The answer to the crossword is AGEE, which is the surname of the American novelist and screenwriter, James AGEE. He is best known for his novel 'A Death in the Family' (1957) which won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1958. He also wrote the screenplay for the film 'The African Queen' (1951). His other works include the novel 'Let Us Now Praise Famous Men' (1941) and the non-fiction book 'Morning Watch' (1951).