American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

Canadian Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...

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 writing novels and other fiction, while others aspire ...

screenwriter A screenplay writer (also called screenwriter, scriptwriter, scribe or scenarist) is a writer who practices the craft of screenwriting, writing screenplays on which mass media, such as films, television programs and video games, are based. ...

The World According to Garp ''The World According to Garp'' is John Irving's fourth novel, about a man, born out of wedlock to a feminist leader, who grows up to be a writer. Published in 1978, the book was a bestseller for several years. It was a finalist for the Nation ...

A Prayer for Owen Meany ''A Prayer for Owen Meany'' is the seventh novel by American writer John Irving. Published in 1989, it tells the story of John Wheelwright and his best friend Owen Meany growing up together in a small New Hampshire town during the 1950s and 1960s. ...

A Widow for One Year ''A Widow for One Year'' is a 1998 novel by American writer John Irving, the ninth of his novels to be published. The first third of the novel was adapted into the film '' The Door in the Floor'' in 2004. Plot The year is 1958 and Ruth Cole i ...

bestseller A bestseller is a book or other media noted for its top selling status, with bestseller lists published by newspapers, magazines, and book store chains. Some lists are broken down into classifications and specialties (novel, nonfiction book, co ...

Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay The Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay is the Academy Award for the best screenplay Film adaptation, adapted from previously established material. The most frequently adapted media are novels, but other adapted narrative formats include st ...

Phillips Exeter Academy (not for oneself) la, Finis Origine Pendet (The End Depends Upon the Beginning) gr, Χάριτι Θεοῦ (By the Grace of God) , location = 20 Main Street , city = Exeter, New Hampshire , zipcode ...

Exeter, New Hampshire Exeter is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 16,049 at the 2020 census, up from 14,306 at the 2010 census. Exeter was the county seat until 1997, when county offices were moved to neighboring Brentwood. ...

née A birth name is the name of a person given upon birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name, or the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a birth certificate or birth re ...

Phillips Exeter Academy (not for oneself) la, Finis Origine Pendet (The End Depends Upon the Beginning) gr, Χάριτι Θεοῦ (By the Grace of God) , location = 20 Main Street , city = Exeter, New Hampshire , zipcode ...

student athlete A student is a person enrolled in a school or other educational institution. In the United Kingdom and most commonwealth countries, a "student" attends a secondary school or higher (e.g., college or university); those in primary or element ...

assistant coach A sports coach is a person coaching in sport, involved in the direction, instruction and training of a sports team or athlete. History The original sense of the word ''coach'' is that of a horse-drawn carriage, deriving ultimately from the Hung ...

Frederick Buechner Carl Frederick Buechner ( ; July 11, 1926 – August 15, 2022) was an American author, Presbyterian minister, preacher, and theologian. The author of thirty-nine published books, his work encompassed different genres, including fiction, autob ...

A Prayer for Owen Meany ''A Prayer for Owen Meany'' is the seventh novel by American writer John Irving. Published in 1989, it tells the story of John Wheelwright and his best friend Owen Meany growing up together in a small New Hampshire town during the 1950s and 1960s. ...

Army Air Forces The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...

Setting Free the Bears ''Setting Free the Bears'' is the first novel by American author John Irving, published in 1968 by Random House. Irving studied at the Institute of European Studies in Vienna in 1963, and ''Bears'' was written between 1965 and 1967 based largel ...

Kurt Vonnegut Kurt Vonnegut Jr. (November 11, 1922 – April 11, 2007) was an American writer known for his satirical and darkly humorous novels. In a career spanning over 50 years, he published fourteen novels, three short-story collections, five plays, and ...

University of Iowa Writers' Workshop The Iowa Writers' Workshop, at the University of Iowa, is a celebrated graduate-level creative writing program in the United States. The writer Lan Samantha Chang is its director. Graduates earn a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degree in Creative Wri ...

