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James Ellroy on His Mother's Murder

Ellroy was born in Los Angeles in 1948. After his mother was mysteriously strangled to death when he was ten, he grew up obsessed with crime. His life spun towards booze, drugs, theft, and jail. He eventually cleaned up his life and began writing. He has written several novels, many of which were international best-sellers, including "American Tabloid," "The Black Dahlia," and his most recent book, "My Dark Places," in which he tells the story of his mother's murder.

21:44
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Other segments from the episode on December 2, 1996

Fresh Air with Terry Gross, December 3, 1996: Interview with James Ellroy; Interview with Ellery Eskelin.
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27:04

Ellery Eskelin Shares His Father's Music

Tenor saxophonist and composer, Ellery Eskelin. He's been called the most inventive American tenor player in creative music. His father, Rodd Keith, (also known as Rod Rodgers) was killed when he was struck by cars on the Hollywood Freeway after leaping or falling from the Santa Monica Boulevard overpass. Eskelin only knew his father for the first eighteen months of his life. As he grew up, Eskelin was inspired and intrigued by the continuous stories he heard about his father and his musical talent.

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22:44

Crime Writer James Ellroy Returns to the Case of His Murdered Mother

Ellroy sets his novels in 1950's LA, where he grew up. His series of novels, "LA Quartet," was a bestseller. His latest novel is called "Hollywood Nocturnes." When Ellroy was ten, his mother was murdered near their LA home. He wrote an article about returning to LA to go through the police files on his mother for this month's issue of GQ, where he is a contributing editor. He'll talk today about how his mother's murder led to his crime writing.

Interview
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11:01

Crime Fiction Writer James Ellroy

Ellroy grew up in Los Angeles; his mother was murdered when Ellroy was still a child. He credits these two experiences with leading him on his path toward becoming a crime writer. His latest novel is called L.A. Confidential.

Interview

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