Nelson Algren

Writing · born 28 March 1909 · Detroit, Michigan, USA

Nelson Ahlgren Abraham was an American writer whose novels of the poor are lifted from routine naturalism by his vision of their pride, humour, and unquenchable yearnings. He also catches with poetic skill the mood of the city’s underside: its jukebox pounding, stench, and neon glare.

Where to start: Algren (2021).