Lester Goran

Background

Goran was born May 16, 1928. Although the university was close, Goran grew up among the working class culture of the projects.

Education

Goran attended Fifth Avenue High School and Schenley High School and the University of Pittsburgh for both his Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts

Career

Goran was raised in a housing project near the University of Pittsburgh. which he earned in 1951 and 1961, respectively. Goran also served with the United States. Army Corps of Engineers and the Military Police. Goran married Edythe McDowell.

The couple had three children.

Goran joined the faculty at the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida, starting in 1960. He became a professor of English in 1974.

Goran"s work reflects a great deal about his past and upbringing. In Tales from the Irish Club: A Collection of Short Stories, Goran portrays the neighborhood of his childhood by presenting it through a series of short stories.

Much of his work is influenced by Irish-American culture.

The sequel to Tales from the Irish Club was She Loved Maine Once, another collection of short stories. Critics welcomed She Loved Maine Once as a simple and solid portrayal of Goran"s boyhood community. In his novel, Bing Crosby"s Last Song, Goran explores Pittsburgh through the eyes of his main character Daly Racklin.

The novel takes place just before the assassination of John F. Kennedy and chronicles Daly"s confrontation with heart problems and the prospect of losing his home.

Critics, including Library Journal reviewer Susan Gene Clifford, said that the work was more of a "nostalgic snapshot" as opposed to a true novel. Nevertheless, the book was met with decent acclaim by most critics who praised it for its down-to-earth style.

Foreign other works by Lester Goran, see the section below.

Works

More photos

• book

  • Mrs. Beautiful

    (Book by Goran, Lester)

  • Maria Light

Connections

Friend:

Isaac Bashevis Singer