J.P. Donleavy

James Patrick Donleavy, known commonly as J.P. Donleavy, is a prominent author and playwright of Irish-American descent. He is well known for his novels in the literature and fiction genre, and is particularly famous for his novel, "The Ginger Man." Donleavy was born on April 23, 1926, in Brooklyn, New York, to immigrant parents from Ireland. He completed his education in a number of schools throughout the US, and later joined the US Navy, serving for a brief period during the Second World War. After retiring from the Navy, Donleavy moved to Ireland.

In 1946, Donleavy enrolled at Trinity College in Dublin and began pursuing a degree. However, he did not obtain his degree as he left the college in 1949, before the completion of the course. Unsure of his next steps, Donleavy turned to writing and was first published in the literary periodical of Dublin, called Envoy. He achieved critical acclaim with his debut book, "The Ginger Man," which went on to be included in the list of the 100 best books by the Modern Library. The book, however, was banned in the US and Ireland due to its depiction and description of obscenity. The main lead of the book, Sebastian Dangerfield, is partly based on Donleavy's companion from the Trinity College, Gainor Crist, who was a Navy veteran from America and studied in the college on the GI Bill.