'The Warriors' writer Sol Yurick dies
Yurick wrote several novels, but was best known for “The Warriors,” which later inspired a movie of the same name.
The author of the novel that later became the cult-classic movie "The Warriors" has died at the age of 87. The New York Times reported writer Sol Yurick died Saturday in Manhattan due to complications related to lung cancer.
Yurick, the author of two other novels in addition to "The Warriors," crafted the novel he was best known for after an ancient Greek battle. He drew on his own experiences working for the New York City Department of Welfare to modernize and bring a gritty edge to the classic tale.
IMDB credits Yurick with embodying the spirit of New York City during a violent, dark period of its history. While the literary establishment of New York in the 1960s saw Yurick as too extreme, others latched on to his work for the way he depicted the reality of life for the city’s lower classes.
Yurick grew up in the Bronx. Born in 1925, he was the son of Communist activists. He used his time working at the Department of Welfare to learn about children involved in street gangs. He observed gang members and explored the streets they controlled.
Yurick later drew on the experience to paint his portrayal of gangs in "The Warriors" as merely poor and not necessarily sick or bad. To him, gangs gave the poor a sense of loyalty and community they otherwise lacked.
"The Warriors" was adapted into a film in 1979 and remains a cult classic. The film version of the book was even adapted into a video game in 2005.
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