Peter De Vries (February 27, 1910 – September 28, 1993) was an American

editor Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, visual, audible, or cinematic material used by a person or an entity to convey a message or information. The editing process can involve correction, condensation, organization, a ...

and

novelist A novelist is an author or writer of novels, though often novelists also write in other genres of both fiction and non-fiction. Some novelists are professional novelists, thus make a living wage, living writing novels and other fiction, while other ...

known for his satiric wit.

Biography

De Vries was born in

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash River, Wabash and Ohio River, Ohio rivers to its ...

, in 1910. He was educated in Dutch Christian Reformed Church schools, graduating from

Calvin College Calvin University, formerly Calvin College, is a private Christian university in Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1876, Calvin University is an educational institution of the Christian Reformed Church and stands in the Reforme ...

Grand Rapids, Michigan Grand Rapids is the largest city and county seat of Kent County, Michigan, United States. With a population of 198,917 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census and estimated at 200,117 in 2024, Grand Rapids is the List of municipalities ...

, in 1931. He also studied at

Northwestern University Northwestern University (NU) is a Private university, private research university in Evanston, Illinois, United States. Established in 1851 to serve the historic Northwest Territory, it is the oldest University charter, chartered university in ...

. He supported himself with a number of different jobs, including those of

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operator, toffee-apple salesman, radio actor in the 1930s, and editor for ''

Poetry Poetry (from the Greek language, Greek word ''poiesis'', "making") is a form of literature, literary art that uses aesthetics, aesthetic and often rhythmic qualities of language to evoke meaning (linguistics), meanings in addition to, or in ...

'' magazine from 1938 to 1944. He joined the staff of ''

The New Yorker ''The New Yorker'' is an American magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. It was founded on February 21, 1925, by Harold Ross and his wife Jane Grant, a reporter for ''The New York T ...

'' magazine at the insistence of

James Thurber James Grover Thurber (December 8, 1894 – November 2, 1961) was an American cartoonist, writer, humorist, journalist, and playwright. He was best known for his gag cartoon, cartoons and short stories, published mainly in ''The New Yorker'' an ...

and worked there from 1944 to 1987, writing stories and touching up cartoon captions. A prolific writer, De Vries wrote short stories, reviews, poetry, essays, a play, novellas, and twenty-five novels. Films made from De Vries's novels include '' The Tunnel of Love'' (1958), which also was a successful Broadway play; ''How Do I Love Thee?'' (1970, based on ''Let Me Count the Ways''); ''

Pete 'n' Tillie ''Pete 'n' Tillie'' is a 1972 American comedy-drama film directed by Martin Ritt and starring Walter Matthau and Carol Burnett. Its advertising tagline was: "Honeymoon's over. It's time to get married." Screenwriter Julius J. Epstein was no ...

'' (1972, based on ''Witch’s Milk''); and '' Reuben, Reuben'' (1983), which also inspired a Broadway play, ''Spofford''. Earlier, in 1952, De Vries also contributed to the writing of the Broadway revue ''

New Faces of 1952 ''New Faces of 1952'', also known as ''Leonard Sillman's New Faces of 1952'', is a 1952 musical revue with songs and comedy skits, produced and conceived by Leonard Sillman. It was the fourth of Sillman's seven ''New Faces'' revues, each intended ...

''. Although he enjoyed success for five decades, all his novels were out of print by the time of his death. James Bratt describes De Vries as "a secular

Jeremiah Jeremiah ( – ), also called Jeremias, was one of the major prophets of the Hebrew Bible. According to Jewish tradition, Jeremiah authored the Book of Jeremiah, book that bears his name, the Books of Kings, and the Book of Lamentations, with t ...

, a renegade CRC missionary to the smart set."

Personal life

Peter De Vries met his future wife, poet and author Katinka Loeser, in 1943 when she won an award from ''Poetry'' magazine. The couple moved to

Westport, Connecticut Westport is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. Located in the Gold Coast (Connecticut), Gold Coast along the Long Island Sound, it is northeast of New York City and is part of the Western Connecticut Planning Region, Connec ...

, in 1948. They were the parents of four children: sons Derek and Jon, daughters Jan and Emily. Emily died in 1960 at age ten after a two-year fight with leukemia. This experience provided the inspiration for his 1961 work, ''The Blood of the Lamb.'' His son Jon is an actor who has appeared in movies such as '' American Gangster''; '' Sarah, Plain and Tall''; and '' Skylark''; as well as episodic television in shows like '' Blue Bloods'', ''

Boardwalk Empire ''Boardwalk Empire'' is an American period crime drama television series created by Terence Winter for the premium cable channel HBO. The series is set chiefly in Atlantic City, New Jersey, during the Prohibition era of the 1920s. The series sta ...

'', and '' Star Trek: The Next Generation''. His daughter Jan, an author, editor and psychic counselor whose interests and activities ranged from homeopathic medicine to shamanism, the occult and Native American lore, died in 1997 at age 52, of cancer. Katinka De Vries died in 1991. Peter De Vries died at age 83 on September 28, 1993, in a

Norwalk, Connecticut Norwalk is a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. The city, part of the New York metropolitan area, New York Metropolitan Area, is the List of municipalities of Connecticut by population, sixth-most populous city in Connecticut ...

, hospital. He, his wife, and daughter are buried in Willowbrook Cemetery, Westport, Conn.

Honors

De Vries received an honorary degree in 1979 from Susquehanna University. He was 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 of the United States, music, and Visual art of the United States, art. Its fixed number ...

in May 1983.

Works

*''But Who Wakes the Bugler?'' (1940) *''The Handsome Heart'' (1943) *''Angels Can't Do Better'' (1944) *''No But I Saw the Movie'' (1952) *'' The Tunnel of Love'' (1954) *''Comfort Me with Apples'' (1956) *''The Mackerel Plaza'' (1958) *''The Tents of Wickedness'' (1959) *''Through the Fields of Clover'' (1961) *''The Blood of the Lamb'' (1961) *''Reuben, Reuben'' (1964) *''Let Me Count the Ways'' (1965) *''The Vale of Laughter'' (1967) *''The Cat's Pajamas & Witch's Milk'' (1968) *''Mrs. Wallop'' (1970) *''Into Your Tent I'll Creep'' (1971) *''Without a Stitch in Time'' (1972) *''Forever Panting'' (1973) *''The Glory of the Hummingbird'' (1974) *''I Hear America Swinging'' (1976) *''Madder Music'' (1977) *''Consenting Adults; or, The Duchess Will Be Furious'' (1980) *''Sauce for the Goose'' (1981) *''Slouching Towards Kalamazoo'' (1983) *''The Prick of Noon'' (1985) *''Peckham's Marbles'' (1986)

Short stories and humorous pieces

* Short story. * Humorous piece about jazz snobs. * Short story in the style of William Faulkner.

References

External links

*
"The Return of Peter De Vries"
from Westport magazine {{DEFAULTSORT:Devries, Peter 1910 births 1993 deaths American humorists American atheists 20th-century American novelists Calvin University alumni American people of Dutch descent Writers from Norwalk, Connecticut Writers from Grand Rapids, Michigan The New Yorker people Novelists from Chicago Members of the American Academy of Arts and Letters American male novelists American satirists American satirical novelists 20th-century American male writers Novelists from Michigan Novelists from Connecticut