Biography of James Ellroy
Thrilling shyness
March 4, 1948Lee Earle Ellroy, known under the pseudonym of James Ellroy, comes to Los Angeles the day March 4, 1948. Her parents divorced and her mother in 1955 Armand and Geneva moved with her son to El Monte. In 1958 the mother is killed in a crime that remains unsolved. A few months after James receives a gift from his father a book about Jack Webb entitled "The Badge", which speaks of the LAPD (Los Angeles Police Department). These two events are two crucial points of the writer's life, so much so that years later, will talk about it in his works. Another event that marks the existence of Ellroy is the "Black Dahlia" case, an unsolved murder case took place a short distance from where the young James lived.
The whole life of Ellroy's eventful: after leaving school without taking the diploma, at seventeen years of age (in 1965) also loses his father. Ellroy feigns a nervous breakdown and takes the opportunity to leave the army, where meanwhile had volunteered. From here on out going through a long period of lawlessness, during which he devoted himself to petty theft, and exceeds with alcohol and drugs. During the Watts riots of 1965 (a racially motivated riot of impressive scope that lasted 6 days), with some friends, try to enter the area of the revolt, but without success. Live from tramp, sleeping in public parks in Los Angeles and reading detective novels. Is even arrested several times, ending up in the county jail. Because of its unregulated behaviour, is likely to die of pneumonia twice.
In 1975 finally manages to get out of what they called "the ride" and begins to work on the drafting of its first novel Brown's Requiem "(translated into Italian as" Pray detective "). His novels have been successful. The book that brings him to the attention of the general public is "The Black Dahlia" (the Black Dahlia), inspired by the tragic story of the mother. With the two subsequent novels, "the great nothing" and "L.A. Confidential", becomes a cult author. With "my dark places" investigates the death of his mother. James Ellroy is defined as a Grand narcissist, a selfish lost in the vortex of attention to itself and how it concerns to himself. After his second marriage to Helen Knode (author of the book "The Ticket Out"), James Ellroy moved to Kansas City. After the divorce, in 2006 the writer returns to his Los Angeles. His novels were drawn from several films, the most famous is "L.A. Confidential" (directed by Curtis Hanson, with Kevin Spacey, Russell Crowe, Guy Pearce, Kim Basinger and Danny DeVito), who has yielded two Academy Awards in 1997, one to Kim Basinger for best supporting actress, and one for best adapted screenplay.
Article contributed by the team of collaborators.