Don DeLillo, 88: How A Bronx Native Became One Of America’s Most Reexamined Writers

From the streets of the Bronx to the heights of American letters, novelist Don DeLillo’s journey charts the story of a boy made good—and then made great. Born in New York City on November 20, 1936, DeLillo grew up in an Italian-American Catholic household in the Fordham section of the Bronx, a neighbourhood shaped by immigrant ambition. ( perival.com )

He attended Cardinal Hayes High School in the Bronx, before enrolling at Fordham University, where he graduated in 1958 with a bachelor’s in “communication arts.” ( National Book Foundation ) His borough roots remain formative. As one interview put it, “I think of myself as the kid from the Bronx.” ( The Guardian )

Bronx Origins & Fordham Credentials

For literary watchers and local-pride enthusiasts alike, DeLillo’s credentials