Joseph Heller was an American author who wrote novels, short stories, plays, and screenplays. He is best known for his debut novel Catch-22, published in 1961, which satirizes war and bureaucracy. The novel's title has since become a common phrase used to describe absurd or contradictory situations. Heller's work earned significant recognition during his lifetime. He received two nominations for the Nobel Prize in Literature, in 1972 and 1975, reflecting the impact and literary merit of his writing.