James Patrick Donleavy (23 April 1926 – 11 September 2017) was an American-Irish novelist, short story writer and playwright.[1] His best-known work is the novel The Ginger Man, which was initially banned for obscenity.
Donleavy was born in Brooklyn, to Irish immigrants Margaret and Patrick Donleavy, and grew up in the Bronx. His father was a firefighter, and his mother came from a wealthy background.[2][3] He had a sister, Mary Rita, and a younger brother.[4][5] He received his education at various schools in the United States, then served in the US Navy during World War II.[1] After the war ended, he moved to Ireland. In 1946 he began studying bacteriology at Trinity College Dublin, but left in 1949 before taking a degree.
Careeredit
Donleavy's first published work was a short story entitled A Party on Saturday Afternoon, which appeared in the Dublin literary periodical Envoy in 1950.[4] He gained critical acclaim with his first novel, The Ginger Man (1955), which is one of the Modern Library 100 best novels.[6] The novel, of which Donleavy's friend and fellow writer Brendan Behan was the first person to read the completed manuscript,[5][7] was banned in Ireland and the United States by reason of obscenity. Lead character Sebastian Dangerfield was in part based on Trinity College companion Gainor Crist, an American Navy veteran also studying at Trinity College on the G.I. Bill, whom Donleavy once described in an interview as a "saint", though of a Rabelaisian kind.[8]
Donleavy declared himself to be an atheist at the age of 14.[12] In 1946, he married Valerie Heron; the couple had two children: Philip (born 1951) and Karen (born 1955). They divorced in 1969 and he remarried in 1970 to Mary Wilson Price; that union ended in divorce in 1989.[7] In 2011, it was reported that Donleavy had not fathered his two children with Price. A DNA test in the early 1990s had confirmed that Rebecca was the daughter of brewing scion Kieran Guinness, and Rory was the son of Kieran's older brother Finn, whom Price married after her divorce from Donleavy. "My interest is only to look after the welfare of the child," Donleavy told The Times, "and after a certain stage, you can't worry about their parentage".[13]
He lived at Levington Park, a country house on 200 acres (0.81 km2) directly on Lough Owel, near Mullingar, County Westmeath, from 1972.[7] Throughout much of his life, he was known as Mike by close friends, though the origins of this nickname are unclear.[14]
The Destinies of Darcy Dancer, Gentleman. Atlantic Monthly Press. 1991. ISBN978-0-87113-289-5. (novel) Franklin Library, Franklin Center, Pennsylvania 1977
Schultz (novel) Delacorte Press, New York 1979
Leila. Atlantic Monthly Press. 1994. ISBN978-0-87113-288-8. (novel) Franklin Library, Franklin Center, Pennsylvania 1983
De Alfonce Tennis... (novel) Weidenfeld & Nicolson, London 1984
J. P. Donleavy's Ireland... (non-fiction) Viking, New York, 1986 (Michael Joseph, London 1986)
Are You Listening Rabbi Löw (novel), Viking, London 1987
A Singular Country (nonfiction) Ryan, Peterborough, UK 1989
That Darcy, That Dancer, That Gentleman (novel) Viking, London 1990
The History of the Ginger Man (nonfiction) Houghton Mifflin, New York, 1994|Viking, London 1994
The Lady Who Liked Clean Rest Rooms. Macmillan. 1998. ISBN978-0-312-18734-7. (novella) Thornwillow Press, US 1995
An Author and His Image (collected short pieces – nonfiction) Viking, London 1997
Wrong Information is Being Given Out at Princeton (novel) Thomas Dunn-St. Martins Press, New York (Viking, London) 1998
A Letter Marked Personal (novel) The Lilliput Press, Arbour Hill, Dublin 2019
Referencesedit
^ ab"JP Donleavy obituary: acclaimed author of 'a bawled-out comic song of sex'". The Irish Times. Dublin. 14 September 2017. Retrieved 16 September 2017.
^"J.P. Donleavy: Irish-American, American in Ireland, or Irish?". 17 June 2021.
^"Author of the Ginger Man JP Donleavy - an obituary".
^ abCampbell, James (14 September 2017). "JP Donleavy obituary". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 15 September 2017.
^ ab"JP Donleavey, author of The Ginger Man, dies". BBC News Online. BBC. 14 September 2017. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
^Gussow, Mel (28 June 2000). "The Classic With a Pornographic Pedigree". The New York Times.
^ abcdCampbell, James (26 June 2004). "The spice of life". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
^'An Interview with J. P. Donleavy' Journal of Irish Literature January 1978
^. Irish Book Awards. 25 November 2015. Archived from the original on 1 January 2017. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
^"Registrar : Trinity College Dublin, the University of Dublin, Ireland". www.tcd.ie. Retrieved 7 January 2020.
^Welch, Frances (11 April 1998). "Me and My God J. P. Donleavy Talks to Frances Welch". jpdonleavy-compendium.org. Opinions Electronic Telegraph. He became an atheist aged 13 or 14.
