Jan 3, 2010

Appointment in Samarra | Author Biography

John O’Hara was a prolific author who produced an impressive number of novels, plays, short stories, and essays. Born on January 31, 1905, the son of an Irish Catholic physician in Pottsville, Pennsylvania, O’Hara grew up conscious of the class and religious lines that divided the small town. He alternately excelled and failed at school, his failures usually due to disciplinary problems. O’Hara’s father punished his son by forcing him to perform hard labor as penance for his bad behavior. Before leaving Pottsville, O’Hara worked at the local paper, the Pottsville...