Jerzy Kosinski

(1933-1991) Since his suicide in 1991, the literary reputation of Jerzy Kosinski has continued to sink. At one time he was one of the most promising writers on the American scene, pounding out three hits in a row-the cult classic The Painted Bird, Steps (winner of the 1969 National Book Award), and Being There (filmed in 1980 with Peter Sellers in the starring role). With their grisly violence and a sexuality bordering upon the sadomasochistic, the books raised Kosinski into the ranks of America's celebrity class. He appeared repeatedly on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, played the role of Lenin's stooge Grigory Zinoviev in Warren Beatty's film Reds, posed for the cover of the New York Times Magazine, and presented the Oscar for screenwriting in the spring of 1982, watched by 600 million people. [Read more]

Steps
Bantam Books, 1969 (PhP 60.00)
Winner of the National Book Award. A portrayal of men and women both aroused and desensitized by an environment that disdains the individual and seeks control over the imagination.