Warren Adler
Warren Adler was a prominent American novelist, best known for his engaging storytelling and versatile writing style. Born in Brooklyn, New York, he pursued his passion for writing early on, eventually earning a BA in English literature from New York University. Adler worked in journalism and advertising before dedicating himself to fiction writing, publishing his first novel, *Banquet Before Dawn*, at the age of forty. His most acclaimed work, *The War of the Roses*, released in 1981, explores the tumultuous dynamics of a dysfunctional marriage and became a cultural touchstone, later adapted into a successful film.
Adler created the Fiona FitzGerald detective series, starting with *American Quartet* in 1981, which garnered critical acclaim for its intricate plots involving political intrigue. Throughout his career, he wrote numerous novels, short stories, and adapted some into film and television. Later in life, Adler reflected on personal challenges, including his wife’s dementia, which influenced his final novel, *Last Call*. He passed away at the age of ninety-one in 2019, leaving behind a legacy of poignant storytelling that resonates with readers.
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Warren Adler
- Born: December 16, 1927
- Birthplace: Brooklyn, New York, NY
- Died: April 15, 2019
- Place of death: Manhattan, New York, NY
Biography
Warren Adler was born in Brooklyn, New York, where he attended public schools and graduated from Brooklyn Technical High School. By that time he had already decided he wanted to be a novelist and had begun working at writing. He earned his BA in English literature from New York University, and later studied creative writing at the New School in Manhattan. He worked for the New York Daily News before becoming editor of the Queen’s Post, a weekly newspaper on Long Island. His regular column, “Pepper on the Side,” was carried in several newspapers throughout the United States.
During the Korean War, Adler worked in the Pentagon for the Armed Forces Press Service as the sole Washington, DC, correspondent for the service. He then spent several years in business. He owned four radio stations and a television station and headed his own advertising and public relations agencies in Washington. He and wife, Sonia, formerly Sonia Kline, along with their son David, founded Washington Dossier magazine. Adler also founded the Jackson Hole Writers Conference in Wyoming.
Adler was well into his forties before he published Banquet Before Dawn (1976). At that point, he devoted himself to writing fiction, publishing eighteen novels in sixteen years. His biggest success came with The War of the Roses (1981), which focuses on a dysfunctional couple locked in constant battle. Reportedly based on a real couple Adler knew, the book received positive reviews and become a pop culture touchstone. It was then adapted into a highly successful film of the same name in 1989, starring Kathleen Turner and Michael Douglas. Adler published the follow-up novel Children of the Roses in 2004 and created a theatrical version of The War of the Roses in 2013. The original novel also inspired a Broadway adaptation.
Soon after he turned to writing full time, Alder became known for his prodigious output and his stylistic versatility. He later said that he was writing mainstream novels so fast that his publishers balked, so he decided to start a detective fiction series. The first in the Fiona FitzGerald series is American Quartet (1981), which deals with a serial killer who is replicating the assassinations of four American presidents. The novel was chosen by The New York Times as best in its genre in 1981. FitzGerald is a sergeant in the homicide division of the Metropolitan Washington Police Department. Her cases revolve around political figures in the US capital, where she uncovers sex scandals, conspiracies, blackmail, serial killings, and widespread corruption and misuse of power. The character is single, smart, and strong willed. In the first two novels, she is portrayed as the daughter of a New York policeman, but starting with the third novel, published nearly a decade later, she is the daughter of a deceased senator, and thus her social background and insider views give her an edge in unveiling the masks of the “elite” power mongers. FitzGerald would feature in nine novels throughout Adler's career.
Adler continued to write both traditional novels, short stories, and standalone crime fiction over the years. One notable work was Random Hearts (1984), which like The War of the Roses was made into a successful film. A short story collection, The Sunset Gang, was adapted as a trilogy on public television. Several other works also had adaptations optioned but never realized, prompting him to publish an essay attacking the studio system in 1999. Adler's other non-series crime novels deal with a variety of relevant issues. Cult (2002), for example, deals with an Oregon “glory cult” that promotes racial hatred and violence, including brainwashing people to kill. As the title suggests, the short story collection New York Echoes (2008) focuses on the city where he was raised.
In addition to David, Adler and his wife had two other sons, Jonathan and Michael. David made headlines after he fell under the sway of the controversial Unification Church—seen by some as a cult—in the late 1970s, prompting Adler to launch a rescue and deprogramming effort. In his later years Adler wrote about the impact of his wife's diagnosis with dementia, and even used the subject in his final novel, Last Call (2018). Adler died at the age of ninety-one on April 15, 2019.
Bibliography
Adler, Warren. Interview by Elizabeth P. Glixman. Eclectica, April/May 2008, www.eclectica.org/v12n2/glixman‗adler.html. Accessed 2 Oct. 2020.
"Bio: Warren Adler." The Warren Adler Collection, 2020, www.warrenadler.com/bio/. Accessed 2 Oct. 2020.
Marble, Steve. "Warren Adler, Who Examined Family Dysfunction in 'The War of the Roses,' Dies at 91." Los Angeles Times, 16 Apr. 2019, www.latimes.com/local/obituaries/la-me-warren-adler-war-of-roses-dead-20190416-story.html. Accessed 2 Oct. 2020.
Sandomir, Richard. "Warren Adler, 'The War of the Roses' Author, Is Dead at 91." The New York Times, 19 Apr. 2019, www.nytimes.com/2019/04/19/obituaries/warren-adler-dead.html. Accessed 2 Oct. 2020.