Erich Segal facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Erich Segal
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| Born | Erich Wolf Segal June 16, 1937 Brooklyn, New York, U.S. |
| Died | January 17, 2010 (aged 72) London, England |
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| Alma mater | Harvard University (A.B., A.M., PhD) |
| Spouse | Karen Marianne James (1975–2010; his death; 2 children) |
Erich Wolf Segal (born June 16, 1937 – died January 17, 2010) was an American writer, movie script creator, and teacher. He was famous for writing the super popular novel Love Story in 1970. He also wrote the script for the hit movie based on the book.
Contents
Growing Up and School
Erich Segal grew up in Brooklyn, New York. He was the oldest of three brothers. His dad was a rabbi, and his mom took care of their home. Erich loved writing and telling stories from a young age.
He went to Midwood High School. While there, he had a bad accident during a canoe trip. His coach told him to jog to help him recover. This jogging became a big passion for him. He even ran in the famous Boston Marathon over 12 times!
After high school, he went to Harvard College. He graduated in 1958 and then earned two more degrees from Harvard University. Later, he started teaching at Yale.
Becoming a Writer
In 1967, Erich Segal got a chance to work on a movie script for the Beatles. This was for their 1968 film Yellow Submarine. He also sometimes acted in movies. He had small parts in films like Without Apparent Motive.
His first academic book was Roman Laughter: The Comedy of Plautus (1968). This book was about an old Roman comedy writer. It helped him become well-known.
The Story of Love Story
In the late 1960s, Segal wrote a romantic story about two college students. He tried to sell it as a movie script, but no one wanted it. Then, a literary agent suggested he turn it into a novel. This became Love Story (1970).
The book was a huge success! It was the number one bestseller in 1970 in the United States. It was also translated into 33 different languages around the world. The movie Love Story was also the top movie at the box office in 1970.
Even though Love Story was very popular, it caused some problems for Segal. He said its success made him a bit too proud. He also lost his teaching job at Yale. The book was even removed from a big award list after judges threatened to quit. Segal later said the book "totally ruined me." But he kept writing more novels and movie scripts. He even wrote a sequel to Love Story called Oliver's Story in 1977.
Erich Segal also wrote many scholarly books about Greek and Latin literature. He taught these subjects at Harvard, Yale, and Princeton universities.
Other Popular Books
Segal wrote other popular books too. His novel The Class (1985) was about the Harvard Class of 1958. It became a bestseller and won awards in France and Italy. Doctors (1988) was another New York Times bestseller. In 2001, he published a book about the history of theater called The Death of Comedy.
Running Marathons
Erich Segal was a very good runner. He ran track in high school and college. He started running marathons during his second year at Harvard. His coach was impressed with how fast he ran 10 miles.
Segal ran in the Boston Marathon almost every year from 1955 to 1975. In his first try, he finished in 79th place. His best time was in 1964, when he finished 63rd. After one Boston marathon, someone joked, "Hey, Segal, you run better than you write."
He was even in a short movie called Marathon (1965). This film showed the 1964 Boston Marathon.
Olympic Commentary
Segal also worked as a sports commentator for Olympic marathons. He did this for the 1972 and 1976 Summer Olympics. His most famous moment was in 1972. He was calling the race when an impostor ran into the stadium before the real winner, Frank Shorter.
Segal got very upset and yelled, "That is an impostor! Get him off the track! This happens in bush league marathons! This doesn't happen in an Olympic marathon! Throw the bum out! Get rid of that guy!" When Frank Shorter looked confused, Segal shouted, "come on, Frank, you won it!" and "Frank, it's a fake, Frank!"
This moment was later called one of the most memorable sports calls. A marathon runner named Amby Burfoot said it was "one of the most unprofessional, unbridled, and totally appropriate outbursts." This was because Segal had actually taught Frank Shorter at Yale.
Personal Life
Family
Erich Segal married Karen James in 1975. They were married until he passed away. They had two daughters, Miranda and Francesca Segal. Francesca, born in 1980, is now a writer and journalist.
His Passing
Erich Segal had Parkinson's disease for many years. He died from a heart attack on January 17, 2010. He was buried in London. His daughter Francesca gave a speech at his funeral. She said he fought to live every second of his illness with amazing strength. She added that he pursued his teaching, writing, running, and his wife with the same strong determination.
Books by Erich Segal
- 1970: Love Story
- 1973: Fairy Tale
- 1977: Oliver's Story
- 1981: Man, Woman and Child
- 1985: The Class
- 1988: Doctors
- 1992: Acts of Faith
- 1995: Prizes
- 1997: Only Love
Movies He Wrote Scripts For
- 1968: Yellow Submarine
- 1970: The Games
- 1970: R. P. M.
- 1970: Love Story
- 1971: Jennifer on My Mind
- 1978: Oliver's Story
- 1980: A Change of Seasons
- 1983: Man, Woman and Child
See also
In Spanish: Erich Segal para niños
- Love means never having to say you're sorry
