Gregory Mcdonald
Gregory Mcdonald was an American author and journalist born in 1937 in Shrewsbury, Massachusetts. He demonstrated academic prowess by entering Harvard University at just sixteen years old. After graduating, he worked in various fields, including marine insurance and teaching, before becoming a journalist for The Boston Globe, where he supported civil rights and other humanitarian causes. Mcdonald gained recognition for his debut novel, *Running Scared*, published in 1964, which sparked controversy due to its themes surrounding suicide and criticism of Ivy League institutions.
He is perhaps best known for creating the *Fletch* series, which debuted in 1974 with *Fletch*, a mystery novel featuring the irreverent character Irwin M. Fletcher. The series, characterized by its lighthearted tone and dialogue-driven narrative, won multiple Edgar Awards and was adapted into a successful film franchise. Mcdonald also expanded his literary contributions with the development of spin-off series and additional novels, including works that explore regional language and culture in the U.S. Apart from mysteries, he published several nonmystery novels and a nonfiction book detailing his experiences in America. Throughout his career, Mcdonald was recognized for his contributions to literature and served as president of the Mystery Writers of America.
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Subject Terms
Gregory Mcdonald
Fiction and Nonfiction Writer and Playwright
- Born: February 15, 1937
- Birthplace: Shrewsbury, Massachusetts
- Died: September 7, 2008
- Place of death: Pulaski, Tennessee
Biography
Gregory Mcdonald was born in Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, in 1937. He was only sixteen when he was admitted to Harvard University. After graduating, he worked as a marine insurance engineer and a teacher. He then became a journalist, working as a columnist and critic for The Boston Globe from 1966 to 1973. While there, he was one of the first journalists to write in support of civil rights, women’s rights, and gay rights, and over the years he has received humanitarian and people’s rights awards for his work.
His first novel, Running Scared, was controversial when it was published in 1964 because it argued for the right to commit suicide and indicted Ivy League universities; the book later was adapted as a feature film. It was ten years before Mcdonald published another novel, a mystery, which introduced the character of Irwin M. Fletcher, known as Fletch. Fletch (1974) won the Edgar Award for Best First Mystery. The second book in the Fletch series, Confess, Fletch (1976), won the Edgar for Best Paperback Original. It was unprecedented for both a novel and its sequel to receive the prestigious award. Fletch was adapted as a popular feature film in 1985, and the title character appeared in a subsequent film, Fletch Lives, although the plot for the second film was not based on any of the novels.
The best-selling Fletch series, published from 1974 through 1994, consists of ten novels. The series is a successful example of caper crime novels that focus on an irreverent character who may break the law with impunity and stretch the limits of the detective form. In the first book, Fletch is a journalist going undercover to do a story on beach people when he is offered three million dollars to kill a man. Fletch accepts, but manages to get the money without becoming a murderer. The money enables him to adopt the role of a beach bum socialite and sleuth in the following novels. The books are lighthearted in tone, and stylistically rely almost entirely on dialogue rather than description.
The Fletch series led to two spin-off series. One series features Boston Police Inspector Francis Xavier Flynn, who first appeared in Confess, Fletch, and who is actually an international espionage agent, using his police job as a cover. The second series, Son of Fletch, consists of Son of Fletch (1993), and Fletch Reflected (1994). In addition, Mcdonald has published two novels about Skylar Whitfield, an amateur sleuth from small-town Tennessee. The novels portray some of the regional differences in language and culture within the United States, with Skylar as the “good- ol’boy” from the South.
Mcdonald has served as president of the Mystery Writers of America. He has published several nonmystery novels and a nonfiction work, The Education of Gregory Mcdonald, containing short sketches about the United States.