The Water-Method Man ''The Water Method Man'' (1972) is the second published novel by American novelist John Irving. Plot summary The novel revolves around the mishaps of its narrator, Fred Trumper, a floundering late-twenty-something graduate student with serious ...

The 158-Pound Marriage ''The 158-Pound Marriage'' is the third novel by American author John Irving. The book explores the sexual revolution-era trend of " swinging" (partner-swapping) via a glimpse into the lives of two couples in a small New England college town who ...

Mount Holyoke College Mount Holyoke College is a private liberal arts women's college in South Hadley, Massachusetts. It is the oldest member of the historic Seven Sisters colleges, a group of elite historically women's colleges in the Northeastern United States. ...

Random House Random House is an American book publisher and the largest general-interest paperback publisher in the world. The company has several independently managed subsidiaries around the world. It is part of Penguin Random House, which is owned by Germ ...

The World According to Garp ''The World According to Garp'' is John Irving's fourth novel, about a man, born out of wedlock to a feminist leader, who grows up to be a writer. Published in 1978, the book was a bestseller for several years. It was a finalist for the Nation ...

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 ...

Going After Cacciato ''Going After Cacciato'' is an anti-war novel written by Tim O'Brien and first published by Delacorte Press in 1978. It won the U.S. National Book Award for Fiction."National Book Awards – 1979"

National Book Foundation The National Book Foundation (NBF) is an American nonprofit organization established, "to raise the cultural appreciation of great writing in America". Established in 1989 by National Book Awards, Inc.,Edwin McDowell. "Book Notes: 'The Joy Luc ...

. Retrieved March 14, 2012. and its first paperback edition won the Award the next year."National Book Awards – 1980"
National Book Foundation. Retrieved 2012-03-14. (With essays by Deb Caletti and Craig Nova from the Awards 60-year anniversary blog.)''Garp'' won the 1980 award for paperback general Fiction.
From 1980 to 1983 in National Book Awards history there were dual hardcover and paperback awards in most categories, and multiple fiction categories, especially in 1980. Most of the paperback award-winners were reprints, including this one. ''Garp'' was later made into a film directed by George Roy Hill and starring

Robin Williams Robin McLaurin Williams (July 21, 1951August 11, 2014) was an American actor and comedian. Known for his improvisational skills and the wide variety of characters he created on the spur of the moment and portrayed on film, in dramas and come ...

in the title role and Glenn Close as his mother; it garnered several

Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

nominations, including nominations for Close and

John Lithgow John Arthur Lithgow ( ; born , 1945) is an American actor. Lithgow studied at Harvard University and the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art before becoming known for his work on the stage and screen. He has been the recipient of numerous ...

. Irving makes a brief

cameo appearance A cameo role, also called a cameo appearance and often shortened to just cameo (), is a brief appearance of a well-known person in a work of the performing arts. These roles are generally small, many of them non-speaking ones, and are commonly ei ...

in the film as the referee in one of Garp's high school wrestling matches. John Irving

''The World According to Garp'' was among three books recommended to the Pulitzer Advisory Board for consideration for the 1979 Award in Fiction in the Pulitzer Jury Committee report, although the award was given to '' The Stories of John Cheever'' (1978). ''Garp'' transformed Irving from an obscure, academic literary writer to a household name, and his subsequent books were bestsellers. The next was ''The Hotel New Hampshire'' (1981), which sold well despite mixed reviews from critics. Like ''Garp'', the novel was quickly made into a

film A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmospher ...

, this time directed by

Tony Richardson Cecil Antonio "Tony" Richardson (5 June 1928 – 14 November 1991) was an English theatre and film director and producer whose career spanned five decades. In 1964, he won the Academy Award for Best Director for the film ''Tom Jones''. Early ...

and starring

Jodie Foster Alicia Christian "Jodie" Foster (born November 19, 1962) is an American actress and filmmaker. She is the recipient of numerous accolades, including two Academy Awards, three British Academy Film Awards, three Golden Globe Awards, and the hono ...

