Iris Owens was an American novelist best known for her sharp-witted and satirical works, including her acclaimed debut novel "After Claude" (1973) and the loosely autobiographical "Hope Diamond Refuses" (1984). Born in Brooklyn in 1929, she drew from her unconventional upbringing as the daughter of a professional gambler to craft narratives rich in dark humor and social critique. Her writing often explored themes of disillusionment, identity, and the complexities of human relationships.
Owens led a colorful life that deeply influenced her literary career. After attending Brooklyn College and a brief marriage, she moved to Paris, where she became associated with avant-garde circles, including editor Alexander Trocchi. To support herself, she wrote erotic fiction under the pseudonym Harriet Daimler for Maurice Girodias’s Olympia Press. Her experiences abroad and her marriage to an Iranian prince later provided material for her novels. Owens’s work remains notable for its incisive prose and unflinching examination of personal and societal contradictions.