John Barth was a leading contemporary American author, whose fiction and essays have helped define literary postmodernism. He flourished as an eminent exponent of experimental narrative, respected teacher of creative writing, spirited performer on the lecture circuit, and thoughtful observer of the world literary scene.
Born in 1930 in Cambridge, Dorchester County, Maryland, as one of fraternal twins teasingly named Jack and Jill, Barth often used the motif of doubling and his native Chesapeake Bay area in his writing. He studied briefly at the Juilliard School of Music and earned his B.A. and M.A. in creative writing at Johns Hopkins University. Further study for the Ph.D. was put off in favor of a variety of college posts to support his growing family. He held academic positions first
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Citation: Foeller-Pituch, Elzbieta. "John Barth". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 12 November 2004; last revised 29 January 2019. [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=279, accessed 24 November 2024.]
