West, Nathanael

West, Nathanael , the pseudonym of Nathan Wallenstein Weinstein ( 1903 – 40 ),
American novelist, born in New York. He is known principally for two macabre and tragic novels, Miss Lonelyhearts ( 1933 ), the story of a heavy-drinking agony columnist who becomes involved in the life of one of his correspondents, and The Day of the Locust ( 1939 ), a satire of Hollywood life based on West's own experiences as a scriptwriter. He was killed in a car crash.