HARRY MARK PETRAKIS held a variety of jobs as steelworker, real-estate salesman, and speech writer before he broke into print in the ATLANTIC in 1957, with his story “Pericles on 34th Street,” which won a Benjamin Franklin Magazine Citation and an Atlantic “First” Award. Since then his novel, LION AT MY HEART, has been published, and he is now at work on his second book.
HARRY MARK PETRAKISbroke into print in theATLANTICwith his first story, “Pericles on 34th Street,” which won a Benjamin Franklin Magazine Citation and an Atlantic ”First” Award for 1957. His novel,LION AT MY HEART,a view of Greek — American life published last year, was taken for television production onPLAYHOUSE 90.
The son of a Greek Orthodox minister, HARRY MARK PETRAKIS held a variety of jobs as steelworker, real-estate salesman, and speech writer before he broke into print in the ATLANTIC with his first story in 1957. Since then he has received a Benjamin Franklin Magazine Citation and an Atlantic “First” Award, and his novel, LION AT MY HEART, a strong and compassionate view of Greek-American life, was published under the Atlantic-Little, Brown imprint.
HARRY MARK PETRAKIS was thirty-three years old, happily married, the father of two sons, and busily employed in a steel company in Pittsburgh before he succeeded in breaking into ATLANTIC print. His story, “Pericles on 34th Street,” won the Atlantic “First” Award for 1957; this is his second story, and he is now at work on a novel.
After ten years of writing and rejection, HARRY MARK PETRAKIS hit our target right in the center with this pungent starv. Mr. Pet raids is thirty-three years old, married, anti has two young sons. When yon are in your early ttreaties,” he wrote, publication seems a story away. It is only later that you learn the obligations of talent. You learn that no one can really do for you that which has to be done. Yon learn what it means to try to balance the wanting to write within the nomad patterns of life and family. From arrogance you come full circle to humility when for days oral weeks and even months there appears to be no sane reason for continuing.”