Tracy Daugherty: "Just One Catch: A Biography of Joseph Heller" (Rebroadcast)
http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2011-12-11/tracy-daugherty-just-one-catch-biography-joseph-heller-rebroadcast
When asked why he’d never written a novel as good as "Catch 22," Joseph Heller replied “Who has?” Fifty years after its publication, the anti-war classic is still part of the American lexicon. Heller based the book on his own experience flying missions over france in World War II. The son of Russian immigrants grew up on Coney Island and went on to write seven novels in all. Heller died in 1999, shortly before the publication of his final book “Portrait of an Artist as an Old Man.” The life and work of Joseph Heller… and why he said his defining novel was not his best.
Guests
Tracy Daugherty
author and biographer of Donald Barthelme.
Erica Heller
Daughter of Joseph Heller and author of "Yossarian Slept Here."
Related Items
Read an Excerpt
Excerpted from "Just One Catch" by Tracy Daugherty. Copyright 2011 by Tracy Daugherty. All rights reserved. Printed here by permission of St. Martin's Press:
Comments
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US love a really good CATCH-22... and grateful he saved US the chore of writing IT... V E R Y relevant today... and yesterday... which makes GREAT tomes.
(our house saved if employed BUT being unemployed cause of house loss- instead of thanks and pins job please- helping explain previous 'news' on mystery behind save the foreclosure project lack of participation)
'Waive' disability and you see family soon otherwise takes time(after almost five years OCONUS)... not quite Catch-22 but working that way NOW
gotta go been hired to bomb US... never should have loaned Milo the future... hmmm- note- in case of pain, jobloss, homelessness, or foodlessness take note and ingest- M.
I picked the book "Catch 22" as a high school student in the 70's to do a book report, the teacher thought I was something less than bright for picking what she perceived as fish-wrap. Question, how would the author have felt about writing a source of embarrassment? just kidding
I called in, but they didn't have a chance to have me on the show. That's OK; I was nervous and I have bronchitis! Anyway, I love your show, Diane. My father, Dr. Dave Geller, born in 1922 in NYC, was the son of Russian Jewish parents. My father told me the letters "G" and "H" were the same letter when translated into Russian. He was convinced that he and Joseph Heller were related. He called him on the phone many years ago and he said Joe was rude, thinking that my Dad just wanted money, I guess. My father was a successful podiatrist; he was just hoping to find out if they were related. After listening to your show today, I gather there are so many similarities between them. My Dad was very bright and not well behaved in school. He flew missions during WWII over Italy. He had 1 son and 1 daughter. He had a wonderful sense of humor and was a good friend AND father (this fact is different than Joe, from what you were saying today, Erica). He and my Mom divorced after 21 years of marriage and both re-married, but my father never said a nasty word about my mother to my brother and me. He was a bit of a social climber, which is why he wanted to find out if he was related to Joe. He died suddenly in 2006 at the age of 83; I miss him deeply. The funny thing is, almost 3 years ago, I accidentally found out we're related to Josh Groban, the singer. His great-grandfather and my Dad's grandmother were brother and sister. My Dad would have loved to know he finally was related to someone who is accomplished and famous! Thank you for a great show today.
To Pink Floyd:
Huh???
I met Joseph Heller once. I went to a matinee of a preview of "We Bombed in New Haven."
After the show he was standing in the aisle. He looked harried and anxious.
He said, "What did you think of the play?"
I said, "I loved Catch 22."
He said, "What did you think of the play?"
I told him what my thoughts were.
He nodded and thanked me.
short and concise puzzlement... realize no time to think today(wastes time and money) or verbalize with worlds or words BUT where did you become confUSed?
HAVA(fed/ state program save home) requires income to do SO if HAVA available when employment begain US ok... BUT w/o income today NO qualification for 'bailout'... and need 'bailout' as NO income... see?
Many more(life time of service)...
Cannot find job without having job... cannot 'relocate'... have possessions unsellable in todays market... and no where to move them... so US has taken our home and property...
Too poor to declare bankruptcy(gutted/ restructured by last OPUS)... too poor for bankruptcy... lol
leaving US really appreciating a good CATCH-22... thanks Joe !
and lost foodstamps(no address) and pretty sure car(home) now illegal(no address) BUT not driving/moving(no gas) so
death by exposure?
suicide by cop(we are now criminals- that what they mean by job creators)?
so many choices... prison in 2008 dollars NC was 24k or more today... could have kept eating, sleeping, and paying taxes for less than half(and if allowed to rent to VA for two more homeless veterans could have paid back amount behind)
Soylent Green plan sounds morer real for US every day.
welcome for our service
always surprised when exes rail against their former love of their lives LOL... your Dad has/d class.
Our Dad 113th Inf.(NJ/NY) for Normandy... unit deactivated(92% casualties) mid June 1944 until reactivated for Persian Gulf war(first Iraq war).
Ones who have offered their lives for their country ALL share a common bond... some gave all ALL gave some...
OCCUPY NAVY OWS OCCUPY together
one last patriotic act needed to 'buy' back country for ITs rightful PEOPLE not itS corporations(risk socialized- profit privatized- is unsustainable).
NOV 2 ... everyday... take IT back.