For some readers his success is his criticism of contemporary America. But his true strength is his merciless self-scrutiny, done in a style that is both funny and heartbreaking, with close observations of people and incidents that constitute a unique, formidable voice in contemporary American literature.
The son of Earl Exley, a telephone lineman, and Charlotte Merkley Exley, Frederick was born in Watertown, New York, on 28 March 1929. His older brother, William, became the central character in Last Notes from Home; Frederick also had a twin, Frances, and a younger sister, Constance. He attended Watertown public schools through graduation from high school, then studied for a year at John Jay High School in Katonah, New York, to raise his grades enough to get into college. He played football and basketball and at John Jay was named to an interscholastic all-star basketball team. Exley once called this period at John Jay "the most productive year of my life," a time when he felt he was living up to his potential. He recounts his sports experience and the influence of his football coach in"Holding Penalties Build Men" (1981) and Last Notes from Home.
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