,

Rob Lowe Robert Hepler Lowe (born March 17, 1964) is an American actor, filmmaker, and podcast host. He made his acting debut at the age of 15 with ABC's short-lived sitcom ''A New Kind of Family'' (1979–1980). Following numerous television roles in ...

, and

Beau Bridges Lloyd Vernet "Beau" Bridges III (born December 9, 1941) is an American actor and director. He is a three-time Emmy, two-time Golden Globe and one-time Grammy Award winner, as well as a two-time Screen Actors Guild Award nominee. Bridges was awar ...

. "Interior Space", a short story originally published in ''Fiction'' magazine in 1980, later appeared in the 1981

O. Henry Prize The O. Henry Award is an annual American award given to short stories of exceptional merit. The award is named after the American short-story writer O. Henry. The ''PEN/O. Henry Prize Stories'' is an annual collection of the year's twenty best ...

Stories collection. In 1985, Irving published '' The Cider House Rules''. An epic set in a Maine orphanage, the novel's central topic is

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 ...

. Many drew parallels between the novel and

Charles Dickens Charles John Huffam Dickens (; 7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English writer and social critic. He created some of the world's best-known fictional characters and is regarded by many as the greatest novelist of the Victorian er ...

' ''

Oliver Twist ''Oliver Twist; or, The Parish Boy's Progress'', Charles Dickens's second novel, was published as a serial from 1837 to 1839, and as a three-volume book in 1838. Born in a workhouse, the orphan Oliver Twist is bound into apprenticeship with ...

'' (1838). Irving's next novel was ''

A Prayer for Owen Meany ''A Prayer for Owen Meany'' is the seventh novel by American writer John Irving. Published in 1989, it tells the story of John Wheelwright and his best friend Owen Meany growing up together in a small New Hampshire town during the 1950s and 1960s. ...

'' (1989), another New England family epic about religion set in a New England boarding school and in

Toronto, Ontario Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...

. The novel was influenced by ''

The Tin Drum ''The Tin Drum'' (german: Die Blechtrommel, ) is a 1959 novel by Günter Grass. The novel is the first book of Grass's ' ('' Danzig Trilogy''). It was adapted into a 1979 film, which won both the 1979 Palme d'Or and the Academy Award for Bes ...

'' (1959) by

Günter Grass Günter Wilhelm Grass (born Graß; ; 16 October 1927 – 13 April 2015) was a German novelist, poet, playwright, illustrator, graphic artist, sculptor, and recipient of the 1999 Nobel Prize in Literature. He was born in the Free City of D ...

, and the plot contains further allusions to ''

The Scarlet Letter ''The Scarlet Letter: A Romance'' is a work of historical fiction by American author Nathaniel Hawthorne, published in 1850. Set in the Puritan Massachusetts Bay Colony during the years 1642 to 1649, the novel tells the story of Hester Prynne ...

'' (1850) by

Nathaniel Hawthorne Nathaniel Hawthorne (July 4, 1804 – May 19, 1864) was an American novelist and short story writer. His works often focus on history, morality, and religion. He was born in 1804 in Salem, Massachusetts, from a family long associated with that t ...

and the works of Dickens. In ''Owen Meany,'' Irving for the first time examined the consequences of the

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...

—particularly mandatory conscription, which Irving avoided because he was a married father when of age for the draft. ''Owen Meany'' became Irving's best selling book since ''Garp.'' Irving returned to Random House for his next book, ''

A Son of the Circus ''A Son of the Circus'' (1994) is a novel by American writer John Irving. It was a return to his first publisher, Random House, under whose imprint Irving's first three novels appeared. Though the setting is Mumbai, India and though the book de ...

'' (1995). Arguably his most complicated and difficult book, and a departure from many of the themes and location settings in his previous novels, it was dismissed by critics but became a national bestseller on the strength of Irving's reputation for fashioning literate, engrossing page-turners. Irving returned in 1998 with ''

A Widow for One Year ''A Widow for One Year'' is a 1998 novel by American writer John Irving, the ninth of his novels to be published. The first third of the novel was adapted into the film '' The Door in the Floor'' in 2004. Plot The year is 1958 and Ruth Cole i ...

