American playwright and novelist (1913-1973).
Born May 3rd, 1913 in Independence. [ref]
Died June 10th, 1973 at 60 years old in Hollywood (carbon monoxide poisoning). [ref]
Life is so beautiful that death has fallen in love with it, a jealous, possessive love that grabs at what it can. But life leaps over oblivion lightly, losing only a thing or two of no importance, and gloom is just a passing shadow of a cloud. Yann Martel