James Atlas, an author, editor and patron of literary biographies who broke thorough in his 20s by writing an acclaimed book on poet Delmore Schwartz and later oversaw releases on subjects ranging from St. Augustine to Elvis Presley, has died.
Fellow biographer Anne C. Heller told The Associated Press that Atlas died Wednesday at age 70. Atlas' daughter, the literary agent Molly Atlas, said that he had been battling a long-term lung condition that worsened in recent months.
Friends and fellow writers and biographers posted online tributes, praising him as a generous supporter of other people's work.
This undated image released by Pantheon Books shows author and editor James Atlas who died Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2019, at age 70. (Michael LionstarPantheon Books via AP)
"He was a friend to many biographers, including me, and one of the first to encourage me to write my book about Shirley Jackson," Ruth Franklin, whose Jackson biography won a National Book Critics Circle prize, wrote on her Facebook page.
Starting in 1977 with "Delmore Schwartz: The Life of an American Poet," Atlas was a singular champion of biographies, be it those he authored himself, the books he published through the Penguin Lives series he founded in 1999 or the books he later edited for HarperCollins and W.W. Norton & Company.
Atlas turned out dozens of brief works that were credited with reviving an art form dating back to ancient times and inspiring numerous publishers to launch similar imprints. His idea was to pair prominent contemporary writers with famous figures of the past: Irish writer Edna O'Brien on James Joyce, surgeon Sherwin Nuland on Leonard da Vinci, Southern writer Bobbie Ann Mason on Presley.
One Penguin Lives work, Garry Wills' biography of St. Augustine, was praised as a revelatory account of the Christian philosopher. Atlas was also proud of recruiting the bestselling travel writer and linguist Bill Bryson for a book on Shakespeare for HarperCollins' Eminent Lives series.
"We try to elicit enthusiasms," Atlas told The Associated Press in 2008. "I sent out these missives to writers I admire, sometimes into the Internet ether and sometimes by actual post. I sent some letters to Bill Bryson and sort of forgot about it until a few months later I got this letter from him. There's one word, followed by a question mark: 'Shakespeare?'"
Besides his daughter, he is survived by his wife, Dr. Anna Fels, his son William and a grandson, Otto.
Atlas was born in Evanston, Illinois, and became interested in Schwartz as a teenager after he learned of the famously tormented poet's 1966 death, at age 52.
He continued to read Schwartz while studying at Harvard University, where his mentors included Robert Lowell and Elizabeth Bishop, and an essay he wrote for a poetry journal in his mid-20s led to a book deal with Farrar, Straus & Giroux.
His Schwartz biography was a National Book Award finalist and Atlas' connection to the poet lasted through the following decades. In his 2017 book, "The Shadow in the Garden: A Biographer's Tale," he recalled suffering from acute depression and being "diagnosed with Delmore's main impairment, bipolarity."
Atlas' other books included the memoir "My Life in the Middle Ages" and an autobiographical novel, "The Great Pretender." The praise he received for his Schwartz biography led to his most contested work, a biography of Saul Bellow published in 2000. As Atlas recalled in the audio-only memoir "Remembering Roth," published in February, Philip Roth had sent Atlas an admiring letter after "Delmore Schwartz" came out and later suggested the book on Bellow. Working with Bellow's cooperation, Atlas spent a decade on the book and combined comprehensive research and insightful analysis with growing dismay over the author's private behavior, chastising him for misogyny and homophobia.
"If you know Bellow and aren't dead, Atlas will have talked to you. If you had an opinion but bought the farm, he's read your diaries, your F.B.I. dossier and maybe your genome," New York Times critic John Leonard wrote in 2000. "Alas, the deeper into the biography, the harder it is to recall what we admired so much in the fiction."
The book helped lead to a long estrangement with Roth, although they did reconnect before Roth's death in 2018. During their last meeting, Roth spoke of mortality, inquired about the Kindle e-book device and, because he had lost his wallet, asked Atlas to lend him money.
The first hint of concern regarding the readiness of Canada’s women’s hockey team was raised by coach Troy Ryan two days before the defending Olympic champions opened their four-game Rivalry Series against the United States last month.
