James Salter - 1926
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Born in 1926, James Salter was raised in New York City. He graduated from West Point in 1945 and then entered the U.S. Army Air Force in which he served as a fighter pilot in the Korean War. He resigned in 1957 after
writing his first novel and has earned a living as a writer ever since. He has four children and now spends his time between Aspen, Colorado and Bridgehampton, New York.
Salter is regarded by his fellow writers, his critics, and the readers of his works as one of the finest living practitioners of short story and novel writing. He has done some
screenwriting along the way as well. Salter likes to focus upon human desires such in forms such as erotic longing, jealousy, ambition, and the need to triumph. His style is considered
to be one of brevity and impressionistic brushwork. II. Regional Influences Salter's relationship to New York dates back to his birth. He was born and raised in New
York City but today likes to split part of his time in Bridgehampton, New York. Many of his stories take place in New York. III. List of Works The Hunters (1956) IV. Interview In an interview, Salter talks about himself. He describes his interests and himself as a writer.
He is quoted as saying "I'm someone who likes to rub words in his hand, to turn them around and feel them, to wonder if that really is the best word possible." He also talks
about his work Light Years. For the interview in its entirety go to:
Arm of Flesh (1961)
Team, Team, Team-screenwriting (1962)
A Sport and a Pastime (1967)
Downhill Racer-screenwriting (1969)
Light Years (1975)
Solo Faces (1979)
Dusk and Other Stories-collection (1988)
Burning the Days-memoir (1997)
V. Related Sites
http://www.albany.edu/writers-inst/salter.html
http://www.randomhouse.com/vintage/read/lightyears/salter.html
VI. Bibliography Reading Group Center, "James Salter" [Online] New York State Writer's Institute "James Salter: New York State Author, 1998-2000" [Online] New York State Writer's Institute: State University of New York, Downloaded
May 17, 2000
Reading Group Center, Downloaded May 17, 2000
This essay was submitted by a student of Marylin Dykens, a teacher at Rome Free Academy in Rome, New York.