Brian Morton (American writer)
Brian Morton (born 1955) is an American author of five works of fiction. He currently teaches at Sarah Lawrence College, New York University and The Bennington Writing Seminars. Morton's 1998 novel "Starting Out in the Evening" was adapted into the 2007 film of the same name. His 2006 novel "Breakable You" was adapted into the 2017 film of the same name. Early life and education. Morton was born and raised in Teaneck, New Jersey, where he attended Teaneck High School. His father was an Irish-Catholic and a union organizer, and his mother was Jewish , and a school teacher. His mother was from a family of artists. Her brother was a composer, and her father (Morton's grandfather) was an actor in Yiddish theater. He has an older sister who wrote stories as a child. He graduated from Sarah Lawrence College in 1978. Career. In 1984, a few months after his father died, Morton began to write a portrait of him. The character of Francis Xavier Burke of "The Dylanist" is an idealized version of his father. In 1988 he finished the book. In 1988 he was working as a co-editor for the book  review of the magazine "Dissent," where he became executive editor in 1995. Through his connections at "Dissent" Morton found Harvey Klinger as an agent who loved the book. Ted Solotaroff at HarperCollins purchased the book, which received critical praise. Personal life. Morton lives with his partner Heather Harpham a drama teacher, performer and author of a memoir, "Happiness: The Crooked Little Road to Semi-Ever After". Together they have a daughter, Gracie-Amelia, and a son, Gabriel.