John Simmons Barth (; born May 27, 1930) is an American writer who is best known for his
postmodern
Postmodernism is an intellectual stance or Rhetorical modes, mode of discourseNuyen, A.T., 1992. The Role of Rhetorical Devices in Postmodernist Discourse. Philosophy & Rhetoric, pp.183–194. characterized by philosophical skepticism, skepticis ...
and
metafiction
Metafiction is a form of fiction which emphasises its own narrative structure in a way that continually reminds the audience that they are reading or viewing a fictional work. Metafiction is self-conscious about language, literary form, and stor ...
al fiction. His most highly regarded and influential works were published in the 1960s, and include
''The Sot-Weed Factor'', a satirical retelling of
Maryland's colonial history, and ''
Lost in the Funhouse'', a self-referential and experimental collection of short stories. Though Barth's work has been controversial among critics and readers, he was co-recipient of the National Book Award in 1973 for his novel
''Chimera'' with
John Williams
John Towner Williams (born February 8, 1932)Nylund, Rob (15 November 2022)Classic Connection review '' WBOI'' ("For the second time this year, the Fort Wayne Philharmonic honored American composer, conductor, and arranger John Williams, who w ...
for ''
Augustus
Caesar Augustus (born Gaius Octavius; 23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14), also known as Octavian, was the first Roman emperor; he reigned from 27 BC until his death in AD 14. He is known for being the founder of the Roman Pr ...
''. Despite Barth's influence on postmodern literature in America, his influence and publicity have decreased since his novels were published.
Life
John Barth, called "Jack", was born in
Cambridge, Maryland. He has an older brother, Bill, and a twin sister Jill. In 1947 he graduated from Cambridge High School, where he played drums and wrote for the school newspaper. He briefly studied "Elementary Theory and Advanced Orchestration" at
Juilliard
The Juilliard School ( ) is a private performing arts conservatory in New York City. Established in 1905, the school trains about 850 undergraduate and graduate students in dance, drama, and music. It is widely regarded as one of the most elit ...
before attending
Johns Hopkins University
Johns Hopkins University (Johns Hopkins, Hopkins, or JHU) is a private research university in Baltimore, Maryland. Founded in 1876, Johns Hopkins is the oldest research university in the United States and in the western hemisphere. It consi ...
, where he received a B.A. in 1951 and an M.A. in 1952. His thesis novel, ''
The Shirt of Nessus'', drew on his experiences at Johns Hopkins.
Barth married Harriet Anne Strickland on January 11, 1950. He published two short stories that same year, one in Johns Hopkins's student literary magazine and one in ''The Hopkins Review''. His daughter, Christine Ann, was born in the summer of 1951. His son, John Strickland, was born the following year.
From 1953 to 1965, Barth was a professor at
Pennsylvania State University
The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State or PSU) is a public state-related land-grant research university with campuses and facilities throughout Pennsylvania. Founded in 1855 as the Farmers' High School of Pennsylvania, Penn State becam ...
, where he met his second and current wife, Shelly Rosenberg.
["John Barth" FAQ, http://www.davidlouisedelman.com/barth/faqs] His third child, Daniel Stephen, was born in 1954. During the "American high Sixties", he moved to teach at the
State University of New York at Buffalo from 1965 to 1973. In that period he came to know "the remarkable short fiction" of the Argentine
Jorge Luis Borges
Jorge Francisco Isidoro Luis Borges Acevedo (; ; 24 August 1899 – 14 June 1986) was an Argentine short-story writer, essayist, poet and translator, as well as a key figure in Spanish-language and international literature. His best-known b ...
, which inspired his collection ''
Lost in the Funhouse''.
Barth later taught at
Boston University
Boston University (BU) is a private research university in Boston, Massachusetts. The university is nonsectarian, but has a historical affiliation with the United Methodist Church. It was founded in 1839 by Methodists with its original cam ...
as a visiting professor in 1972–73 and at
Johns Hopkins University
Johns Hopkins University (Johns Hopkins, Hopkins, or JHU) is a private research university in Baltimore, Maryland. Founded in 1876, Johns Hopkins is the oldest research university in the United States and in the western hemisphere. It consi ...
from 1973 until he retired in 1995.
