ENGLEWOOD, N.J., March 14 (UPI) -- Author James Purdy, known best for his dark works of comic fiction, has died in Englewood, N.J., at the age of 94, a friend says.
Purdy's friend, John Uecker, confirmed the author of such works as "The Nephew" and "Malcolm" died of unspecified causes Friday, The New York Times reported.
While Purdy's books and short stories were never fully embraced by the mainstream literary world because of their controversial dark content, the author had his own take on his creations.
"I can describe my books as I see them as American, imaginative, symbolic," Purdy once said in an interview.
The author also approached his lack of acceptance by literary critics as praise rather than a professional snub.
"Reputations are made here, as in Russia, on political respectability, or by commercial acceptability," said Purdy, who left no reported survivors. "The worse the author, the more he is known."
Many of Purdy's nearly 20 novels and multiple short stories focused on innocent small town residents trapped in a dark and corrupt world, the Times said.
