Paul Auster
- Writer
- Director
- Producer
Paul Auster was born in Newark, New Jersey on February 3rd 1947. His
father was a landlord, who owned buildings with his brothers in Jersey
City. The family was middle-class and the parents' marriage was not a
happy one. Auster grew up in the Newark suburbs of South Orange and
Maplewood. He read books enthusiastically and developed an interest for
writing.
Auster attended high school in Maplewood, some twenty miles southwest
of New York City. After his parents' divorce, during his senior year in
high school, his mother moved, with his sister and him, to an apartment
in the Weequahic section of Newark. Instead of attending his
high-school graduation, Auster headed for Europe. He visited Italy,
Spain, Paris and naturally James Joyce's Dublin. While he travelled he
worked on a novel.
He returned to the United States in time to start at Columbia
University in the fall. In early 1966 he began his relationship with
Lydia Davis. Davis, who is now also a writer, was at that time
attending Barnard College and was a good match for Auster's intellect.
In 1967 Auster again left the US to attend Columbia's Junior Year
Abroad in Paris. Auster became disillusioned with the dull existence
within the programme and quit college. But he was still reinstated at
Columbia when he returned to New York.
Auster's undergraduate years at Columbia coincided with a period of
social unrest but he didn't participate actively in student politics.
He supported himself with a variety of freelance jobs and wrote
articles for university magazines. In June of 1969 Auster was granted a
B.A. in English and comparative literature. The following year he
received his M.A. from Columbia.
A high lottery number saved Auster from having to worry about the
Vietnam draft and he took a job with the Census Bureau. During this
period he also began work on the novels "In the Country of Last Things"
and "Moon Palace", which he would not complete until many years later.
In February 1971 Auster left once again for Paris. He supported himself
there with a variety of odd jobs and minor literary tasks. He also
worked on several film projects, one of them being in Mexico. In 1973
he moved with Davis to Provence where they became caretakers of a
farmhouse.
After returning to the US in 1974, Auster has written poems, essays,
novels, screenplays and translations. He directed his first motion
picture in 1995. He lives in Brooklyn, New York City with his wife and
two children.
father was a landlord, who owned buildings with his brothers in Jersey
City. The family was middle-class and the parents' marriage was not a
happy one. Auster grew up in the Newark suburbs of South Orange and
Maplewood. He read books enthusiastically and developed an interest for
writing.
Auster attended high school in Maplewood, some twenty miles southwest
of New York City. After his parents' divorce, during his senior year in
high school, his mother moved, with his sister and him, to an apartment
in the Weequahic section of Newark. Instead of attending his
high-school graduation, Auster headed for Europe. He visited Italy,
Spain, Paris and naturally James Joyce's Dublin. While he travelled he
worked on a novel.
He returned to the United States in time to start at Columbia
University in the fall. In early 1966 he began his relationship with
Lydia Davis. Davis, who is now also a writer, was at that time
attending Barnard College and was a good match for Auster's intellect.
In 1967 Auster again left the US to attend Columbia's Junior Year
Abroad in Paris. Auster became disillusioned with the dull existence
within the programme and quit college. But he was still reinstated at
Columbia when he returned to New York.
Auster's undergraduate years at Columbia coincided with a period of
social unrest but he didn't participate actively in student politics.
He supported himself with a variety of freelance jobs and wrote
articles for university magazines. In June of 1969 Auster was granted a
B.A. in English and comparative literature. The following year he
received his M.A. from Columbia.
A high lottery number saved Auster from having to worry about the
Vietnam draft and he took a job with the Census Bureau. During this
period he also began work on the novels "In the Country of Last Things"
and "Moon Palace", which he would not complete until many years later.
In February 1971 Auster left once again for Paris. He supported himself
there with a variety of odd jobs and minor literary tasks. He also
worked on several film projects, one of them being in Mexico. In 1973
he moved with Davis to Provence where they became caretakers of a
farmhouse.
After returning to the US in 1974, Auster has written poems, essays,
novels, screenplays and translations. He directed his first motion
picture in 1995. He lives in Brooklyn, New York City with his wife and
two children.