Literary work
Barth began his career with ''
The Floating Opera'' and ''
The End of the Road'', two short realist
novels that deal wittily with controversial topics,
suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Mental disorders (including depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, personality disorders, anxiety disorders), physical disorders (such as chronic fatigue syndrome), and ...
and
abortion
Abortion is the termination of a pregnancy by removal or expulsion of an embryo or fetus. An abortion that occurs without intervention is known as a miscarriage or "spontaneous abortion"; these occur in approximately 30% to 40% of pre ...
respectively. They are straightforward
realistic tales; as Barth later remarked, they "didn't know they were novels".
''
The Sot-Weed Factor'' (1960) was initially intended as the completing novel of a trilogy comprising his first two "realist" novels, but, as a consequence of Barth's maturation as a writer, it developed into a different project.
[John Barth (1987) Foreword to Doubleday Anchor Edition of ''The Sot-Weed Factor''] The novel is significant as it marked Barth's discovery of
postmodernism
Postmodernism is an intellectual stance or mode of discourseNuyen, A.T., 1992. The Role of Rhetorical Devices in Postmodernist Discourse. Philosophy & Rhetoric, pp.183–194. characterized by skepticism toward the " grand narratives" of modern ...
.
Barth's next novel, ''
Giles Goat-Boy'' (about 800 pages), is a speculative fiction based on the conceit of the university as universe. Giles, a boy raised as a goat, discovers his humanity and becomes a savior in a story presented as a computer tape given to Barth, who denied that it was his work. In the course of the novel Giles carries out all the tasks prescribed by
Joseph Campbell
Joseph John Campbell (March 26, 1904 – October 30, 1987) was an American writer. He was a professor of literature at Sarah Lawrence College who worked in comparative mythology and comparative religion. His work covers many aspects of the ...
in ''
The Hero with a Thousand Faces
''The Hero with a Thousand Faces'' (first published in 1949) is a work of comparative mythology by Joseph Campbell, in which the author discusses his theory of the mythological structure of the journey of the archetypal hero found in world myt ...
''. Barth kept a list of the tasks taped to his wall while he was writing the book.
The short story collection ''
Lost in the Funhouse'' (1968) and the novella collection ''
Chimera'' (1972) are even more
metafiction
Metafiction is a form of fiction which emphasises its own narrative structure in a way that continually reminds the audience that they are reading or viewing a fictional work. Metafiction is self-conscious about language, literary form, and stor ...
al than their two predecessors, foregrounding the writing process and presenting achievements such as a seven-deep nested quotation. ''Chimera'' shared the U.S.
National Book Award for Fiction
The National Book Award for Fiction is one of five annual National Book Awards, which recognize outstanding literary work by United States citizens. Since 1987 the awards have been administered and presented by the National Book Foundation, but ...
.
[
In the novel '']LETTERS
Letter, letters, or literature may refer to:
Characters typeface
* Letter (alphabet), a character representing one or more of the sounds used in speech; any of the symbols of an alphabet.
* Letterform, the graphic form of a letter of the alpha ...
'' (1979), Barth interacts with characters from his first six books.
His 1994 ''Once Upon a Time: A Floating Opera'', reuses stock character
A stock character, also known as a character archetype, is a fictional character in a work of art such as a novel, play, or a film whom audiences recognize from frequent recurrences in a particular literary tradition. There is a wide range of s ...
s, stock situations and formulas.[Clavier, Berndt (2007) ''John Barth and Postmodernism: Spatiality, Travel, Montage'' pp. 165–167]
Styles, approaches and artistic criteria
Barth's work is characterized by a historical awareness of literary tradition and by the practice of rewriting
In mathematics, computer science, and logic, rewriting covers a wide range of methods of replacing subterms of a formula with other terms. Such methods may be achieved by rewriting systems (also known as rewrite systems, rewrite engines, or reduc ...
typical of postmodernism. He said, "I don't know what my view of history is, but insofar as it involves some allowance for repetition and recurrence, reorchestration, and reprise ..I would always want it to be more in the form of a thing circling out and out and becoming more inclusive each time."[Elias, Amy J. (2001]
''Sublime Desire: History and Post-1960s Fiction''
p. 224. In Barth's postmodern sensibility, parody
A parody, also known as a spoof, a satire, a send-up, a take-off, a lampoon, a play on (something), or a caricature, is a creative work designed to imitate, comment on, and/or mock its subject by means of satiric or ironic imitation. Often its sub ...
is a central device.
