Just One Catch: The Passionate Life of Joseph Heller

2011 | Biography

Joseph Heller was a Coney Island kid in New York, the son of Russian immigrants, who went on to great fame and fortune. His most memorable novel took its inspiration from a mission he flew over France in WWII when his plane was filled with so much shrapnel it was a wonder it stayed in the air. Altogether, Heller wrote seven novels, all of which remain in print. Something Happened and Good as Gold, to name two, are still considered the epitome of satire. But it is for Catch 22 - first published in 1961 and considered to be one of the great works of twentieth century literature - that Heller will be remembered. Heller's life was filled with women and romantic indiscretions, but he was equally famous for his friendships, counting Mel Brooks, Zero Mostel, Carl Reiner, Kurt Vonnegut, Norman Mailer, Mario Puzo, Dustin Hoffman, Woody Allen, and many others among his confidantes. In 1981 Heller was diagnosed with Guillain-Barre Syndrome, a debilitating syndrome that could have cost him his life. Miraculously, he recovered. When he passed away in 1999 from natural causes, he left behind a body of work that continues to sell hundreds of thousands of copies a year.

Tracy Daugherty (Author)