James Patterson by James Patterson : the stories of my life.
(Adult Book)

James Patterson is the world's bestselling author. The creator of Alex Cross, he has produced more enduring fictional heroes than any other novelist alive. How did a kid whose dad lived in the poorhouse become the most successful storyteller in the world?

James Patterson's best stories are the stories of his own life. On the morninhg he was born, he nearly died. His dad grew up in the Pogey--the Newburgh, New York, poorhouse. He worked at a mental hospital in Massachusetts, where he met the singer James Taylor and the poet Robert Lowell. While he toiled in advertising hell, James wrote the ad jingle line "I'm a Toys 'R'Us kid." He once watched James Baldwin and Norman Mailer square off to trade punches at a party. He's been in love only twice--both times amazing. Dolly Parton once sang "Happy Birthday" to James over the phone. She calls him J.J., for Jimmy James. --,From dust jacket.