Who was the real Jay Gatsby?
Cushman Rice is considered by some to be the man upon whom F. Scott Fitzgerald based "The Great Gatsby." This photo, taken in France in 1918, shows Rice in uniform as a major in the U.S. Air Service.
Photo courtesy of Daniel Hardy
Not much is known about the origin of the character Jay Gatsby, the main character in F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel "The Great Gatsby." But a St. Paul author is writing a biography about a dashing Minnesotan named Cushman Rice, who may have been Fitzgerald's inspiration.
MPR's Cathy Wurzer spoke with Dan Hardy, author of "The Man Who Was Gatsby: The Tales and Times of Cushman Rice."
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