Hubert Selby Jr. (New York, 1928-2004) worked in various low-skilled jobs in his youth until, during his long convalescence from severe tuberculosis, he dedicated himself to writing stories based on his own experiences and the people he had met. His first big success was Last Out for Brooklyn (1964), a novel that cost him a trial for obscenity in Great Britain and that in 1990 was made into a film by Uli Edel and starred Jennifer Jason Leigh. Other works of his are The room, The willow tree, The Queen is Dead and Requiem for a dream (1978), also made into a film in 2000, directed by Darren Aronofsky and with Jared Leto and Jennifer Connelly in the main roles.