Runyon, Damon (Alfred Damon Runyon), 1884–1946, American short story writer and journalist, b. Manhattan, Kans. He is best known for his humorous stories—written in a picturesque, slangy journalistic idiom (often referred to as Runyonese)—about New York City's Broadway and underworld characters. Collections of his works include Guys and Dolls (1931), Blue Plate Special (1934), Money from Home (1935), and Runyon à la Carte (1944). The musical Guys and Dolls (1950) was based on Runyon's stories.
See biographies by D. Runyon, Jr. (1954) and J. Breslin (1991).
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