Ducovny, Amram, (Coney [hc, The Overlook Press, 2000]) 978-1585670673 [pb, The Overlook Press, 2001] 978-1585671991 [- a combination of a coming-of-age story and a dark, gritty thriller set in 1939 Coney Island. The narrative engine kicks off when the 15-year-old Jewish protagonist, Harry Catzker, takes an after-school job picking up illegal betting slips for a local bookie from the carnival sideshow performers. This criminal underworld provides the background tension and atmospheric suspense typical of mid-century noir fiction. The book features a prominent subplot involving local mobsters and an arson scheme. Ducovny relies on these underworld figures to break up the insular, intellectual, and combative atmosphere of Harry’s immigrant household. The threat of violence from these criminals hangs over the entire narrative arc. A classic mystery device Ducovny uses is the burden of a dark, historical secret. Aba Stolz, a melancholy Yiddish poet boarding with Harry’s family, carries a deeply buried secret from his past in Poland. Rather than a standard whodunit, the suspense builds around what happened in Europe and how those ghosts will catch up to the characters in America. Ultimately, this hidden history triggers the novel’s tragic and violent climax, directly linking old-world trauma to criminal elements in the new world. – Google/AI]
United States · Fiction author
Amram Ducovny
Amram Ducovny (1927–2003, born in New York City, died in Paris, France) [- born to Ashkenazi Jewish immigrants. His father, Moshe, was a notable Yiddish writer and journalist for the Morning Journal. Amram grew up in the Coney Island neighborhood of Brooklyn, which heavily inspired his later creative work. Served in the U.S. Army and later graduated with a B.A. from New York University. Writing was primarily his second career. For decades, Ducovny paid the bills as a high-level public relations and public affairs professional. He worked first for the American Jewish Committee in New York, later served as the Vice President for Public Affairs at Brandeis University in Massachusetts, and eventually retired from the Combined Jewish Philanthropies of Boston. Before turning to fiction, Ducovny wrote 10 nonfiction books covering a wide range of social issues and satire (including The Billion Dollar Swindle: Frauds Against the Elderly). In 1967, he wrote the Off-Broadway play The Trial of Lee Harvey Oswald, which was later adapted into a television movie. Around 1993, he retired from his PR career and moved to Paris to fulfill his lifelong dream of writing a novel. At age 73, he published his debut (and only) novel, Coney (2000). His fiction directly approaches the theme of Jewish involvement in crime and heavily utilizes elements of the mystery/thriller and noir genres.