80 Years Since F. Scott Fitzgerald's Death: Jazz Age Chronicler
Eighty years ago, just prior to Christmas, Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald passed away in Los Angeles at the age of 44. Born in 1896 in Saint Paul, Minnesota, he documented the Jazz Age and experienced a turbulent marriage with Zelda Sayre. Although he achieved early fame with "This Side of Paradise" and "The Great Gatsby," his popularity declined during the 1930s. He ventured into screenwriting in Hollywood but ultimately died alone. Rediscovered in the 1960s, his novels, such as "The Beautiful and Damned" and "Tender Is the Night," delve into themes of materialism and discontent. From 1921 to 1929, Fitzgerald lived in Europe, which significantly influenced his literary work. The final line of "The Great Gatsby" captures a generation adrift in dreams.
Key facts
- Francis Scott Fitzgerald died on December 21, 1940 in Los Angeles.
- He was born in Saint Paul, Minnesota in 1896.
- His major works include 'This Side of Paradise', 'The Great Gatsby', 'The Beautiful and Damned', and 'Tender Is the Night'.
- He married Zelda Sayre in 1920; she suffered from schizophrenia and he from alcoholism.
- Fitzgerald lived in Europe from 1924 to 1929, visiting Rome, the French Riviera, and Paris.
- He interacted with Gertrude Stein, Hart Crane, and John Dos Passos in Paris.
- His work was rediscovered by critics in the 1960s.
- Joseph Christian Leyendecker illustrated the Jazz Age era that Fitzgerald wrote about.
Entities
Artists
- Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald
- Zelda Sayre
- Ring Lardner
- John Fante
- Joseph Christian Leyendecker
- Gertrude Stein
- Hart Crane
- John Dos Passos
- Louise Brooks
- Niccolò Lucarelli
Institutions
- Artribune
Locations
- Saint Paul
- Minnesota
- Los Angeles
- United States
- London
- Paris
- Rome
- French Riviera
- Europe
- Hollywood