Lester Goran
Encyclopedia
Lester Goran is an American
writer best known for his works about growing up poor in his hometown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
in the neighborhood of Oakland
.
. Although the university was close, Goran grew up among the working class culture of the projects. As many of his works show, he was heavily influenced by the culture of Irish-Americans and the goings on of the local pubs, especially the Irish Club.
Goran attended Fifth Avenue High School
and Schenley High School
and the University of Pittsburgh
for both his B.A.
and M.A.
which he earned in 1951 and 1961, respectively. Goran also served with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Military Police
. Goran married Edythe McDowell. The couple had three children.
in Coral Gables, Florida
starting in 1960. He became a professor of English in 1974.
Goran's work reflects a great deal about his past and upbringing. In Tales from the Irish Club: A Collection of Short Stories, Goran portrays the neighborhood of his childhood by presenting it through a series of short stories. Much of his work is influenced by Irish-American culture.
The sequel to Tales from the Irish Club was She Loved Me Once, another collection of short stories. Critics welcomed She Loved Me Once as a simple and solid portrayal of Goran's boyhood community.
In his novel, Bing Crosby's Last Song, Goran explores Pittsburgh through the eyes of his main character Daly Racklin. The novel takes place just before the assassination of John F. Kennedy
and chronicles Daly's confrontation with heart problems and the prospect of losing his home. Critics, including Library Journal
reviewer Susan Gene Clifford, said that the work was more of a "nostalgic snapshot" as oppose to a true novel. Nevertheless, the book was met with decent acclaim by most critics who praised it for its down-to-earth style.
For other works by Lester Goran, see the Selected Bibliography section below.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
writer best known for his works about growing up poor in his hometown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
in the neighborhood of Oakland
Oakland (Pittsburgh)
Oakland is the academic, cultural, and healthcare center of Pittsburgh and is Pennsylvania's third largest "Downtown". Only Center City Philadelphia and Downtown Pittsburgh can claim more economic and social activity than Oakland...
.
Life
Goran was born May 16, 1928. His parents were Jacob and Tillie Goran. Goran was raised in a housing project near the University of PittsburghUniversity of Pittsburgh
The University of Pittsburgh, commonly referred to as Pitt, is a state-related research university located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded as Pittsburgh Academy in 1787 on what was then the American frontier, Pitt is one of the oldest continuously chartered institutions of...
. Although the university was close, Goran grew up among the working class culture of the projects. As many of his works show, he was heavily influenced by the culture of Irish-Americans and the goings on of the local pubs, especially the Irish Club.
Goran attended Fifth Avenue High School
Fifth Avenue High School
Fifth Avenue High School is a defunct school located at 1800 Fifth Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania's Bluff neighborhood.Built in 1894 as a large Romanesque/Gothic Revival building, it served the Pittsburgh Public Schools until its closure in 1976...
and Schenley High School
Schenley High School
Schenley High School is both a public school building and a school program that closed with the graduating class of 2011. Schenley High School is located in the North Oakland neighborhood at the edge of the Hill District of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. In 2008 the school's staff and...
and the University of Pittsburgh
University of Pittsburgh
The University of Pittsburgh, commonly referred to as Pitt, is a state-related research university located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded as Pittsburgh Academy in 1787 on what was then the American frontier, Pitt is one of the oldest continuously chartered institutions of...
for both his B.A.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
and M.A.
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
which he earned in 1951 and 1961, respectively. Goran also served with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Military Police
Military police
Military police are police organisations connected with, or part of, the military of a state. The word can have different meanings in different countries, and may refer to:...
. Goran married Edythe McDowell. The couple had three children.
Career
Goran joined the faculty at the University of MiamiUniversity of Miami
The University of Miami is a private, non-sectarian university founded in 1925 with its main campus in Coral Gables, Florida, a medical campus in Miami city proper at Civic Center, and an oceanographic research facility on Virginia Key., the university currently enrolls 15,629 students in 12...
in Coral Gables, Florida
Coral Gables, Florida
Coral Gables is a city in Miami-Dade County, Florida, southwest of Downtown Miami, in the United States. The city is home to the University of Miami....
starting in 1960. He became a professor of English in 1974.
