John Cheever

Guide Note:John Cheever was a Pulitzer Prize-winning short story writer and novelist who wrote primarily about the everyday lives of suburban men and women in and around the Northeastern United States. Cheever's nickname was the "American Chekhov" due to his ability to depict in somber tones the spiritual essence at the heart of modern day life.

Cheever was a frequent contributor to the New Yorker, and his most famous short stories include "The Five-Forty-Eight," "The Enormous Radio," and "The Swimmer." Cheever also wrote several novels, including Falconer and The Wapshot Chronicle.

Cheever suffered throughout his life from health problems brought on by his severe alcoholism, and after his death it was revealed that he was bisexual.

Fast Facts:

1. Born: May 27, 1912, in Quincy, Massachusetts
2. Died: June 18, 1982 in Ossining, New York
3. Won Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for The Short Stories of John Cheever in 1979
4. Awarded National Medal for Literature in 1982
5. Quit drinking in 1973 after almost dying of pulmonary edema
6. Short story "The Swimmer" adapted into 1968 movie starring Burt Lancaster