Just One Catch, The First Full-Length Joseph Heller Biography
July 29, 2011
Publishers Weekly wrote that Daugherty’s biography, for the first time, lets the reader in on just about everything there is to know about Heller and his “trailblazing depiction of WWII that… would prove prophetic to the Vietnam generation.” PW adds that Daugherty’s work is a casual, entertaining read that covers everything from Heller’s youth as a lower-middle-class Jewish American who grew up on Coney Island, his service as a WWII bombardier, and his dealings with fame and prosperity.
“Daugherty’s research into Heller’s universe was extensive and exciting, and the results are startling,” wrote Donna Seaman, in a profile of the author in Booklist.
Daugherty’s first biography, though he is primarily a fiction writer, was Hiding Man: A Biography of Donald Barthelme. He is a professor of English and Creative Writing at Oregon State University. He won the 1994 AWP Prize for the Novel for What Falls Away.