F. Scott Fitzgerald 1896-1940

The Name Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald was born on Sept. 24, 1896. Was named after Francis Scott Key, his famous relative who wrote the National Anthem. Went by the name Scott.

Education Was born in Minnesota but went to Nardin Academy in Buffalo, NY Father fired from job w/Procter & Gamble in NY so family returned to Minnesota. Family was rich due to an inheritance so he then attended St. Paul Academy.

Education/Writing Fitzgerald published his first writing (a detective story) in the school paper when he was just 13. Then went on the Newman School in NJ and then later Princeton. Wrote for 2 school magazines and was a member of a college club at Princeton.

Enlistment He focused on his writing more than his studies and was placed on academic probation. Unlikely to graduate and short of $$, he left Princeton. He then enlisted in the army during the end of WWI.

A Quick Write Fitzgerald was sure he was going to die in the war, so he quickly wrote The Romantic Egotist. The novel was praised for its originality but was rejected by publishers because it needed major editing/revisions.

Fitzgerald met his future wife, Zelda Sayre, while he was in the army stationed at Camp Sheridan. She was the daughter of an Alabama Supreme Court judge. They were engaged in 1919.

Good Intentions He attempted to prove he could support his fiancee by getting an advertising job in NY and writing short stories. He submitted The Romantic Egotist to a publisher but it was rejected once again. Zelda was unconvinced by all of this and broke off their engagement.

Return Home After his broken engagement, Fitzgerald moved to his parents’ home in St. Paul, MN. He attempted to re-write The Romantic Egotist, now retitled This Side of Paradise. It was finally published in 1920.

Newfound Paradise The novel was about the post-WWI flapper generation and was enormously popular. With this success, his engagement with Zelda was back on. They were quickly married and had their daughter the following year in 1921, the same year he published his 2nd novel, The Beautiful and the Damned.

Successful 1920s Fitzgerald’s success blossomed during the 20s. He called this the Jazz Age. Published The Great Gatsby in 1925 which brought him praise but disappointing sales. He traveled through Europe and made friends with numerous writers, especially Hemingway. This friendship was a respectful yet competitive one.

Posh Lifestyle Fitzgerald preferred writing his novels the most. Since he came from wealth and his wife was accustomed to it, though, he had to write short stories as an added source of income. He wrote stories for The Saturday Evening Post and Esquire. He also sold movie rights for some of his works.

Needs $$$ Flow Due to Zelda’s high medical expenses and the posh lifestyle they chose, Fitzgerald was often short $$. He often had to get loans from his agents and editors, but these were eventually discontinued.

Tough Times Ongoing money troubles and the onset of Zelda’s schizophrenia forced Fitzgerald to write more short stories instead of novels. He was able to complete his 4th novel in 1934 called Tender is the Night. Some people say it is partially autobiographical. Didn’t sell well but was a respected work.

Ongoing Financial Woes Despite disliking this type of work, Fitzgerald went back to writing for Hollywood in the 1930s to get some income. He was able to complete his final novel, The Last Tycoon, but it wasn’t published until after his death.

Distance At this point, Scott and Zelda became alienated from one another. She was living in different mental institutions. He was living in Hollywood with his lover, Sheilah Graham.

Fitzgerald’s Health Woes His health was tremendously affected by alcoholism, which started at Princeton. His success in the 1920s and then his financial probs. only contributed to his alcoholism. By the 1930s, he was in poor health.

Health Woes cont. He claimed to have tuberculosis, but it was thought to be a cover-up for his drinking. Fitzgerald actually did have TB as well as a hemorrhage (bleed). He also had 2 heart attacks, the 2nd one on the day before he died.

An Inspiration Fitzgerald had completed 5 novels and dozens of short stories during his lifetime. Despite considering himself a failure at the end of his life, he inspired many writers, including T.S. Eliot. He’s considered to be one of the greatest writers of the 20th century.