Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Sol Yurick worked as a social investigator for the New York Department of Welfare in the 1950s before quitting to pursue a master’s degree at Brooklyn College, where he wrote his first novel, Fertig. Informed by his experience with “juvenile delinquents” in his previous job, and taking inspiration from the ancient Greek story Anabasis, he wrote his second novel, The Warriors, about a teenage gang in New York City attempting to escape enemy territory. The novel met with great success and was adapted 14 years later into a hit Hollywood film and franchise. Sol was also involved in political activism with student organizations in the 1960s, and wrote several more novels, receiving a Guggenheim for his work in 1972.
Show Creator/Executive Producer: Petar Talijancic
Produced, Written, and Edited by Joseph Montalbano
Cinematography by Santiago Pineda Leyton
Host: Duane Ferguson
Watch the full episode at youtu.be/Rq8Vh11Lg9c?si=P4QOF16X2mqoDxI1
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Twitter: twitter.com/cunytv
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Find more from CUNY TV at https://tv.cuny.edu
CUNY Laureates is a documentary series about the lives and achievements of CUNY graduates who went on to win major awards in their respective fields. By reintroducing these exceptional minds to younger audiences, we hope to emphasize the value of a high-quality public education and demonstrate how it can transcend all social and political boundaries, even to this day.
Watch more at https://tv.cuny.edu/show/cunylaureates
CUNY Laureates playlist bit.ly/cunylaureates
Subscribe to the CUNY TV channel: bit.ly/2GmGb13
CNLR04007 FS3
Sol Yurick worked as a social investigator for the New York Department of Welfare in the 1950s before quitting to pursue a master’s degree at Brooklyn College, where he wrote his first novel, Fertig. Informed by his experience with “juvenile delinquents” in his previous job, and taking inspiration from the ancient Greek story Anabasis, he wrote his second novel, The Warriors, about a teenage gang in New York City attempting to escape enemy territory. The novel met with great success and was adapted 14 years later into a hit Hollywood film and franchise. Sol was also involved in political activism with student organizations in the 1960s, and wrote several more novels, receiving a Guggenheim for his work in 1972.
Show Creator/Executive Producer: Petar Talijancic
Produced, Written, and Edited by Joseph Montalbano
Cinematography by Santiago Pineda Leyton
Host: Duane Ferguson
Watch the full episode at youtu.be/Rq8Vh11Lg9c?si=P4QOF16X2mqoDxI1
Follow CUNY TV:
Facebook: facebook.com/CUNYTV
Twitter: twitter.com/cunytv
Instagram: instagram.com/cuny.tv
youtube.com/@cunytv
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/cunytv
Find more from CUNY TV at https://tv.cuny.edu
CUNY Laureates is a documentary series about the lives and achievements of CUNY graduates who went on to win major awards in their respective fields. By reintroducing these exceptional minds to younger audiences, we hope to emphasize the value of a high-quality public education and demonstrate how it can transcend all social and political boundaries, even to this day.
Watch more at https://tv.cuny.edu/show/cunylaureates
CUNY Laureates playlist bit.ly/cunylaureates
Subscribe to the CUNY TV channel: bit.ly/2GmGb13
CNLR04007 FS3
