Saul Bellow aka Sollie

Saul Bellow (June 10, 1915 – April 5, 2005)

I wanted to post nasty photos of Saul but couldn't bring myself to because he's dead, likely someone out there loves him, and it's mean to laugh at old people. So I put a young one of him, and an older, more distinguished, haughty looking one that I'm sure Sollie would have loved. I imagine Charlie Citrine from Humboldt's Gift to look like the right photo -- lean, intelligent, vain.

Sollie is a Canadian-born American writer of Jewish descent. His parents are from St. Petersburg, Russia and he grew up in the slums of Chicago. Living in the U.S. during WWII and the Cold war with that background must have been tough. Last century's identity issues remain relevant but at the same time, it's so far away to me and I can identify with none of his background. This is partly why Sollie is inaccessible to me but mostly its because he writes from the perch of an old white guy.

I've put off picking up HG. I'll read a bit this weekend and report back.