Michael McDowell

Michael McDowell (1950-1999) was an American author and screenwriter. Born in Enterprise, Alabama, McDowell attended public schools in southern Alabama before going on to graduate with a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in English from Harvard. In 1978, he was awarded his Ph.D. in English and American Literature from Brandeis. His seventh novel written and first to be sold, The Amulet, was published in 1979, and would be followed by over thirty additional volumes of fiction. His screenwriting credits include Beetlejuice (1988), The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) and Thinner (1996).