| One of the foremost American writers, especially | | | | in the basement, where he would strip down to |
| among the New England writers, John Cheever is | | | | his boxers and write. Cheever would later get a |
| often referred to as the “Chekhov of the | | | | Guggenheim Fellowship which allowed him to |
| suburbs” for his powerful, character-based | | | | write more and worry less about money, taking |
| fiction, largely revolving around the Upper East | | | | car of his family or fixing his car body kit. |
| Side of New York and Manhattan as well as the | | | | Cheever would appear on the cover of Time |
| Westchester suburbs. His stories often revolve | | | | magazine in 1964, solidifying his importance as a |
| around well-off men and women who drink at the | | | | major American writer. A film adaptation of |
| poker table and have affairs. | | | | Cheever’s story, “The Swimmer” |
| Cheever was born into a prosperous | | | | was made in 1966 starring Burt Lancaster. |
| Massachusetts family with an alcoholic father who | | | | Cheever was frequently a guest on the set to |
| eventually squandered all their cash, forcing his | | | | make sure the film was faithful to his story. |
| mother to open a gift shop in Quincy, MA, which | | | | Cheever, like his father, was an alcoholic, and in |
| was considered an “abysmal humiliation” | | | | 1966 he suffered a major blow when his |
| for the family. Cheever attended school and won | | | | psychiatrist called him a “neurotic man, |
| various writing contests eventually writing full | | | | narcissistic, egocentric…and friendless.” |
| time, editing and writing for the WPA Guide to | | | | After negative reviews of his novel “Bullet |
| New York City. | | | | Park,” his alcoholism and depression deepened. |
| Cheever enlisted in the Army and published a | | | | He suffered a pulmonary edema in 1973 and |
| collection of stories which later in life he came to | | | | almost died, he spent a month in the hospital and |
| revile, trying to destroy every copy he found. | | | | returned home vowing to never touch a drink |
| The book is said to have saved his life, though, as | | | | again, but that did not last long. In 1977, at the |
| his Army officer read the book and transferred | | | | height of Cheever’s alcoholism, suicidal |
| Cheever out of the dangerous infantry company | | | | thoughts and depression, he appeared on the |
| he was in to the old Paramount studio in Queens. | | | | cover of Newsweek, which praised his novel |
| His old infantry went on to be one of the | | | | “Falconer” as one of his best works and |
| companies to raid Normandy Beach, where many | | | | one of the great American novels of the time. |
| of them lost their lives. | | | | Cheever died in 1982 from cancer which had |
| He was given an advance to write a novel in | | | | spread to his femur, pelvis and bladder. His children |
| 1946 and for five years he would dress in his only | | | | Susan and Benjamin became writers as well, |
| suit, and take the elevator in his New York | | | | publishing their own memoirs about their father. |
| apartment building down to the maid’s room | | | | |