New York; Doubleday, 1980.
Unto the Sons. New York; Knopf, 1992.
The Gay Talese Reader: Portraits and Encounters. New York; Bloomsbury, 2003.
A Writer's Life. New York; Random House, 2006.
The Silent Season of a Hero: The Sports Writing of Gay Talese. New York; Bloomsbury, 2010.
The Voyeur's Motel. New York; Grove Press, 2016.
Bartleby and Me: Reflections of an Old Scrivener. New York; HarperCollins, 2023.
Joint Publications:
Writing Creative Nonfiction: The Literature of Reality. New York; HarperCollins, 1995.
The Bridge. New York; Harper, 1964.
The Overreachers. New York; Harper, 1965.
The Kingdom and the Power. New York; World Publishing Company, 1969.
Fame and Obscurity. New York; World Publishing, 1970.
Honor Thy Father. New York; World Publishing, 1971.
Thy Neighbor's Wife. New York; Doubleday, 1980.
Unto the Sons. New York; Knopf, 1992.
The Gay Talese Reader: Portraits and Encounters. New York; Bloomsbury, 2003.
A Writer's Life. New York; Random House, 2006.
The Silent Season of a Hero: The Sports Writing of Gay Talese. New York; Bloomsbury, 2010.
The Voyeur's Motel. New York; Grove Press, 2016.
Bartleby and Me: Reflections of an Old Scrivener. New York; HarperCollins, 2023.
Joint Publications:
Writing Creative Nonfiction: The Literature of Reality. New York; HarperCollins, 1995.
Themes
Gay Talese worked as a journalist in the 1960s and has written several books. His nonfiction tends to be written from a personal perspective and emphasizes scene, character, and detail.
Publisher
Alabama Authors of the 19th and 20th Centuries, edited by Beverley Park Rilett, http://AlabamaAuthors.org
Collection
Citation
Talese, Gay, “Gay Talese,” Alabama Authors of the 19th & 20th Centuries, accessed September 19, 2024, https://alabamaauthors.org/items/show/661.