Henry Gregor Felsen
Henry Gregor Felsen was an American author, born on August 16, 1916, in Brooklyn, New York. He is particularly known for his novels aimed at young adults, often focusing on themes of automobiles and the challenges faced by teenage boys. Felsen published his first book in 1942, and his most notable work, "Hot Rod," was released in 1950, capturing the essence of teenage car culture in the 1950s. His stories frequently included detailed descriptions of cars and thrilling race scenes, while also conveying the dangers of reckless driving.
Felsen wrote under various pseudonyms, including Angus Vicker and Henry Vicar, and his works have been influential in shaping the narrative around youth and automobiles. He also taught part-time at Drake University during the mid-1960s. His later writings continued to address the topics of driving and vehicle care, emphasizing responsible behavior. Felsen’s legacy is reflected in car clubs that credit his novels as their inspiration, and his book "Hot Rod" was featured in a Smithsonian exhibit as part of American popular culture. He passed away on March 2, 1995, in Grandville, Michigan, after a long life dedicated to exploring the intersection of youth culture and automobiles.
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Henry Gregor Felsen
Nonfiction Writer
- Born: August 16, 1916
- Birthplace: Brooklyn, New York
- Died: March 2, 1995
- Place of death: Grand Rapids, Michigan
Biography
Henry Gregor Felsen was born on August 16, 1916, the son of Harry Felsen and Sabina Bedrick Felsen, and he was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. He attended the University of Iowa for two years. In 1937, he married Isabel “Penny” Marie Vincent; the couple settled in West Des Moines, Iowa, and had two children, Daniel and Holly, before they divorced.
In 1942, Felsen published his first book, Jungle Highway: Three Young Americans Meet Adventure in the Building of the Pan American Highway, and several more books with military themes aimed at young adult readers. The following year he joined the United States Marine Corps. In his two and a half years of military service, he was a drill sergeant and an editor of Leatherneck magazine.
Felsen wrote many of his books under the pseudonyms Angus Vicker and Henry Vicar. He is best known for his fiction and nonfiction dealing with young adults and automobiles, especially the young adult novelHot Rod, published in 1950. He followed the success of that book with similar novels such as Street Rod and Crash Club. In 1968, a film adaptation of his book Fever Heat was released, filmed in Iowa and starring Nick Adams.
Felsen’s stories centered on the dilemmas faced by teenage boys and their first cars, usually a jalopy the youths want to “soup up” and drag race. The books featured detailed descriptions of these customized cars, thrilling race scenes, and crash scenes which left no doubt in the minds of readers that irresponsible driving had deadly results. The books epitomized the role of the automobile in the 1950’s teenage culture in the United States.
An original edition of Hot Rod was featured in a 2004 exhibit, “America on the Move,” at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History as representative of American popular culture of its era. The exhibit described the book as, “a morality tale wrapped in a pulp fiction cover.” Many car clubs, such as the Roamin Angels, established in 1962 in Grass Valley, California, credit Felsen’s novels, especially Hot Rod, as their inspiration.
From 1964 to 1969, Felsen taught part-time at Drake University. His books written in the 1960’s and 1970’s take a more direct approach to the subject of young adult driving and include many nonfiction works, including To My Son the Teen-Age Driver and Here Is Your Hobby: Car Customizing. A School Library Journal review of his book Living with Your First Motorcycle demonstrates Felsen’s thorough knowledge of his subjects, his love of vehicles, and his emphasis on responsibility. The review stated that the book includes information on how to ride and how to fix motorcycles, however, “the book’s strongest point is its emphasis on learning to ride the right way so as to ensure staying in one piece.”
The following year, Felsen published his last book, Can You Do It Until You Need Glasses? The Different Drug Book, an antidrug book aimed at young adults. After living nearly forty years in the Des Moines area, he moved to Grandville, Michigan, with his second wife, Karen. He died of a heart ailment on March 2, 1995.