An F. Scott Fitzgerald Biography

F. Scott Fitzgerald's biography reveals a personal life almost as glamorous and flamboyant as the characters he created. Fitzgerald wrote five novels and several short stories. His most famous work being The Great Gatsby, a novel about youth and beauty in the Jazz Age, Fitzgerald himself named the post World War I era of prosperity and decadence. Not only did he write about it, he lived it.

Early Years
Born Sept. 24, 1896 in St. Paul, Minn., Francis Scott Fitzgerald spent his early youth moving from state to state, following his father's different jobs. As a teen, the family moved back to St. Paul, where Fitzgerald attended the St. Paul Academy and the Newman School. He published his first story in the school newspaper at age 12.

After graduating from high school, Fitzgerald attended Princeton University, where he attended writing and philosophy classes and became a member of the prestigious Triangle Club, a performing group. Ultimately, Fitzgerald flunked out of Princeton and enlisted in the U.S. Navy during the first World War.

Literary Success
Fitzgerald met Zelda Sayre while stationed in Alabama, and wished to marry her. To prove he could support her, Fitzgerald returned to St. Paul to finish a novel. This Side of Paradise was accepted for publication and rocketed to success. He and Sayre married in 1920 and welcomed their only child, Frances, in 1921.

Fitzgerald wrote short stories for several literary magazines and published his second novel, The Beautiful and the Damned, in 1922. As with his earlier novel, this one delved into the current Jazz Age culture of prosperity, loosened morals, youth, beauty and the fear of losing it all. In 1924, the Fitzgeralds left the US to join the expatriate community in France. The Great Gatsby, considered Fitzgerald's best work, was written there and published in 1925. A collection of short stories followed in 1926.

Pressures of Success
While Fitzgerald's novels sold well enough to support his family's extravagant lifestyle, the couple experienced a range of personal problems. Fitzgerald drank heavily and experienced many financial difficulties, taking out loans from friends and colleagues frequently. Zelda, a flamboyant personality that greatly inspired Fitzgerald's female characters, experienced mental health issues and was frequently hospitalized. Fitzgerald published Tender Is the Night in 1934, but the novel did not do well financially. He wrote movie scripts and short stories to pay the bills.

Fitzgerald dies of a heart attack on Dec. 21, 1940 after a decade of declining health. His final novel, The Love of the Last Tycoon, was published posthumously in 1941.