Around 1972, in an interview, Barth declared that "The process f making a novelis the content, more or less."
Barth's fiction continues to maintain a precarious balance between postmodern self-consciousness and wordplay and the sympathetic characterization and "page-turning" plotting commonly associated with more traditional genres and subgenres of classic and contemporary storytelling.
Essays
While writing these books, Barth was also pondering and discussing the theoretical problems of fiction writing.
In 1967, he wrote a highly influential and, to some, controversial essay considered a manifesto of postmodernism, '' The Literature of Exhaustion'' (first printed in ''The Atlantic
''The Atlantic'' is an American magazine and multi-platform publisher. It features articles in the fields of politics, foreign affairs, business and the economy, culture and the arts, technology, and science.
It was founded in 1857 in Boston, ...
'', 1967). It depicts literary realism
Literary realism is a literary genre, part of the broader realism in arts, that attempts to represent subject-matter truthfully, avoiding speculative fiction and supernatural elements. It originated with the realist art movement that began with ...
as a "used-up" tradition; Barth's description of his own work, which many thought illustrated a core trait of postmodernism, is "novels which imitate the form of a novel, by an author who imitates the role of author".
The essay was widely considered a statement of "the death of the novel The ''death of the novel'' is the common name for the theoretical discussion of the declining importance of the novel as literary form. Many 20th century authors entered into the debate, often sharing their ideas in their own fiction and non-fiction ...
", (compare with Roland Barthes
Roland Gérard Barthes (; ; 12 November 1915 – 26 March 1980) was a French literary theorist, essayist, philosopher, critic, and semiotician. His work engaged in the analysis of a variety of sign systems, mainly derived from Western pop ...
' "The Death of the Author"). Barth has since insisted that he was merely making clear that a particular stage in history was passing, and pointing to possible directions from there. He later (1980) wrote a follow-up essay, "The Literature of Replenishment", to clarify the point.
Awards
*1956 — National Book Award finalist for ''The Floating Opera''["National Book Awards – 1956"]
National Book Foundation. Retrieved 2012-03-30.
*1966 — National Institute of Arts and Letters grant in literature
*1965 — The Brandeis University
, mottoeng = "Truth even unto its innermost parts"
, established =
, type = Private research university
, accreditation = NECHE
, president = Ronald D. Liebowitz
, p ...
creative arts award in fiction
*1965-66 — The Rockefeller Foundation
The Rockefeller Foundation is an American private foundation and philanthropy, philanthropic medical research and arts funding organization based at 420 Fifth Avenue, New York City. The second-oldest major philanthropic institution in America, aft ...
grant in fiction
*1968 — Nominated for the National Book Award for '' Lost in the Funhouse''
*1973 — Shared the National Book Award for ''Chimera'' with John Edward Williams
John Edward Williams (August 29, 1922 – March 3, 1994) was an American author, editor and professor. He was best known for his novels ''Butcher's Crossing'' (1960), '' Stoner'' (1965), and ''Augustus'' (1972),[Augustus
Caesar Augustus (born Gaius Octavius; 23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14), also known as Octavian, was the first Roman emperor; he reigned from 27 BC until his death in AD 14. He is known for being the founder of the Roman Pr ...]
''["National Book Awards – 1973"]
National Book Foundation. Retrieved 2012-03-30.
(With acceptance speech by Barth and two essays by Harold Augenbraum from the Awards' 60-year anniversary blog. The essay nominally about Williams and ''Augustus'' includes Augenbraum's discussion of the split award.)
*1974 — Elected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters
The American Academy of Arts and Letters is a 300-member honor society whose goal is to "foster, assist, and sustain excellence" in American literature, music, and art. Its fixed number membership is elected for lifetime appointments. Its headqu ...
*1974 — Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
The American Academy of Arts and Sciences (abbreviation: AAA&S) is one of the oldest learned societies in the United States. It was founded in 1780 during the American Revolution by John Adams, John Hancock, James Bowdoin, Andrew Oliver, a ...