'', which was named a ''New York Times'' Notable Book. In 1999, after nearly 10 years in development, Irving's screenplay for ''The Cider House Rules'' was made into a film directed by

Lasse Hallström Lars Sven "Lasse" Hallström (; born 2 June 1946) is a Swedish film director. He first became known for directing almost all the music videos by the pop group ABBA, and subsequently became a feature film director. He was nominated for an Academ ...

, starring Michael Caine,

Tobey Maguire Tobias Vincent Maguire (born June 27, 1975) is an American actor and film producer. He is best known for playing the title character from Sam Raimi's ''Spider-Man'' trilogy (2002–2007), a role he later reprised in '' Spider-Man: No Way Hom ...

,

Charlize Theron Charlize Theron ( ; ; born 7 August 1975) is a South African and American actress and producer. One of the world's highest-paid actresses, she is the recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award. In 20 ...

, and

Delroy Lindo Delroy George Lindo (born 18 November 1952) is an English-American actor. He is the recipient of such accolades as a NAACP Image Award, a Satellite Award, and nominations for a Drama Desk Award, a Helen Hayes Award, a Tony Award, two Critics' C ...

. Irving also made a cameo appearance as the disapproving stationmaster. The film was nominated for several

Academy Awards The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

, including Best Picture, and earned Irving an

Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

for Best Adapted Screenplay. Soon afterward, Irving wrote ''My Movie Business'', a

memoir A memoir (; , ) is any nonfiction narrative writing based in the author's personal memories. The assertions made in the work are thus understood to be factual. While memoir has historically been defined as a subcategory of biography or autobiog ...

about his involvement in creating the film version of ''The Cider House Rules''. After its publication in 1999, Irving appeared on the

CBC Television CBC Television (also known as CBC TV) is a Canadian English-language broadcast television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcaster. The network began operations on September 6, 1952. Its French- ...

program '' Hot Type'' to promote the book. During the interview, Irving criticized bestselling American author

Tom Wolfe Thomas Kennerly Wolfe Jr. (March 2, 1930 – May 14, 2018)Some sources say 1931; ''The New York Times'' and Reuters both initially reported 1931 in their obituaries before changing to 1930. See and was an American author and journalist widely ...

, saying Wolfe "can't write", and that Wolfe's writing makes Irving gag. Wolfe appeared on ''Hot Type'' later that year, calling Irving,

Norman Mailer Nachem Malech Mailer (January 31, 1923 – November 10, 2007), known by his pen name Norman Kingsley Mailer, was an American novelist, journalist, essayist, playwright, activist, filmmaker and actor. In a career spanning over six decades, Maile ...

, and

John Updike John Hoyer Updike (March 18, 1932 – January 27, 2009) was an American novelist, poet, short-story writer, art critic, and literary critic. One of only four writers to win the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction more than once (the others being Booth Tar ...

his "three stooges" who were panicked by his newest novel, ''

A Man in Full ''A Man in Full'' is the second novel by Tom Wolfe, published on November 12, 1998, by Farrar, Straus & Giroux. It is set primarily in Atlanta, with a significant portion of the story also transpiring in the East Bay region of the San Francisco B ...

'' (1998). Irving's 10th book, '' The Fourth Hand'' (2001), also became a bestseller. In 2004, '' A Sound Like Someone Trying Not to Make a Sound'', a children's picture book originally included in ''A Widow for One Year'', was published with illustrations by Tatjana Hauptmann. Irving's 11th novel, '' Until I Find You'', was released on July 12, 2005. On June 28, 2005, ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' published an article revealing that ''Until I Find You'' (2005) contains two specifically personal elements about his life that he had never before discussed publicly: his sexual abuse at age 11 by an older woman, and the recent entrance in his life of his biological father's family. In his 12th novel, ''

Last Night in Twisted River ''Last Night in Twisted River'' is a 2009 novel by American writer John Irving, his 12th since 1968. It was first published (in English) in the Netherlands by De Bezige Bij on September 1, 2009, in Canada by Knopf Canada on October 20, 2009, a ...

