Frank Conroy Biography

American novelist and writer, educated at Haverford College. He has contributed to periodicals and magazines such as the New Yorker, the Chicago Tribune, and Harper's. His principal acclaim came for his autobiographical novel Stop-Time (1967), a memoir of boyhood and adolescence. Written in unpretentious prose, the novel begins with a lesson in brutality at a progressive boarding school, moves to a self-help settlement in Florida, then to a Connecticut mental home, and finally to New York City, where Conroy takes on a variety of jobs. Then, after his parents fall apart, he runs away to begin a new set of adventures. With a mixture of humour and irony, the book is a reflection on history and national geography. He has more recently edited The Iowa Award: The Best Stories from 20 Years (1992) and published the novel Body and Soul (1993).