^Smith, Harrison (15 September 2017). "JP Donleavy, author whose debut novel The Ginger Man shocked society". The Independent. Retrieved 1 January 2019.
^"A singular man: J P Donleavy on his fascinating life since The Ginger". The Independent. 5 August 2010.
^Gates, Anita (13 September 2017). "J.P. Donleavy, Acclaimed Author of 'The Ginger Man,' Dies at 91". The New York Times. New York. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
External linksedit
Wikiquote has quotations related to J. P. Donleavy.
J. P. Donleavy, I Write About People I Like / Rina Sherman, Cineportrait, HDV, 78 min, k éditeur, Paris, 2012
JPDonleavy-Compendium.org
Molly McKaughan & Fayette Hickox (Fall 1975). "J.P. Donleavy, The Art of Fiction No. 53". Paris Review. Fall 1975 (63).
N. P. James, ed. (2008). J. P. Donleavy: The Formative Years. Cv Publications. ISBN978-1-905571-96-3.
"The Ginger Man in Dublin", Totally Gonzo, 17 June 2008
"Tea & Scones & Darcy Dancer: The Making of An Irish Gentleman – An Interview with J.P. Donleavy", Bloomsbury Review, E. Thomas Wood, January/February 1992
donleavy, james, patrick, donleavy, april, 1926, september, 2017, american, irish, novelist, short, story, writer, playwright, best, known, work, novel, ginger, which, initially, banned, obscenity, donleavy, appearing, after, dark, 1991bornjames, patrick, donl. James Patrick Donleavy 23 April 1926 11 September 2017 was an American Irish novelist short story writer and playwright 1 His best known work is the novel The Ginger Man which was initially banned for obscenity J P DonleavyDonleavy appearing on After Dark in 1991BornJames Patrick Donleavy 1926 04 23 23 April 1926Brooklyn New York U S Died11 September 2017 2017 09 11 aged 91 Mullingar County Westmeath IrelandAlma materTrinity College DublinOccupationsNovelist short story writer playwrightKnown forThe Ginger ManA Fairy Tale of New YorkSpousesValerie Heron m 1946 1969 wbr Mary Wilson Price m 1970 1989 wbr Children2 children 2 stepchildrenAwardsBord Gais Lifetime Achievement Award Contents 1 Early life 2 Career 3 Personal life 4 List of works 5 References 6 External linksEarly life editDonleavy was born in Brooklyn to Irish immigrants Margaret and Patrick Donleavy and grew up in the Bronx His father was a firefighter and his mother came from a wealthy background 2 3 He had a sister Mary Rita and a younger brother 4 5 He received his education at various schools in the United States then served in the US Navy during World War II 1 After the war ended he moved to Ireland In 1946 he began studying bacteriology at Trinity College Dublin but left in 1949 before taking a degree Career editDonleavy s first published work was a short story entitled A Party on Saturday Afternoon which appeared in the Dublin literary periodical Envoy in 1950 4 He gained critical acclaim with his first novel The Ginger Man 1955 which is one of the Modern Library 100 best novels 6 The novel of which Donleavy s friend and fellow writer Brendan Behan was the first person to read the completed manuscript 5 7 was banned in Ireland and the United States by reason of obscenity Lead character Sebastian Dangerfield was in part based on Trinity College companion Gainor Crist an American Navy veteran also studying at Trinity College on the G I Bill whom Donleavy once described in an interview as a saint though of a Rabelaisian kind 8 Correctly or incorrectly his initial works are sometimes grouped with the kitchen sink artists as well as the Angry Young Men 7 Another novel A Fairy Tale of New York provided the title of the song Fairytale of New York In March 2007 Donleavy was the castaway on BBC Radio 4 s Desert Island Discs 9 In 2015 Donleavy was the recipient of the Bob Hughes Lifetime Achievement Award at the Bord Gais Energy Irish Book Awards 10 In 2016 Trinity College Dublin awarded him with an honorary doctorate 11 Personal life editDonleavy declared himself to be an atheist at the age of 14 12 In 1946 he married Valerie Heron the couple had two children Philip born 1951 and Karen born 1955 They divorced in 1969 and he remarried in 1970 to Mary Wilson Price that union ended in divorce in 1989 7 In 2011 it was reported that Donleavy had not fathered his two children with Price A DNA test in the early 1990s had confirmed that Rebecca was the daughter of brewing scion Kieran Guinness and Rory was the son of Kieran s older brother Finn whom Price married after her divorce from Donleavy My interest is only to look after the welfare of the child Donleavy told The Times and after a certain stage you can t worry about their parentage 13 He lived at Levington Park a country house on 200 acres 0 81 km2 directly on Lough Owel near Mullingar County Westmeath from 1972 7 Throughout much of his life he was known as Mike by close friends though the origins of this nickname are unclear 14 Donleavy died on 11 September 