'', published in 2009, Irving's central character is a novelist with, as critic Boyd Tonkin puts it, "a career that teasingly follows Irving's own". Irving has had four novels reach number one on the bestseller list of ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'': ''The Hotel New Hampshire'' (September 27, 1981), which stayed number one for seven weeks, and was in the top 15 for over 27 weeks; ''The Cider House Rules'' (June 16, 1985); ''A Widow for One Year'' (June 14, 1998); and ''The Fourth Hand'' (July 29, 2001).

Other projects

Since the publication of ''Garp'' made him independently wealthy, Irving has sporadically accepted short-term teaching positions (including one at his ''alma mater'', the

Iowa Writers' Workshop The Iowa Writers' Workshop, at the University of Iowa, is a celebrated graduate-level creative writing program in the United States. The writer Lan Samantha Chang is its director. Graduates earn a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degree in Creative ...

) and served as an assistant coach on his sons' high school wrestling teams. (Irving was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame as an "Outstanding American" in 1992.) In addition to his novels, he has also published '' Trying to Save Piggy Sneed'' (1996), a collection of his writings including a brief memoir and unpublished short fiction, ''My Movie Business'', an account of the protracted process of bringing ''The Cider House Rules'' to the big screen, and ''The Imaginary Girlfriend'', a short memoir focusing on writing and wrestling. In 2010, Irving revealed that he and Tod "Kip" Williams, director and writer of '' The Door in the Floor'' (2004), were co-writing a screenplay for an adaptation of ''A Widow for One Year'' (1998). In 2002, his four most highly regarded novels, ''The World According to Garp'', ''The Cider House Rules'', ''

A Prayer for Owen Meany ''A Prayer for Owen Meany'' is the seventh novel by American writer John Irving. Published in 1989, it tells the story of John Wheelwright and his best friend Owen Meany growing up together in a small New Hampshire town during the 1950s and 1960s. ...

'', and ''A Widow for One Year'', were published in

Modern Library The Modern Library is an American book publishing imprint and formerly the parent company of Random House. Founded in 1917 by Albert Boni and Horace Liveright as an imprint of their publishing company Boni & Liveright, Modern Library became an ...

editions. ''Owen Meany'' was adapted into the 1998 film '' Simon Birch'' (Irving required that the title and character names be changed because the screenplay's story was "markedly different" from that of the novel; Irving is on record as having enjoyed the film, however). In 2004, a portion of ''A Widow for One Year'' was adapted into '' The Door in the Floor'', starring

Jeff Bridges Jeffrey Leon Bridges (born December 4, 1949) is an American actor. He has received various accolades throughout his career spanning over seven decades, including an Academy Award and two Golden Globe Awards. Bridges comes from a prominent ac ...

and Kim Basinger. In 2005, Irving received the Golden Plate Award of the

American Academy of Achievement The American Academy of Achievement, colloquially known as the Academy of Achievement, is a non-profit educational organization that recognizes some of the highest achieving individuals in diverse fields and gives them the opportunity to meet ...

. In a ''

New York Magazine ''New York'' is an American biweekly magazine concerned with life, culture, politics, and style generally, and with a particular emphasis on New York City. Founded by Milton Glaser and Clay Felker in 1968 as a competitor to ''The New Yorker' ...

'' interview in 2009, Irving stated that he had begun work on a new novel, his 13th, based in part on a speech from

Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

's ''

Richard II Richard II (6 January 1367 – ), also known as Richard of Bordeaux, was King of England from 1377 until he was deposed in 1399. He was the son of Edward the Black Prince, Prince of Wales, and Joan, Countess of Kent. Richard's father ...

.''

