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WINNER OF 2024 EDGAR ALLAN POE AWARD (BEST CRITICAL/BIOGRAPHICAL BOOK)
THE TELEGRAPH'S BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR
SHORTLISTED FOR THE H.R.F KEATING AWARD FOR BEST BIOGRAPHICAL/CRITICAL BOOK
"As gripping and twisted as a James Ellroy novel." - Ian Rankin
"A masterpiece of literary biography." - David Peace
The first critical biography of a titan of American crime fiction.
Love Me Fierce In Danger is the story of James Ellroy, one of the most provocative and singular figures in American literature. The so-called "Demon Dog of Crime Fiction," Ellroy enjoys a celebrity status and notoriety that few authors can match. However, traumas from the past have shadowed his literary success.
When Ellroy was ten years old, his mother was brutally murdered. The crime went unsolved, and her death marked the start of a long and turbulent road for Ellroy that has included struggles with alcoholism, drug addiction, homelessness, and jail time. In tracing his life and career, Steven Powell reveals how Ellroy's upbringing in LA, always on the periphery of Hollywood, had a profound and dark influence on his work as a novelist. Using new sources, Powell also uncovers Ellroy's family secrets, including the mysterious first marriage of his mother Jean Ellroy, eighteen years before her murder. At its heart, Love Me Fierce in Danger is the story of how Ellroy overcame his demons to become the bestselling and celebrated author of such classics as The Black Dahlia and LA Confidential.
Informed by interviews with friends, family, peers, and literary and Hollywood collaborators, as well as extensive conversations with Ellroy himself, Love Me Fierce In Danger pulls back the curtain on an enigmatic figure who has courted acclaim and controversy with equal zealotry.
List of contents
List of Illustrations
Acknowledgements
James Ellroy Bibliography: List of Key Works
1. In the Shadow of Hollywood - Los Angeles (1948-1958)
2. Murder in El Monte (1958-1965)
3. Down and Out in the City of Angels (1965-1975)
4. Debris by the Sea (1975-1981)
5. The Road to the Dahlia (1981-1985)
6. Sweet Smell of Success (1986-1990)
7. Enter the Borzoi (1990-1993)
8. On the Trail of Swarthy Man (1993-1995)
9. Demon Dog of American Crime Fiction (1995-2000)
10. The Crack-Up (2000-2006)
11. Chasing It: Ellroy's Return to LA (2005-2009)
12. The Big Hurt (2009-2015)
13. Sanctuary (Denver 2016-2020)
Notes
Works Cited
Index
About the author
Steven Powell
Summary
WINNER OF 2024 EDGAR ALLAN POE AWARD (BEST CRITICAL/BIOGRAPHICAL BOOK)
THE TELEGRAPH'S BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR
SHORTLISTED FOR THE H.R.F KEATING AWARD FOR BEST BIOGRAPHICAL/CRITICAL BOOK
"As gripping and twisted as a James Ellroy novel." - Ian Rankin
"A masterpiece of literary biography." - David Peace
The first critical biography of a titan of American crime fiction.
Love Me Fierce In Danger is the story of James Ellroy, one of the most provocative and singular figures in American literature. The so-called “Demon Dog of Crime Fiction,” Ellroy enjoys a celebrity status and notoriety that few authors can match. However, traumas from the past have shadowed his literary success.
When Ellroy was ten years old, his mother was brutally murdered. The crime went unsolved, and her death marked the start of a long and turbulent road for Ellroy that has included struggles with alcoholism, drug addiction, homelessness, and jail time. In tracing his life and career, Steven Powell reveals how Ellroy’s upbringing in LA, always on the periphery of Hollywood, had a profound and dark influence on his work as a novelist. Using new sources, Powell also uncovers Ellroy’s family secrets, including the mysterious first marriage of his mother Jean Ellroy, eighteen years before her murder. At its heart, Love Me Fierce in Danger is the story of how Ellroy overcame his demons to become the bestselling and celebrated author of such classics as The Black Dahlia and LA Confidential.
Informed by interviews with friends, family, peers, and literary and Hollywood collaborators, as well as extensive conversations with Ellroy himself, Love Me Fierce In Danger pulls back the curtain on an enigmatic figure who has courted acclaim and controversy with equal zealotry.
Foreword
The first biography of James Ellroy, telling the extraordinary story of his lifelong obsessions with crime, sex, and America’s secret history.
Additional text
Equal parts literary examination of Ellroy’s stylistic and thematic journey and a fulsome exploration of his personal struggles. . . . A rich and sprawling read.
Report
Here is 'the skinny' (as the subject himself might put it) on one of the most charismatic and complex crime writers on the planet, affording insights into both the man and his craft. It's every bit as gripping and twisted as a James Ellroy novel. Dig it, cats. Ian Rankin
