Prolific author and screenwriter who became known for his 1954 novel, The Blackboard Jungle, as well as for his screenplays for Strangers When We Meet (1960) and Hitchcock's The Birds (1963). His other works include the 87th Precinct crime series and the late twentieth-century novel, Candyland. He grew up in East Harlem and in The Bronx and earned a scholarship to attend the famous Art Students League. After serving in the U.S. Navy during World War II, he graduated from Hunter College with degrees in psychology and English.
