John Cheever
1912-1982
Birthplace: Quincy, Massachusetts
Typewriter: Royal portable* (30's-40's)

The American short story writer and novelist is known as the "Chekhov of the suburbs". Cheever's main theme was the spiritual and emotional emptiness of life. He especially described the manners and morals of middle-class, suburban America, with an ironic humor, which softened his basically dark vision. Although he often used his family as material, his daughter Susan Cheever has reminded that "of course none of us expected accuracy from my father. He made his living by making up stories."