Ira Levin grandchildren. Ira Levin died from a heart attack at his home in Manhattan, on November 12, 2007. Ira Levin Ira Marvin Levin (August 27, 1929 – November 12, 2007) was an American novelist, playwright, and songwriter. His most noted works include the novels "A Kiss Before Dying" (1953), "Rosemary's Baby" (1967), "The Stepford Wives" (1972), and "The Boys from Brazil" (1976), as well as the play "Deathtrap" (1978). Many of his novels and plays have been adapted to film. Ira Levin was born on August 27, 1929, in the New York City, New York borough of Manhattan. He grew up
Marjorie Morningstar (novel) happily settled into a role as a religious suburban wife and mother. Wally recalls the bright-eyed girl he once knew, and marvels at how ordinary Marjorie seems at 39. The character name Airman is a translation to English of the Yiddish expression Luftmensch. The novel was controversial among Jewish writers and religious figures as well as among secular intellectuals. In particular, the depiction of New York Jews was criticized by Leslie Fiedler and Norman Podhoretz, though others, like Meyer Levin, praised the novel. Wouk's fictional depiction of a bar-mitzva was a particular target of criticism. In 1959 in "This Is