Notes

F. Scott Fitzgerald was a major literary figure of the Jazz Age. And he wasn't just a writer; he was a celebrity too. He and his wife, Zelda Fitzgerald, had earned reputations as highly visible New York socialites. For many years, they lived a lavish lifestyle of cocktail parties and events. Their relationship was also famously turbulent, and they both developed problems with alcohol abuse. Fitzgerald would draw on many of these experiences for his fiction, especially The Great Gatsby.

Though he earned much of his money writing short stories for magazines, Fitzgerald's true passion was for novels. However, he was never able to earn a substantial living from them. In fact, even The Great Gatsby, which is now considered an American classic, didn't sell well during his lifetime.

Without the means to support their expensive lifestyle, Fitzgerald and Zelda moved to Hollywood. Though Fitzgerald had moderate success as a screenwriter, the party lifestyle was beginning to take its toll on the Fitzgeralds. Zelda struggled with mental illness, and Fitzgerald's health was failing because of excessive alcohol abuse. He died at 44, and it wasn't until after his death that he became known as one of America's greatest novelists.