So I made myself an exciting new acquaintance last week! I met a man who is as close to a celebrity as I've ever known, Mr. Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald. He is a second cousin, three times removed (and obviously the namesake as well), to Francis Scott Key - the writer of our beloved "Star-Spangled Banner." And, what do you know, Mr. Fitzgerald is also a writer!
Mr. Fitzgerald hails from Minnesota, born in the city of St. Paul on the 24th of September in 1896. He tells me he is somewhat of an alum at Princeton. This is because, as he tells me, through his college years he often ignored his studies, preferring to write plays and scripts, so he was placed on academic probation. He risked not graduating, so in 1917 he enlisted in the Great War.
As I said, Mr. Fitzgerald is a writer (and, on an unrelated note, seems to be quite the party-goer, and he was drinking a lot when we spoke). He wrote an early draft of his first novel during the war, titling it
The Romantic Egoist but it was rejected by publishers. After returning home, he revised it and was able to get it published, this time as
This Side of Paradise.
Mr. Fitzgerald tells me that the novel brought him quick fame (such is why I went out to buy the book on Monday - it is proving to be quite a good read so far), as well of the heart of his beloved. Though I did not get the opportunity to meet her, Mr. Fitzgerald tells me her name is Zelda Sayre. They married only a week after
This Side of Paradise was published! Can you believe that?
And he tells me that they've recently had a daughter, little Frances Scott Fitzgerald. Still only an infant, how adorable!
Mr. Fitzgerald also wrote a second book; he tells me it is titled
The Beautiful and Damned. I will be sure to look for it once I finish with
Paradise. And, he was telling me that he has plans to travel to Europe - France, in particular - to find solitude to write his third novel. I'm excited to see what will come of that one!
