Robert Gover facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Robert Gover
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| Born | November 2, 1929 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States |
| Died | January 12, 2015 (age 85) Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, U.S. |
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| Notable works | One Hundred Dollar Misunderstanding |
Robert Gover (born November 2, 1929 – died January 12, 2015) was an American journalist who became a very successful novelist when he was 30 years old. His first novel, One Hundred Dollar Misunderstanding, was a satire (a funny way to criticize something) about American racism. It is still a popular book today. This book helped change how people thought about books that were more open and honest. Robert Gover worked with other writers for 30 years. His book On the Run with Dick and Jane was his ninth novel. Another book, Time and Money, looked at how economic changes might be connected to planet cycles. In 2015, a writing award, the Eric Hoffer Prose Award, was renamed the Gover Story Prize in his honor.
Contents
Robert Gover: A Writer's Journey
Robert Gover was a talented writer and journalist. He wrote many books that made people think. His stories often explored important ideas about society and how the world works.
Early Life and Education
Robert Gover grew up in a special school called an orphanage. It was called Girard College. His father, Dr. Bryant A. Gover, died in a car accident when Robert was very young, only 11 months old. His mother, Anna Wall Gover, was struggling financially during the Great Depression in the 1930s. Because of this, Robert went to Girard College.
Growing Up at Girard College
Girard College was founded by Stephen Girard in 1848. It gave Robert an excellent education from elementary school all the way through high school. When Robert was in high school, he was a great swimmer. His swimming team won a big championship for high schools in the Eastern States. Robert was good at the butterfly stroke.
Studying at University of Pittsburgh
Because he was a good swimmer, Robert had the chance to go to college with a sports scholarship. He chose the University of Pittsburgh. He liked this university because it had a great creative writing program. Robert first studied fiction writing there. Later, he became very interested in economic history and theories. He changed his major and graduated with a degree in Economics in 1952.
Becoming a Journalist
After college, Robert Gover worked as a journalist for eight years, from 1952 to 1960. His first job was as a sports editor for a newspaper in Greenville, Pennsylvania. He also worked for other newspapers in Pennsylvania and Maryland. For a short time, he worked in the public relations department of a steel company.
His Famous First Novel
Robert Gover's first novel was One Hundred Dollar Misunderstanding. At first, publishers in New York did not want to publish it. So, his agent sent the book to a French agent. A French publisher quickly decided to publish it.
How the Book Became a Hit
The French version of the book came out in 1962. It received great reviews in famous French newspapers. Other European publishers then bought the rights to publish it. An English publisher bought the rights for the English language. This led to an American publisher, Grove Press, releasing the book in October 1962. A famous novelist, Herbert Gold, wrote a glowing review of it in The New York Times. The book became a bestseller. One Hundred Dollar Misunderstanding is the first book in a series of three. The other two books are Here Goes Kitten (1964) and J.C. Saves (1968). Even Bob Dylan, a famous musician, praised the novel in an interview in 1963.
Later Works and Interests
Robert Gover's second novel was The Maniac Responsible. Newsweek magazine called it "a work of art." He wrote eight more novels after that. His most recent novel was On the Run with Dick and Jane, published in 2007.
In 1965, Robert Gover started studying astrology. Astrology is the study of how the positions of stars and planets might affect events and people. He began to connect astrology to the stock market and economics. He also became friends with Jim Morrison, the singer from the band The Doors.
Robert Gover explored interesting topics in his books. He wrote about pseudoscience (ideas that seem scientific but are not) and the occult (mystical or magical beliefs). His book Voodoo Contra: Contradictory Meanings of the Word discussed African-American polytheism (belief in many gods) as an ancient religion. In Time and Money: The Economy and the Planets, Gover suggested that certain planetary patterns have happened at the same time as big economic problems. He predicted difficult economic times in the early 21st century. Robert Gover lived most of his life in California. Later, he moved to Rehoboth Beach, Delaware.
