John Gregory Dunne (25 May 1932 - 30 December 2003) was an American novelist, screenwriter and literary critic.

He was born in Hartford, Connecticut, and was a younger brother of author Dominick Dunne. He suffered from a severe stutter and took up writing to express himself: eventually he learned to speak normally by observing others. He graduated from Princeton University in 1954 and worked as a journalist for Time magazine. He married novelist Joan Didion on 30 January 1964, and they became collaborators on a series of screenplays, including A Star Is Born (1976) and True Confessions (1981).

As a literary critic, he frequently was a contributor to The New York Review of Books.

He died in Manhattan of a heart attack. His final work, in galleys at the time of his death, will be published posthumously.

He was uncle to actors Griffin Dunne and Dominique Dunne.

Books

  • Delano: The Story of the California Grape Strike - 1967
  • The Studio
  • True Confessions
  • Monster: Living Off the Big Screen
  • ''Playland - 1996

Screenplays

  • Panic in Needle Park (1971)
  • A Star Is Born (1976)
  • True Confessions (1981)
  • ''Up Close and Personal (1996)