Writer James Purdy has died in New Jersey, according to The New York Times; the newspaper also reports he was 94, nearly a decade older than had been customarily reported.

The Ohio-born author was best known for such novels as The Nephew, On Glory's Course, and Malcolm; the latter work was adapted for Broadway by Edward Albee in 1966, where it had a very brief run.

Purdy himself wrote numerous works for the stage; including 1963's The Color of Darkness, which had music by Ned Rorem. The Times reports that a collection of Purdy's plays is due to be published this spring.