Joseph Heller

About

An American author of satirical fiction and plays, he is most famous for his 1961 novel-turned-play, Catch-22, a work that highlights the absurdity of war. His other literary works include Picture This (1988), Closing Time (1994), and Portrait of an Artist, as an Old Man (2000).

Before Fame

He served in the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II. Upon his return to the United States, he attended the University of Southern California, New York University, and Columbia University.

Trivia

He wrote the screenplay for Sex and the Single Girl.

Family Life

With his first wife, Shirley Held, he had two children. He married his second wife, Valerie Humphries, in 1987.

Associated With

He was a friend of actor Dustin Hoffman.