Heller

Heller, Joseph, 1923-99, American writer, b. Brooklyn, N.Y. Heller is best known for his first novel, Catch-22 (1961). Set in World War II, it is a darkly humorous commentary on the illogic of war and bureaucracy. The title, which refers to an inescapable double bind, has entered the language. Heller dramatized his novel in 1971 and published a sequel, Closing Time, in 1994. His other works include the play We Bombed in New Haven (1967); the novels Something Happened (1974), Good As Gold (1979), God Knows (1984), and Picture This (1989); and the memoir Now and Then (1998). From his earliest writing days to his later career, Heller has also written short stores, many of them included in the collection Catch as Catch Can (2003).

Heller, Stephen, 1814-88, French pianist and composer, b. Budapest. Heller toured as a piano virtuoso, ruining his health before settling in Paris in 1838. There he developed close friendships with many of the leading artists of the day. He wrote a large number of subtle and entertaining piano pieces.

Heller, Walter, 1915-87, American economist, b. Buffalo, N.Y., grad. Oberlin College (A.B., 1935), Univ. of Wisconsin (M.A. 1938, Ph.D. 1941). He worked for the U.S. Treasury before joining the Univ. of Minnesota faculty in 1946 as a professor of economics. After service as a consultant to the United Nations (1952-60) and to the state of Minnesota (1955-60), he was chairman (1961-64) of the Council of Economic Advisers under President John F. Kennedy. He left the council in 1964 but continued to serve as a consultant to President Lyndon B. Johnson until 1969. Heller advocated deficit spending to spur economic growth, and federal revenue sharing with the states. Heller became a Regent's Professor at the Univ. of Minnesota in 1967; he retired in 1986. His writings include Monetary vs. Fiscal Policy (1969; with Milton Friedman) and The Economy (1976).

(born May 1, 1923, Brooklyn, N.Y., U.S.—died Dec. 12, 1999, East Hampton, N.Y.) U.S. writer. Heller flew 60 combat missions as a bombardier in World War II before finishing his studies at Columbia and Oxford and working as an advertising copywriter. His satirical novel Catch-22 (1961), based on his wartime experiences, was one of the most significant works of postwar protest literature and a huge critical and popular success. His later novels include Something Happened (1974), Good as Gold (1979), God Knows (1984), and Closing Time (1994).

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(born May 1, 1923, Brooklyn, N.Y., U.S.—died Dec. 12, 1999, East Hampton, N.Y.) U.S. writer. Heller flew 60 combat missions as a bombardier in World War II before finishing his studies at Columbia and Oxford and working as an advertising copywriter. His satirical novel Catch-22 (1961), based on his wartime experiences, was one of the most significant works of postwar protest literature and a huge critical and popular success. His later novels include Something Happened (1974), Good as Gold (1979), God Knows (1984), and Closing Time (1994).

Learn more about Heller, Joseph with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Heller may mean:

People with the surname Heller:

• Heller (surname)

In fiction:

• James Heller, a character from the TV series 24
• Jettero Heller main character in the mission earth novels written by L. Ron Hubbard

Other:

• Heller, a defunct unit of money in some part of Central Europe. Currently 1/100 of the Czech koruna and the Slovak koruna
• Heller SA, a French manufacturer of model kits
• a beer brewery in Bamberg, see also Schlenkerla
• The Heller River in Germany
• Heller, a Serbian and former Yugoslav trash metal band
• Gebr. Heller, a manufacturing firm in Germany. See also Gebr. Heller
• Heller Letter
• Heller myotomy
• Hedley Byrne v. Heller
• Heller's syndrome, a neurological disorder
• Joseph Heller, author, most famous for his novel, Catch 22
• District of Columbia v. Heller, a United States court case regarding the application of the Second Amendment.

See also

• Häller, Haeller
• Geller (Russianised form)