(1931–89), U.S. novelist and short story writer, born in Philadelphia, Pa.; attended University of Houston; worked as a reporter for Houston Post; served in U.S. Army during Korean War; contributed stories and articles for New Yorker starting 1963; first book of stories, ‘Come Back Dr. Caligari' published 1964; other collections include ‘Unspeakable Practices, Unnatural Acts' (1968), ‘City Life' (1970), ‘Sadness' (1972), ‘The Slightly Irregular Fire Engine' (a children's book, 1971), ‘Guilty Pleasures' (1974), ‘The Dead Father' (1975), ‘Amateurs' (1976), ‘Great Days' (1979), ‘Presents' (1981), ‘Overnight to Many Distant Cities' (1983), and ‘Sam's Bar' (1987).