An Austrian-American author of experimental novels and short stories, he is best known for his 1980 novel, How German Is It. His other works include Alphabetical Africa, Eclipse Fever, and Minds Meet.
He and his family fled the Nazis and moved to Italy and France before settling in China. He became an American citizen in 1960.
His novel, How German Is It, received the PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction.
He married Cecile Gelb, a Photographer and Artist.
He and Charles R. Johnson both received MacArthur Fellowships.
