Gods of Tin

About the Authors

James Salter was a novelist, short story writer, screenwriter, and essayist. Born in 1925, Salter grew up in New York City and was a career officer and Air Force pilot until his mid–thirties, when the success of his first novel The Hunters led to a fulltime writing career. Salter’s potent, lyrical prose has earned him acclaim from critics, readers, and fellow novelists. He was the recipient of a PEN/Faulkner Award and the PEN/Malamud Award, among others. His novel A Sport and a Pastime was hailed by the New York Times as “nearly perfect as any American fiction.” His other books include Cassada and Light Years. He died on June 19, 2015, at ninety years old.

James Salter was a novelist, short story writer, screenwriter, and essayist. Born in 1925, Salter grew up in New York City and was a career officer and Air Force pilot until his mid–thirties, when the success of his first novel The Hunters led to a fulltime writing career. Salter’s potent, lyrical prose has earned him acclaim from critics, readers, and fellow novelists. He was the recipient of a PEN/Faulkner Award and the PEN/Malamud Award, among others. His novel A Sport and a Pastime was hailed by the New York Times as “nearly perfect as any American fiction.” His other books include Cassada and Light Years. He died on June 19, 2015, at ninety years old.

William Benton received his early training in music, and worked as a jazz musician before becoming a writer. He is the author of several books of poetry, including Marmalade, Normal Meanings, Eye La View, Birds, and The Bell Poems. His poetry has been published in The New Yorker, The Paris Review, Open City, and other magazines.

He has written a number of catalogue essays on artists, among them Joan Brown, Duncan Hannah, George Johanson, and James McGarrell. He is also the author of Madly, a novel. His most recent books are A Quatrain on Sleeping Beauty’s Tomb, a translation of Boris Pasternak’s poems, and Exchanging Hats, on the paintings of Elizabeth Bishop. He lives in New York City.