Simon & Schuster Simon & Schuster () is an American publishing company and a subsidiary of Paramount Global. It was founded in New York City on January 2, 1924 by Richard L. Simon and M. Lincoln Schuster. As of 2016, Simon & Schuster was the third largest publi ...

published the novel, titled '' In One Person'' (2012), taking over from Random House. ''In One Person'' has a first-person viewpoint, Irving's first such narrative since ''A Prayer for Owen Meany'' (Irving decided to change the first-person narrative of ''Until I Find You'' to third person less than a year before publication). ''In One Person'' features a 60-year-old, bisexual protagonist named William, looking back on his life in the 1950s and '60s. The novel shares a similar theme and concern with ''The World According to Garp'', which was Irving says, in part about "people who hate you for your sexual differences." He won a Lambda Literary Award in 2013 in the Bisexual Fiction category for ''In One Person'', and was also awarded the organization's Bridge Builder Award to honor him as an ally of the

LGBT ' is an initialism that stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender. In use since the 1990s, the initialism, as well as some of its common variants, functions as an umbrella term for sexuality and gender identity. The LGBT term ...

community. On June 10, 2013, Irving announced his next novel, his 14th, titled '' Avenue of Mysteries'', named after a street in

Mexico City Mexico City ( es, link=no, Ciudad de México, ; abbr.: CDMX; Nahuatl: ''Altepetl Mexico'') is the capital and largest city of Mexico, and the most populous city in North America. One of the world's alpha cities, it is located in the Valley o ...

. In an interview the previous year, he had revealed the last line of the book: "Not every collision course comes as a surprise." On December 19, 2014, Irving posted a message on the Facebook page devoted to him and his work that he had "finished 'Avenue of Mysteries.' It is a shorter novel for me, comparable in length to 'In One Person.'" Irving speculated that "if everything remains on schedule, the English-language editions should be published in fall 2015." Simon & Schuster published the book in November, 2015. On November 3, 2015, Irving revealed that he'd been approached by HBO and

Warner Brothers Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. D ...

to reconstruct ''The World According to Garp'' as a

miniseries A miniseries or mini-series is a television series that tells a story in a predetermined, limited number of episodes. "Limited series" is another more recent US term which is sometimes used interchangeably. , the popularity of miniseries format ...

. He described the project as being in the early stages. According to the byline of a self-penned, February 20, 2017 essay for

The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Hollywood film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade paper, and in 2010 switched to a weekly large ...

, Irving completed his teleplay for the five-part series based on ''The World According to Garp'', and he is currently working on his fifteenth novel. On June 28, 2017, Irving revealed in a long letter to fans on Facebook that his new novel will be, primarily, a ghost story. "...I have a history of being interested in ghosts. And here come the ghosts again. In my new novel, my fifteenth, the ghosts are more prominent than before; the novel begins and ends with them. Like ''A Widow for One Year'', this novel is constructed as a play in three acts. I'm calling Act I 'Early Signs.' I began writing it on New Year's Eve—not a bad night to start a ghost story." On August 1, 2017, an update about Irving's fifteenth, in-progress, novel, was posted to his Facebook page: "It's been 45 years since John Irving published ''

The Water-Method Man ''The Water Method Man'' (1972) is the second published novel by American novelist John Irving. Plot summary The novel revolves around the mishaps of its narrator, Fred Trumper, a floundering late-twenty-something graduate student with serious ...

''. While his second novel is regarded as a purely comic tale, and John's current project is a darker contemplation of life's disruptive forces, the two novels bear some resemblance to one another. John Irving is once again experimenting with framed narratives and writing about the evolution of a writer—like Bogus Trumper, one who writes screenplays. This time, we see the main character—Adam Brewster—mature, from childhood and early adolescence, to become a writer like Garp, or Ruth Cole, or Juan Diego, as if writing were an inevitability given the fateful circumstances of his life. And, along the way, despite the darkness, there are points of humor. John's work in progress may ultimately be his funniest novel since ''

The Water-Method Man ''The Water Method Man'' (1972) is the second published novel by American novelist John Irving. Plot summary The novel revolves around the mishaps of its narrator, Fred Trumper, a floundering late-twenty-something graduate student with serious ...

