BEDFORD, N.Y. - At an age when many people are enjoying retirement, Bedford resident Fredric Price is developing new drugs, writing award-winning fiction and still finding new ways to challenge himself.
And depending on the day, he might answer to a different name.
Price, 80, is a longtime biotechnology executive. But in literary circles, he is known as David Hirshberg, the pen name under which he has published three historical novels.
His latest, “Crossing the Bronx,” was released in June and has earned positive reviews for its storytelling and portrayal of Jewish life in 1950s New York.
The achievement marks another milestone in a second career that began with a novel Price wrote in secret four decades ago - and promptly threw away.
“I was always told in college and graduate school and in work that I wrote very well,” Price recalled. “But I was intimidated in terms of writing. Could I do something creative on my own?”
Around 1985, without telling anyone, including his wife, Price wrote a 120,000-word novel. Although proud of completing it, he decided it didn't meet his standards.
So he deleted the entire thing.
It would be nearly 30 years before he tried again.
Around 2014 or 2015, Price began writing short stories, eventually having four published. He then tackled his first published novel, “My Mother's Son,” which went through more than a dozen drafts before its 2018 release.
The inspiration came from a single sentence: “When you're a kid, they don't always tell you the truth.”
“In that one line, you want to know who's the 'they,'” he explained. “Who doesn't tell you the truth?”
The novel received enthusiastic reviews, including one comparing his work to Michael Chabon's “The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay” and Saul Bellow's “The Adventures of Augie March.”
“I was rocked back on my heels when I got that,” Price said.
His second novel, “Jacobo's Rainbow,” followed in 2021. Both books earned nine awards apiece, he said.
His latest, “Crossing the Bronx,” has continued that success. The Jewish Book Council called it “an absorbing and thoughtful read,” while Hadassah Magazine praised its depiction of 1950s New York and exploration of Jewish identity.
Price believes portions of the book may represent his best writing yet, although he acknowledges that authors tend to favor their latest work.
“This is my latest love, so maybe I love this one,” he said. “But before I wrote that, I loved the other one.”
Different Identity
Price's decision to publish under a pseudonym was not an attempt to conceal his identity, but rather to distinguish his literary career from his reputation in biotechnology.
He realized that anyone searching online for books by Fredric Price would likely encounter information about pharmaceutical companies and drug development instead.
The name David Hirshberg also carries personal meaning. David was the first name of his father-in-law, David Streger, while Hirshberg was the surname of his maternal grandfather, Bill Hirshberg.
“The separation suits me well, as it allows me the privilege of re-invention without throwing out the prior act,” he explained.
Price is also the founder and publisher of Fig Tree Books, an independent press devoted to Jewish literature.
Beyond the Page
When he isn't writing, Price serves as founder, chairman and CEO of NBO Pharma, which is developing a potential treatment for idiopathic intracranial hypertension, a rare neurological disorder that can cause severe headaches and vision loss.
The company is preparing for a Phase 2 clinical trial, although Price cautioned that success is never guaranteed.
“In the drug industry, I can tell you, you can never predict what's going to happen in a clinical trial,” he said.
A Dartmouth College and Wharton School graduate, Price began his pharmaceutical career at Pfizer in 1973 before moving into biotechnology and treatments for rare diseases. Over the decades, he has been involved in eight drug approvals and is a co-inventor of 18 issued U.S. patents.
These days, Price runs NBO from the third floor of his Bedford home, coordinating with specialists across the United States and overseas.
His two dogs frequently keep him company, occasionally barking during business calls.
“I just tell people it's a business call,” he joked. “I say, those are my executive assistants.”
Price and his wife, both Westchester natives, have lived in Bedford for about 40 years. They have three sons and four grandsons.
“I think Bedford happens to be a very quiet, relaxed, easygoing place,” he said.
Next Chapter
Despite his literary success, Price has no set writing routine, working whenever inspiration strikes.
“I have absolutely no process at all,” he said.
He does, however, believe strongly in revision and constructive criticism.
While working on “Jacobo's Rainbow,” a fellow writer praised his prose but advised him to eliminate roughly the first 150 pages because the story didn't truly begin until later.
Price took the advice and rebuilt the manuscript.
“My book was so much better for that,” he said.
With three published novels behind him, Price is now turning his attention to screenwriting, having already completed two screenplays.
He also recently had a fifth short story accepted for publication in April 2027. In a fitting twist, it draws on an idea from that first novel he discarded 40 years ago.
“It brought a big sense of satisfaction to me,” he said.
Although he doesn't anticipate writing another novel, Price continues to embrace new challenges.
At 80, with a biotechnology company to run and screenplays to develop, retirement doesn't appear to be part of the plan.
"Crossing the Bronx" is currently available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
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