2017 aged 91 15 List of works editThis article lacks ISBNs for the books listed Please help add the ISBNs or run the citation bot August 2020 The Ginger Man novel Olympia Press Paris 1955 What They Did in Dublin with The Ginger Man a play MacGibbon amp Kee London 1961 The Ginger Man play Random House New York 1961 Fairy Tales of New York play Penguin UK 1961 Random House New York 1961 A Singular Man Atlantic Little Brown Boston 1963 Meet My Maker the Mad Molecule stories sketches Atlantic Little Brown Boston 1964 A Singular Man play The Bodley Head UK 1965 The Saddest Summer of Samuel S novella Delacorte Press New York 1966 The Beastly Beatitudes of Balthazar B novel Delacorte Press New York 1968 The Onion Eaters novel Delacorte Press New York 1971 The Plays of JP Donleavy Delacorte Press New York 1972 A Fairy Tale of New York novel Delacorte Press New York 1973 J P Donleavy The Plays Penguin UK 1974 The Unexpurgated Code A Complete Manual of Survival amp Manners non fiction Delacorte Press New York 1975 The Destinies of Darcy Dancer Gentleman Atlantic Monthly Press 1991 ISBN 978 0 87113 289 5 novel Franklin Library Franklin Center Pennsylvania 1977 Schultz novel Delacorte Press New York 1979 Leila Atlantic Monthly Press 1994 ISBN 978 0 87113 288 8 novel Franklin Library Franklin Center Pennsylvania 1983 De Alfonce Tennis novel Weidenfeld amp Nicolson London 1984 J P Donleavy s Ireland non fiction Viking New York 1986 Michael Joseph London 1986 Are You Listening Rabbi Low novel Viking London 1987 A Singular Country nonfiction Ryan Peterborough UK 1989 That Darcy That Dancer That Gentleman novel Viking London 1990 The History of the Ginger Man nonfiction Houghton Mifflin New York 1994 Viking London 1994 The Lady Who Liked Clean Rest Rooms Macmillan 1998 ISBN 978 0 312 18734 7 novella Thornwillow Press US 1995 An Author and His Image collected short pieces nonfiction Viking London 1997 Wrong Information is Being Given Out at Princeton novel Thomas Dunn St Martins Press New York Viking London 1998 A Letter Marked Personal novel The Lilliput Press Arbour Hill Dublin 2019References edit a b JP Donleavy obituary acclaimed author of a bawled out comic song of sex The Irish Times Dublin 14 September 2017 Retrieved 16 September 2017 J P Donleavy Irish American American in Ireland or Irish 17 June 2021 Author of the Ginger Man JP Donleavy an obituary a b Campbell James 14 September 2017 JP Donleavy obituary The Guardian London Retrieved 15 September 2017 a b JP Donleavey author of The Ginger Man dies BBC News Online BBC 14 September 2017 Retrieved 14 September 2017 Gussow Mel 28 June 2000 The Classic With a Pornographic Pedigree The New York Times a b c d Campbell James 26 June 2004 The spice of life The Guardian London Retrieved 14 September 2017 An Interview with J P Donleavy Journal of Irish Literature January 1978 Presenter Kirsty Young 4 March 2007 Desert Island Discs JP Donleavy Desert Island Discs BBC BBC Radio 4 Retrieved 14 September 2017 Bord Gais Energy Irish Book Awards 2015 winning authors revealed Irish Book Awards 25 November 2015 Archived from the original on 1 January 2017 Retrieved 14 September 2017 Registrar Trinity College Dublin the University of Dublin Ireland www tcd ie Retrieved 7 January 2020 Welch Frances 11 April 1998 Me and My God J P Donleavy Talks to Frances Welch jpdonleavy compendium org Opinions Electronic Telegraph He became an atheist aged 13 or 14 Smith Harrison 15 September 2017 JP Donleavy author whose debut novel The Ginger Man shocked society The Independent Retrieved 1 January 2019 A singular man J P Donleavy on his fascinating life since The Ginger The Independent 5 August 2010 Gates Anita 13 September 2017 J P Donleavy Acclaimed Author of The Ginger Man Dies at 91 The New York Times New York Retrieved 14 September 2017 External links edit nbsp Wikiquote has quotations related to J P Donleavy J P Donleavy I Write About People I Like Rina Sherman Cineportrait HDV 78 min k editeur Paris 2012 JPDonleavy Compendium org Molly McKaughan amp Fayette Hickox Fall 1975 J P Donleavy The Art of Fiction No 53 Paris Review Fall 1975 63 N P James ed 2008 J P Donleavy The Formative Years Cv Publications ISBN 978 1 905571 96 3 The Ginger Man in Dublin Totally Gonzo 17 June 2008 Tea amp Scones amp Darcy Dancer The Making of An Irish Gentleman An Interview with J P Donleavy Bloomsbury Review E Thomas Wood January February 1992 J P Donleavy Contemporary Authors Online Gale 2010 A singular man J P Donleavy on his fascinating life since The Ginger Man John McEntee The Independent 5 August 2010 J P Donleavy interviewed by Stephen Banker circa 1978 Fruchter Norman March April 1961 Where is the ginger man New Left Review I 8 New Left Review Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title J P Donleavy amp oldid 1155180683, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
