A. Scott Berg
A. Scott Berg
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Full Name and Common Aliases
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Andrew Scott Berg is commonly known as A. Scott Berg.
Birth and Death Dates
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Born: August 2, 1949, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
Died: (still living)
Nationality and Profession(s)
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American journalist, author, and biographer
Early Life and Background
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A. Scott Berg was born to Robert and Alice Berg in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He grew up in a family that encouraged his love for reading and writing. Berg's father was an attorney who instilled in him a strong sense of social justice, which would later influence Berg's work as a journalist and biographer.
Berg developed an interest in journalism during his college years at Yale University, where he served as the editor-in-chief of the _Yale Daily News_. After graduating in 1971, Berg began his career as a reporter for the _Minneapolis Tribune_ before moving to New York City to pursue a career in magazine writing.
Major Accomplishments
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Berg's breakthrough book, _Max Perkins: Editor of Genius_, was published in 1978. The biography chronicled the life and work of Maxwell Perkins, the legendary editor who guided some of America's greatest writers, including F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, and Thomas Wolfe. Berg's meticulously researched and engagingly written book won critical acclaim and earned him a reputation as one of the leading literary biographers of his generation.
Berg went on to write several other acclaimed books, including _Goldwyn: A Biography_ (1994) and _Lindbergh_ (1998). His most recent biography, _Wilson_, published in 2013, was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Biography or Autobiography in 2014.
Notable Works or Actions
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Berg's work as a biographer has not only shed light on the lives of some of America's most influential figures but also provided a nuanced understanding of their creative processes and personal struggles. His meticulous research and engaging writing style have made his books accessible to both scholars and general readers.
Some of Berg's notable works include:
_Max Perkins: Editor of Genius_ (1978)
_Goldwyn: A Biography_ (1994)
_Lindbergh_ (1998)
_Wilson_ (2013)
Impact and Legacy
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Berg's biographies have had a significant impact on the literary world, inspiring new generations of writers and scholars. His meticulous research and commitment to accuracy have set a high standard for biography writing.
Berg's work has also contributed significantly to our understanding of American history and culture. His biographies of figures like Lindbergh and Wilson offer insights into the complex social and cultural contexts in which they lived and worked.
Why They Are Widely Quoted or Remembered
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A. Scott Berg is widely quoted and remembered for his insightful and engaging biographies, which have redefined the art of biography writing. His ability to balance scholarly research with compelling storytelling has made him one of the most respected biographers of our time.
Berg's commitment to accuracy, fairness, and nuance has earned him a reputation as a masterful storyteller who can bring even the most complex figures to life on the page. His work continues to inspire readers, writers, and scholars alike, cementing his place in the pantheon of America's greatest biographers.
Quotes by A. Scott Berg
He stressed the importance of a liberal arts education but urged her to avoid all courses in writing. “Everyone has to find her own way of writing,” he wrote Scottie, “and the source of finding it is largely out of literature.” Scottie.
I don’t know of a soul who packed more living into 72 years than Charles Lindbergh did.
Max said little. His essential quality was always to say little, but by powerful empathy for writers and for books to draw out of them what they had it in them to say and to write.
My feeling,” he explained, “is that a publisher’s first allegiance is to talent. And if we aren’t going to publish a talent like this, it is a very serious thing.” He contended that the ambitious Fitzgerald would be able to find another publisher for this novel and young authors would follow him: “Then we might as well go out of business.
Publishing is not, of course, dependent on the individual taste of the publisher,” Perkins replied to one reader of Hemingway’s novel. “He is under an obligation to his profession which binds him to bring out a work which in the judgment of the literary world is significant in its literary qualities and is a pertinent criticism of the civilization of the time.
Another Brownell adage that Perkins subscribed to was that the worst reason for publishing anything was that it resembled something else, that however unconscious, “an imitation is always inferior.
Clark Gable seemed fascinating all his life because there wasn’t so much information about him. Today, you’re on television all the time.
There’s a good feeling about them. It’s something I like to find in fiction. So many writers master form and technique, but get so little feeling into their work. I think that’s important.
Max sent Scottie some literary advice, the same dictum he gave every college student who called on him. He stressed the importance of a liberal arts education but urged her to avoid all courses in writing. “Everyone has to find her own way of writing,” he wrote Scottie, “and the source of finding it is largely out of literature.