Goran's work reflects a great deal about his past and upbringing. In Tales from the Irish Club: A Collection of Short Stories, Goran portrays the neighborhood of his childhood by presenting it through a series of short stories. Much of his work is influenced by Irish-American culture.
The sequel to Tales from the Irish Club was She Loved Me Once, another collection of short stories. Critics welcomed She Loved Me Once as a simple and solid portrayal of Goran's boyhood community.
In his novel, Bing Crosby's Last Song, Goran explores Pittsburgh through the eyes of his main character Daly Racklin. The novel takes place just before the assassination of John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
and chronicles Daly's confrontation with heart problems and the prospect of losing his home. Critics, including Library Journal
Library Journal
Library Journal is a trade publication for librarians. It was founded in 1876 by Melvil Dewey . It reports news about the library world, emphasizing public libraries, and offers feature articles about aspects of professional practice...
reviewer Susan Gene Clifford, said that the work was more of a "nostalgic snapshot" as oppose to a true novel. Nevertheless, the book was met with decent acclaim by most critics who praised it for its down-to-earth style.
For other works by Lester Goran, see the Selected Bibliography section below.
Selected bibliography
- The Paratrooper of Mechanic AvenueThe Paratrooper of Mechanic AvenueThe Paratrooper of Mechanic Avenue is the first novel by the American writer Lester Goran. It is set in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and spans a time period from the Great Depression to the postwar era....
(1960)
- Maria LightMaria LightMaria Light is a novel by the American writer Lester Goran set in 1940s Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.It tells the story of Maria Light, a recent widow in a Pittsburgh government housing project called Addison Terrace as she tries to survive, providing for her three children and her elderly father-in-law....
(1962)
- The Candy Butcher's FarewellThe Candy Butcher's FarewellThe Candy Butcher's Farewell is a novel by the American writer Lester Goran set in the 1930s and 1940s in a small town near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and in Atlantic City, New Jersey...
(1964)
- The Stranger in the SnowThe Stranger in the SnowThe Stranger in the Snow is a novel by the American writer Lester Goran set in the 1960s in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.It tells the story of Harry Meyers, who is haunted by the ghost of man named Wilson who was killed, he thought, in Harry's place during World War II....
(1966)
- The Demon in the Sun ParlorThe Demon in the Sun ParlorThe Demon In The Sun Parlor is a novel by the American writer Lester Goran set in the late 1930s in the vicinity of Crandon Park in Miami, Florida.It tells the story of the family of Captain Joseph Ludwig, formerly the youngest captain in the U.S. Army...
(1968)
- The Keeper of SecretsThe Keeper of SecretsThe Keeper of Secrets is a 1971 comic novel by the American writer Lester Goran.It tells the story of a novelist, Shimen, who after years of neglect is suddenly under consideration for the Nobel Prize for Literature...
(1971)
- Mrs. BeautifulMrs. BeautifulMrs. Beautiful is an historical novel by the American writer Lester Goran set in 1909 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.It tells the story of Roxanne, a tough heroine from West Virginia who comes north to the boomtown of Pittsburgh...
(1985)
- The Bright Streets of Surfside: The Memoir of a Friendship with Isaac Bashevis Singer (1994)
- Tales from the Irish Club: A Collection of Short Stories (1996)
- She Loved Me Once, and Other Stories (1997)
- Bing Crosby's Last SongBing Crosby's Last SongBing Crosby's Last Song is a novel by the American writer Lester Goran set in 1968 in the Oakland neighbourhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania....
(1998)
- Outlaws of the Purple Cow and Other Stories (1999)
External links
- The Magic Streets of Pittsburgh: A 2008 Interview with Lester Goran by Matthew Asprey
- Lester Goran at the Biography Resource Center
- Review of Tales From the Irish Club at The New York TimesThe New York TimesThe New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
- Information on Lester Goran at the National Writers' Workshop
- List of works by Lester Goran at Open Library
- Matthew Asprey Gear's 2010 essay ‘From Sobaski’s Stairway to the Irish Club: Lester Goran’s Pittsburgh‘
- Lester Goran's University of Miami bio