Herman Wouk's 1962 novel Youngblood Hawke is a bildungsroman that follows the rise and fall of a talented writer from Kentucky who finds success in New York City. The book explores the internal world of writing and the conflict between art and commerce that can lead artists astray. The story begins with a question: “Have you ever known a famous man before he became famous?”. Wouk's answer is that they probably seemed like anyone else.