He’s been dead since 1940–forever ago, and would be 111 if alive today. Not unthinkable.
Think of all he could have written. Now Vonnegut’s dead too. I’m depressed about both of them.
I’ve heard that Shakespeare is dead, too.
And Homer.
I don’t know. I think a lot of the “cool factor” regarding Fitzgerald has a lot to do with him dying young, alcoholic and poor, with an unfinished novel that allegedly could have been his greatest, had he lived to finish it. Fitzgerald worked as a Hollywood hack throughout the 1930s, and there was no indication that he would have ever reachieved the same kind of superstar status that he enjoyed in the 1920s. Had he lived to be 111, it’s highly likely that he would have just faded away. Who knows if he would even still be taught in schools, or perceived as one of the great writers of the 20th century?
[obligatory joke]
Not much light to write by inside the coffin, is there?
I think Fitzgerald would have fallen behind, not because his skills would fade or anything along those lines, but because his fame as a writer comes largely from just how well he exemplifies the 1920’s. With the 1920’s gone, what else was left?
I wonder how much more he would have written. Wasn’t he the perfectionist that constantly rewrote and edited all the time until he felt it was just right? I recall reading that he was jealous of Hemingway who had a more natural feel for writing.
This is why I love Tom Wolfe so much. He’s able to capture the feel of every decade he’s experienced.
This reminds me of an old joke on Letterman, where they presented audience members with multiple choice questions.
What would Abraham Lincoln be doing if he were alive today?
A) Running for political office.
B) Working to improve race relations.
C) Frantically clawing at the lid of his coffin.
HELL NO!
The poor man was tortured by alcoholism, clinical depression & the death of his wife.
Add to that the fickleness of the Literati, who would have dropped him like a hot rock, around the 60s era, & his longer life would be sad. 