Raymond Carver
Born in 1938
Poetry
Raymond Carver was an American short story writer and poet born into poverty during the Depression.
He married young, struggled with alcoholism, and worked various menial jobs while pursuing writing.
Carver's literary career took off in the 1980s with his pioneering "dirty realism" style, characterized by precise, economical prose depicting ordinary lives.
His stories often focus on working-class characters and settings, drawing comparisons to Edward Hopper's paintings.
Carver's later work became more redemptive after he quit drinking in 1977.
He overcame personal struggles, including a failed first marriage, and married poet Tess Gallagher shortly before his death from cancer in 1988.
