Dennis Cooper

American gay writer, described as the literary heir to William S. Burroughs.

His early childhood was fraught with trauma. At age 11, a young friend on whom he had a crush, split open Cooper's head with an ax. Cooper woke up alone but covered in blood. By age 12, the "freeway killer" had killed and raped several young boys in the hills near his house. Fascinated with the violent deeds, Cooper went hiking in the same woods intent on finding where the vile events had occurred. At a young age he discovered the writings of the Marquis de Sade. A writer himself by his 20s, he began publishing a literary magazine called Little Caesar. He credits the films of Robert Bresson with helping him find his own voice as a writer.

In 1985, he moved to Amsterdam. There he began writing his "quintology," a five-book cycle, the first volume of which is "Closer" and the last is "Period."

In his writing, the theme is often that language is inadequate to "describe the terrors of contemporary life." His use of just the right word, wickedly sardonic humor, and pointed description to portray the horrors of life along with his emphasis on sexual obsession, alienation and vile human behavior have become his hallmark.

After reading "Frisk," Burroughs said of him "Dennis Cooper, God help him, is a born writer." Cooper has endured death threats, drug addiction, homophobia and criticism in the United States. His books are bestsellers in England and they have been translated into many different languages, including Hebrew.