Iran

Obie (Obelit) Yadgar often would observe his great-uncle, the renowned writer and historian Benjamin Arsanis, hunched over a table under a tree in the yard, writing. Years later, Obie discovered that, like his uncle, he best saw life through the eyes of a writer.

It was at Senn High School in Chicago, in his junior year and barely able to speak English, that Obie told himself he would become a novelist. He has spent many years on this road, but he is finally there.

After a tour of duty in Vietnam as a U.S. Army combat correspondent, he drifted into radio. Since he had already loved sharing his love of music with others, radio seemed a natural route for him to take. He started as a jazz program host in San Diego, worked in upstate New York in adult contemporary, then St. Louis in jazz, big bands and classical, and finally in Milwaukee and Chicago in classical.

Even during his time in radio Obie continued to write for magazines and newspapers.