''." In an interview with Mike Kilen for ''

The Des Moines Register ''The Des Moines Register'' is the daily morning newspaper of Des Moines, Iowa. History Early period The first newspaper in Des Moines was the ''Iowa Star''. In July 1849, Barlow Granger began the paper in an abandoned log cabin by the junction ...

'', published on October 26, 2017, Irving revealed that the title of his new novel-in-progress is '' Darkness As a Bride''. The title comes from lines in Shakespeare's play, ''

Measure for Measure ''Measure for Measure'' is a play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in 1603 or 1604 and first performed in 1604, according to available records. It was published in the '' First Folio'' of 1623. The play's plot features its ...

:'' "If I must die, / I will encounter darkness as a bride, / and hug it in mine arms." He later changed the title to " The Last Chairlift". In July 2018, the

Dayton Literary Peace Prize The Dayton Literary Peace Prize is an annual United States literary award "recognizing the power of the written word to promote peace" that was first awarded in 2006. Awards are given for adult fiction and non-fiction books published at some point ...

announced Irving would be the recipient of the 2018 Richard C. Holbrooke Distinguished Achievement Award at its annual gala October 28, 2018, in Dayton, Ohio.

Works

Novels

* ''

Setting Free the Bears ''Setting Free the Bears'' is the first novel by American author John Irving, published in 1968 by Random House. Irving studied at the Institute of European Studies in Vienna in 1963, and ''Bears'' was written between 1965 and 1967 based largel ...

'' (

Random House Random House is an American book publisher and the largest general-interest paperback publisher in the world. The company has several independently managed subsidiaries around the world. It is part of Penguin Random House, which is owned by Germ ...

, 1968) * ''

The Water-Method Man ''The Water Method Man'' (1972) is the second published novel by American novelist John Irving. Plot summary The novel revolves around the mishaps of its narrator, Fred Trumper, a floundering late-twenty-something graduate student with serious ...

'' (Random House, 1972) * ''

The 158-Pound Marriage ''The 158-Pound Marriage'' is the third novel by American author John Irving. The book explores the sexual revolution-era trend of " swinging" (partner-swapping) via a glimpse into the lives of two couples in a small New England college town who ...

'' (Random House, 1974) * ''

The World According to Garp ''The World According to Garp'' is John Irving's fourth novel, about a man, born out of wedlock to a feminist leader, who grows up to be a writer. Published in 1978, the book was a bestseller for several years. It was a finalist for the Nation ...

'' ( Dutton, 1978) * '' The Hotel New Hampshire'' (Dutton, 1981) * '' The Cider House Rules'' ( William Morrow, 1985) * ''

A Prayer for Owen Meany ''A Prayer for Owen Meany'' is the seventh novel by American writer John Irving. Published in 1989, it tells the story of John Wheelwright and his best friend Owen Meany growing up together in a small New Hampshire town during the 1950s and 1960s. ...

'' (William Morrow, 1989) * ''

A Son of the Circus ''A Son of the Circus'' (1994) is a novel by American writer John Irving. It was a return to his first publisher, Random House, under whose imprint Irving's first three novels appeared. Though the setting is Mumbai, India and though the book de ...

'' (Random House, 1994) * ''

A Widow for One Year ''A Widow for One Year'' is a 1998 novel by American writer John Irving, the ninth of his novels to be published. The first third of the novel was adapted into the film '' The Door in the Floor'' in 2004. Plot The year is 1958 and Ruth Cole i ...

'' (Random House, 1998) * '' The Fourth Hand'' (Random House, 2001) * '' Until I Find You'' (Random House, 2005) * ''

Last Night in Twisted River ''Last Night in Twisted River'' is a 2009 novel by American writer John Irving, his 12th since 1968. It was first published (in English) in the Netherlands by De Bezige Bij on September 1, 2009, in Canada by Knopf Canada on October 20, 2009, a ...

