American Author James Sallis Dies at 81 in Phoenix, Arizona

James Sallis Dies in Phoenix at Age 81

American author James Sallis, known for the noir novel "Drive," died on Tuesday, January 27, in Phoenix, Arizona, at the age of 81.

Sallis was born in Arkansas in 1944 and later lived in Louisiana, Iowa, London, New York, Paris and Arizona. His varied places of residence formed part of a life in which he combined multiple professions and literary pursuits.

Career as Novelist, Poet and Translator

James Sallis was best known as a novelist, particularly for his noir fiction. He also wrote short stories and poetry. In addition to his work as an author, he served as a translator, working from French, Russian and Spanish into English.

Sallis taught creative writing as a professor and also worked as a literary critic. His novel "Drive," published in 2005, later brought him wider recognition when it was adapted for film in 2011 by director Nicolas Winding Refn. His debut novel was published in 1992.

Additional Professional Roles and Artistic Activities

Beyond his literary and academic work, Sallis held positions outside the traditional writing world. He worked as a neonatal respiratory therapist. He was also active as a musician, playing guitar, mandolin, banjo and bouzouki.

Sallis additionally worked as a screenwriter, further extending his creative activities into film-related writing. These various roles underscored the diversity of his professional life.

Early Life and Introduction to Literature

James Sallis grew up in the segregated American South, where he was forbidden to play with Black children during his childhood. He was raised in a working-class family in a home without books.

He first encountered literature through science fiction, which was the genre in which he began his writing career. At the same time, he started to write poetry. Sallis later stated that science fiction shaped his worldview, while poetry structured his relationship to language and encouraged him to be concise.

Themes and Style in His Work

According to descriptions of his writing, James Sallis was influenced by existentialism. His works used crimes, either to be solved or committed, as a means to explore human solitude and the feeling of loss. These narratives were described as being set to a jazz rhythm in semi-dreamlike atmospheres.

His life and career, which spanned several locations and roles, concluded with his death in Phoenix, Arizona, on January 27 at age 81.