*1997 — F. Scott Fitzgerald Award for Outstanding Achievement in American Fiction
*1998 — Lannan Foundation
The Lannan Literary Awards are a series of awards and literary fellowships given out in various fields by the Lannan Foundation. Established in 1989, the awards are meant "to honor both established and emerging writers whose work is of exceptional ...
Lifetime Achievement Award
*1998 — PEN/Malamud Award for Excellence in the Short Story
*1999 — Enoch Pratt
Enoch Pratt (September 10, 1808 – September 17, 1896) was an American businessman in Baltimore, Maryland. Pratt was also a committed active Unitarian, and a philanthropist. He is best known for his donations to establish the Enoch Pratt Free ...
Society's Lifetime Achievement in Letters Award
*2008 — Roozi Rozegari, Iranian literature prize for best foreign work translation '' The Floating Opera''John Barth's statement to Iranian literary prize, Roozi Rozegari
Selected works
Fiction
*''
The Floating Opera'' (1956)
*''
The End of the Road'' (1958)
*''
The Sot-Weed Factor'' (1960)
*''
Giles Goat-Boy, or, The Revised New Syllabus'' (1966)
*''
Lost in the Funhouse: Fiction for Print, Tape, Live Voice'' (stories) (1968)
*''
Chimera'' (three linked novellas) (1972)
*''
LETTERS
Letter, letters, or literature may refer to:
Characters typeface
* Letter (alphabet), a character representing one or more of the sounds used in speech; any of the symbols of an alphabet.
* Letterform, the graphic form of a letter of the alpha ...
'' (1979)
*''
Sabbatical: A Romance'' (1982)
*''
The Tidewater Tales'' (1987)
*''
The Last Voyage of Somebody the Sailor'' (1991)
*''
Once Upon a Time: A Floating Opera'' (memoirish novel) (1994)
*''On with the Story'' (stories) (1996)
*''
Coming Soon!!!: A Narrative'' (2001)
*''The Book of Ten Nights and a Night: Eleven Stories'' (2004)
*''
Where Three Roads Meet
''Where Three Roads Meet'' is a book of three metafictional novellas by American writer John Barth
John Simmons Barth (; born May 27, 1930) is an American writer who is best known for his postmodern and metafictional fiction. His most highly ...
'' (three linked novellas) (2005)
*''
The Development: Nine Stories'' (2008)
*''
Every Third Thought: A Novel in Five Seasons'' (2011)
*''Collected Stories'' (2015)
Nonfiction
*''The Friday Book: Essays and Other Nonfiction'' (1984)
*''Further Fridays: Essays, Lectures, and Other Nonfiction, 1984-1994'' (1995)
*''Final Fridays: Essays, Lectures, Tributes & Other Nonfiction, 1995-'' (2012)
*''Postscripts (or Just Desserts): Some Final Scribblings'' (2022)
See also
*
Maryland literature
Notes and references
Further reading
*Rovit, Earl, "The Novel as Parody: John Barth." ''Critique'' 6 (Fall 1963).
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
* Dean, Gabrielle, and Charles B. Harris, eds. (2016). ''John Barth: A Body of Words.'' Dalkey Archive Press. 978-1-56478-869-6
External links
* Vida, Obra y Libros usado
de John Barth
*
*
*
*
North American Postmodern Fiction: John BarthBarth audio goodies at the Lannan siteBarth on KCRW's radio program 'Bookworm' with Michael Silverblatt a short story by John Barth centered on hypertextuality
{{DEFAULTSORT:Barth, John
20th-century American novelists
20th-century American male writers
American short story writers
American parodists
Parody novelists
Postmodern writers
Fellows of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
Members of the American Academy of Arts and Letters
National Book Award winners
People from Cambridge, Maryland
Novelists from Maryland
Boston University faculty
Johns Hopkins University alumni
Johns Hopkins University faculty
Juilliard School alumni
Pennsylvania State University faculty
University at Buffalo faculty
PEN/Malamud Award winners
1930 births
Living people
21st-century American novelists
American male novelists
American male short story writers
Novelists from Pennsylvania
Novelists from Massachusetts
Novelists from New York (state)
21st-century American male writers