Nathaniel Benchley Birthplace: Newton, MA USA Author Biography Nathaniel Benchley was born November 13, 1915 in Newton, Massachusetts. He died in 1981. Benchley attended Phillips Exeter Academy and Harvard University. He was a reporter for the Herald Tribune and Newsweek. He served in the Navy Public Relations Office during World War II. His father was the well-known humorist Robert Benchley. The author and his wife, Marjorie, had two sons, Peter and Nathaniel Robert. Peter is a well-known adult novelist. Nathaniel's hobbies included fishing, boating and painting. Benchley is best known for his young adult novels. "Bright Candles" was a 1974 ALA Best Book for Young Adults. Updating Results ...No matching titles were found. Loading...