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Avery Corman | |
|---|---|
| Born | November 28, 1935 New York City, U.S. |
| Occupation | Novelist |
| Alma mater | DeWitt Clinton High School New York University |
| Spouse | Judy Lishinsky (died 2004) |
| Children | 2 |
Avery Corman (born November 28, 1935) [1] is an American novelist. He is known for the books Oh, God! (1971) and Kramer Versus Kramer (1977), each adapted into a successful film.
Corman was born in the Bronx, New York. He is a graduate of the New York City public schools; he attended P.S. 33 and DeWitt Clinton High School in the Bronx. [2] He graduated from New York University in 1956.
After graduating college, Corman worked in magazine publishing, then became a freelance writer of educational films and humor articles. He then began writing novels.
Corman is the author of the novels Oh, God! (1971), the basis for the 1977 film; The Bust-Out King (1977); Kramer Versus Kramer (1977), adapted into the Academy Award-winning 1979 film; The Old Neighborhood (1980); 50 (1987); Prized Possessions (1991); The Big Hype (1992); A Perfect Divorce (2004); and The Boyfriend from Hell (2006). [1] He is the author of a memoir, My Old Neighborhood Remembered (2014). [1] He also wrote the text for Bark in the Park! Poems for Dog Lovers (2019), a children's picture book.
Critic Stefan Kanfer wrote in Time of Corman's novel 50: "Avery Corman has a literary gift for dialogue and predicament. Sealed in a time capsule, 50 could tell future generations more about contemporary middle-aged mores than a library of sociological theses." The combination of the novel Kramer Versus Kramer and the film changed the attitude of the public and the courts about divorce and custody in the US and internationally. Greg Ferrara, on Turner Classic Movies' web site, wrote: "His story would explode accepted views on custody and parenting...Kramer vs. Kramer didn't just set box office records for family drama, it changed the very way people thought about divorce, family and child custody." [3]
Corman has authored articles and essays in several publications, including The New York Times.
After seeing a 2010 stage adaptation of Kramer vs. Kramer in Paris written by Didier Caron and Stephane Boutet , Corman wrote his own play based on his novel. The stage adaptation of Kramer Versus Kramer by Corman was produced in Greece, Hungary, Italy, and the Netherlands in 2012.
A gift by Corman to the City of New York of a restored basketball court in his childhood schoolyard became the catalyst for the creation of the City Parks Foundation. Established in 1989, the foundation has become a multimillion-dollar nonprofit organization creating and funding parks programs throughout New York City. Corman has served on its board of directors since the foundation's inception.
He was married for 37 years to Judy Corman (née Lishinsky), who died in 2004. [1] At the time of her death, she was senior vice president, director of corporate communications and media relations at Scholastic, Inc. Judy Corman masterminded the publicity for the launch and subsequent publications of the Harry Potter books in the United States. [4] She was a 2001 winner of a Matrix Award from New York Women in Communications. The Cormans' two children are Matthew, a screenwriter, and Nicholas, who works in business development in Silicon Valley.
The Bronx is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the U.S. state of New York. It is south of Westchester County; north and east of the New York City borough of Manhattan, across the Harlem River; and north of the New York City borough of Queens, across the East River. The Bronx is the only New York City borough not primarily located on an island. The Bronx has a land area of 42 square miles (109 km2) and a population of 1,472,654 at the 2020 census, its highest decennial census count ever. If each borough were ranked as a city, the Bronx would rank as the ninth-most-populous in the U.S. Of the five boroughs, it has the fourth-largest area, fourth-highest population, and third-highest population density. The population density of the Bronx was 32,718.7 inhabitants per square mile (12,632.8/km2) in 2022, the third-highest population density of any county in the United States, behind Manhattan and Brooklyn. With a population that is 54.8% Hispanic as of 2020, it is the only majority-Hispanic county in the Northeastern United States and the fourth-most-populous nationwide.
Judith Blume is an American writer of children's, young adult, and adult fiction. Blume began writing in 1959 and has published more than 26 novels. Among her best-known works are Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. (1970), Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing (1972), Deenie (1973), and Blubber (1974). Blume's books have significantly contributed to children's and young adult literature. She was named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time magazine in 2023.
Mordecai Richler was a Canadian writer. His best known works are The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz (1959) and Barney's Version (1997). His 1970 novel St. Urbain's Horseman and 1989 novel Solomon Gursky Was Here were nominated for the Booker Prize. He is also well known for the Jacob Two-Two fantasy series for children. In addition to his fiction, Richler wrote numerous essays about the Jewish community in Canada, and about Canadian and Quebec nationalism. Richler's Oh Canada! Oh Quebec! (1992), a collection of essays about nationalism and anti-Semitism, generated considerable controversy.
Robert Towne was an American screenwriter and director. He started writing films for Roger Corman, including The Tomb of Ligeia in 1964, and was later part of the New Hollywood wave of filmmaking.
