Born in Staten Island, NY, in May of 1936. A celebrated playwright, Zindel took home an Obie Award for the play THE EFFECT OF GAMMA RAYS ON MAN-IN-THE-MOON MARIGOLDS in 1970, and the following year found himself honored with a Pulitzer Prize as well. It wasn't long before Hollywood came knocking, and in 1972, actor Paul Newman took the helm for a feature adaptation of the popular play. Following up Marigolds with AND MISS REARDON DRINKS A LITTLE (1971) and THE SECRET AFFAIRS OF MILDRED WILD, Zindel also continued to write for television and film with such efforts as 1974's MAME, 1985's RUNAWAY TRAIN, and the made-for-television version of ALICE IN WONDERLAND (also in 1985). With novels such as THE PIGMAN and MY DARLING HAMBURGER, Zindel became a best-selling author of children's fiction as well.