Whatever advantage Canada might have in returning a veteran roster with an edge in international experience isn’t enough to make a difference once the puck drops, Ryan told The Associated Press then. What worried him particularly after a sloppy practice was his players using that experience as a crutch.
“Sometimes what happens with experienced teams that have experienced a lot together, complacency can creep in,” he said.
“When you have trust in people, a lot of times you trust and trust and trust, and it can end up working against you,” Ryan added. “So, ‘Oh, we’ll be fine. Our passing will get better. We’ll be better come the Olympics,’ I don’t believe in that. ... So that's the challenge. How do you keep pushing? How do you keep finding ways to improve?"
A month and three lopsided losses later, in which the U.S. has outscored Canada by a combined 20-6, Ryan’s concerns haven't abated.
With less than two months before the women’s tournament opens in Milan, questions are being raised about not only complacency, but whether the Canadians have the wherewithal to keep up with their speedier and younger U.S. rivals.
“There was a lack of compete,” Ryan said following a 10-4 loss to the Americans in Edmonton, Alberta, on Wednesday. “We had a meeting this afternoon and it was generally all on compete. And we have to be better competing.”
Ryan dismissed questions over whether Canada can compete against its cross-border rivals.
“They’ve got a ton of youth. They’ve got a ton of speed. They’ve got a ton of skill,” Ryan said. “It doesn’t mean you can’t be successful against a group like that. But to do it, you’re going to have to compete. You’re going to have to play with structure.”
The U.S now has a 16-14 edge in the series, which began in 2018-19 and has become one of the fiercest rivalries in sports.
While series results have previously had little bearing on which nation has the edge in international tournaments, Canada’s performance so far is cause for concern. The 10 goals against were the most the Canadian women have ever allowed to any opponent.
With one series game left on Saturday in Edmonton, and players returning to their respective PWHL and college teams to resume their seasons next week, Ryan has limited practice time to make corrections before heading to Italy.
“Of course this game is frustrating. But we have one more game against them before the Olympics,” Canadian captain Marie-Philip Poulin said. “These are important games. We didn’t show up. It’s unacceptable. And we’re all aware of it.”
The Canadians have the edge in Olympic competition, having won five gold medals to the Americans’ two (1998, 2018). The U.S., however, has closed the gap in world championship play.
Canada still leads with 13 world titles, but the U.S. has won 11, including 10 of the last 14 following a 4-3 overtime win over Canada in the gold-medal game in April.
And the tables have turned in the four years since Canada played a breathtaking, up-tempo style to dominate the 2022 Beijing Games. The Canadians finished 7-0 and outscored their opponents by a whopping margin of 57-10. The closest anyone came to beating them was the U.S. in a 3-2 loss in the gold medal game.
This time, the Americans appear primed to dominate with a team that features several key holdovers in Hilary Knight, Kendall Coyne Schofield, Alex Carpenter and Lee Stecklein. Coach John Wroblewski has spent the past four years reinforcing his roster with a collection of youngsters such as defenders Caroline Harvey and Laila Edwards, and the goalie tandem of Aerin Frankel and Gwyneth Philips.
Winning three Rivalry Series outings has further motivated the Americans.
“The work doesn’t stop,” Coyne Schofield said. “I don’t think you’re ever satisfied until that final game.”
For Canada, there’s even more work to do in preparation for an Olympic tournament in which the Czech Republic and Finland are showing signs of catching up to the world’s two dominant powers.
“We definitely need to have a big reset and have a plan,” Canadian defender Jocelyne Larocque said. “Right now, we have a choice. We have a choice to learn, to get better, to compete harder, to just play Canadian hockey.”
The Canadian Press contributed to this report.
AP women’s hockey: https://apnews.com/hub/womens-hockey
United States players celebrates a goal against Canada during the first period of Rivalry Series game in Edmonton on Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2025. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via AP)
United States' Abbey Murphy (37) checks Canada's Ella Shelton (17) during the second period of Rivalry Series game in Edmonton on Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2025. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via AP)
United States players celebrates a goal against Canada during the first period of Rivalry Series game in Edmonton on Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2025. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via AP)