Kramer vs. Kramer is a 1979 American legal drama written and directed by Robert Benton, based on Avery Corman's 1977 novel of the same name. The film stars Dustin Hoffman, Meryl Streep, Justin Henry and Jane Alexander. It tells the story of a couple's divorce, its impact on their young son, and the subsequent evolution of their relationship and views on parenting. Kramer vs. Kramer explores the psychology and fallout of divorce, and touches on prevailing or emerging social issues, such as gender roles, fathers' rights, work-life balance, and single parents.
The Brood is a 1979 Canadian psychological body horror film written and directed by David Cronenberg and starring Oliver Reed, Samantha Eggar, and Art Hindle. Its plot follows a man and his mentally ill ex-wife, who has been sequestered by a psychiatrist known for his controversial therapy techniques. A series of brutal unsolved murders serves as the backdrop for the central narrative.
The Bonfire of the Vanities is a 1987 novel by Tom Wolfe. The story is a drama about ambition, racism, social class, politics, and greed in 1980s New York City, and centers on three main characters: WASP bond trader Sherman McCoy, Jewish assistant district attorney Larry Kramer, and British expatriate journalist Peter Fallow.
Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. is a middle-grade novel by American writer Judy Blume, published in 1970. Its protagonist, Margaret Simon, is a sixth-grader who grows up without a religious affiliation because of her parents' interfaith marriage. This contemporary realistic novel was popular with middle-grade readers in the 1970s for its relatable portrayal of a young girl confronting early-adolescent anxieties, such as menstruation, brassieres and boys. The recipient of national honors and book awards, the novel has been challenged for its frank discussion of sexual and religious topics.
Margaret Avery is an American actress. She began her career appearing on stage and later had starring roles in films including Cool Breeze (1972), Which Way Is Up? (1977), Scott Joplin (1977); which earned her an NAACP Image Award nomination, and The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh (1979). She was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her portrayal of Shug Avery in the period drama film The Color Purple (1985).
Henry Chalfant is an American photographer and videographer most notable for his work on graffiti, breakdance, and hip hop culture.
Oh, God! is a 1977 American comedy film starring George Burns and John Denver. Based on the 1971 novel of the same name by Avery Corman, the film was directed by Carl Reiner from a screenplay written by Larry Gelbart. The story centers on unassuming supermarket manager Jerry Landers (Denver), who is chosen by God (Burns) to spread his message, despite skepticism of the media, religious authorities, and his own wife.
Bruce Jay Friedman was an American novelist, screenwriter, playwright, and actor. He was noted for his versatility of writing in both literature and pop culture. He was also a trailblazer in the style of modern American black humor. The themes he wrote about reflected the major changes taking place in society during the 1960s and 1970s. Many of his stories were inspired by the events of his personal life.
DeWitt Clinton High School is a public high school located since 1929 in The Bronx, New York. Opened in 1897 in Lower Manhattan as an all-boys school, it maintained that status for 86 years. In 1983, it became co-ed. From its original building on West 13th Street in Manhattan, it moved in 1906 to its second home, located at 59th Street and Tenth Avenue. In 1929, the school moved to its present home on Mosholu Parkway in The Bronx, across from the renowned Bronx High School of Science.
Arlene Alda is an American musician, photographer and writer. She began her career playing clarinet professionally, then moved on to photography and writing children's books. She is married to actor Alan Alda.
Daniel Greenburg was an American writer, humorist, and journalist. His 73 books have been published in 20 languages in 24 countries.
Oh, God! You Devil is a 1984 American comedy film starring George Burns, Ted Wass, Ron Silver and Roxanne Hart. Directed by Paul Bogart and produced by Robert M. Sherman, the screenplay is by Andrew Bergman. Oh, God! You Devil is the third and final installment in the Oh, God! film series, following Oh, God! (1977) and Oh, God! Book II (1980), based on the 1971 novel of the same title by Avery Corman.
I Never Promised You a Rose Garden is a 1977 American psychological drama film directed by Anthony Page from a screenplay by Gavin Lambert and Lewis John Carlino, based on the 1964 novel of the same name by Joanne Greenberg. The film stars Bibi Andersson, Kathleen Quinlan, Sylvia Sidney, Martine Bartlett, Lorraine Gary, Signe Hasso, Susan Tyrrell, and Diane Varsi. It follows a mentally ill teen who struggles between fantasy and reality, escaping to her own imaginary world.
Ladies and Gentlemen, the Bronx Is Burning: 1977, Baseball, Politics, and the Battle for the Soul of a City is a book by Jonathan Mahler that focuses on the year 1977 in New York City. First published in 2005, it's described as 'a layered account', 'kaleidoscopic', 'a braided narrative', which weaves political, cultural, and sporting threads into one narrative. It was also the basis for the ESPN mini-series The Bronx Is Burning.
Romer Zane Grey was the eldest son of novelist Zane Grey He wrote Western novels and books on fishing. Grey was also a scenario writer for Paramount Pictures, plus he was a producer in charge of making movies based on his father’s novels.
Vasantha Geetha is a 1980 Indian Kannada-language romantic drama film, directed by the Dorai–Bhagavan duo. The film stars Rajkumar, Gayathri and Master Lohith.