'' (Random House, 2009) * '' In One Person'' (

Simon & Schuster Simon & Schuster () is an American publishing company and a subsidiary of Paramount Global. It was founded in New York City on January 2, 1924 by Richard L. Simon and M. Lincoln Schuster. As of 2016, Simon & Schuster was the third largest publi ...

, 2012) ) * '' Avenue of Mysteries'' (Simon & Schuster, 2015) ) * ''The Last Chairlift'' (Simon & Schuster, 2022)

Short fiction

* '' Trying to Save Piggy Sneed'' (

Arcade Publishing Arcade Publishing is an independent trade publishing company that started in 1988 in New York, USA. It publishes American and world fiction and nonfiction. The company was started and run by Richard Seaver and his wife Jeannette.Weber, Bruce (J ...

, 1996)

Other fiction

* ''The Cider House Rules: A Screenplay'' (1999) * '' A Sound Like Someone Trying Not to Make a Sound'' (children's) (2004)

Nonfiction

* ''The Imaginary Girlfriend'' (1995) * ''My Movie Business'' (1999)

Filmography based on writings

* ''

The World According to Garp ''The World According to Garp'' is John Irving's fourth novel, about a man, born out of wedlock to a feminist leader, who grows up to be a writer. Published in 1978, the book was a bestseller for several years. It was a finalist for the Nation ...

'' (1982) * '' The Hotel New Hampshire'' (1984) * '' Simon Birch'' (1998) (partly based on ''

A Prayer for Owen Meany ''A Prayer for Owen Meany'' is the seventh novel by American writer John Irving. Published in 1989, it tells the story of John Wheelwright and his best friend Owen Meany growing up together in a small New Hampshire town during the 1950s and 1960s. ...

'') * '' The Cider House Rules'' (1999) * '' The Door in the Floor'' (2004) (from ''

A Widow for One Year ''A Widow for One Year'' is a 1998 novel by American writer John Irving, the ninth of his novels to be published. The first third of the novel was adapted into the film '' The Door in the Floor'' in 2004. Plot The year is 1958 and Ruth Cole i ...

'')

Personal life

In 1964, Irving married Shyla Leary, whom he had met at

Harvard Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...

in 1963 while taking a summer course in German, before traveling to

Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...

with

IES Abroad The Institute for the International Education of Students, or IES Abroad, is a non-profit study abroad organization that administers study abroad programs for U.S. college-aged students. Founded in 1950 as the Institute of European Studies, the ...

. They have two sons, Colin and Brendan. The couple divorced in the early 1980s. In 1987, he married Janet Turnbull, who had been his publisher at Bantam-Seal Books and is now one of his literary agents. They have a daughter, Eva Everett, born in 1991. Irving has homes in

Vermont Vermont () is a U.S. state, state in the northeast New England region of the United States. Vermont is bordered by the states of Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, and New York (state), New York to the west, and the Provin ...

,

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the anch ...

, and Pointe au Baril. On December 13, 2019, Irving became a Canadian citizen, and plans to keep his US citizenship, commenting that he reserves the right to be outspoken about the United States and his dislike of

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of P ...

, whom he referred to as vulgar, narcissistic, and xenophobic. Irving was diagnosed with

prostate cancer Prostate cancer is cancer of the prostate. Prostate cancer is the second most common cancerous tumor worldwide and is the fifth leading cause of cancer-related mortality among men. The prostate is a gland in the male reproductive system that su ...

in 2007 and subsequently had a

radical prostatectomy Prostatectomy (from the Greek , "prostate" and , "excision") as a medical term refers to the surgical removal of all or part of the prostate gland. This operation is done for benign conditions that cause urinary retention, as well as for prosta ...

. In 2010, Irving confirmed that he is a second cousin of

Amy Bishop On February 12, 2010, three people were killed and three others wounded in a shooting at the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) in Huntsville, Alabama, United States. During a routine meeting of the biology department attended by approxi ...

, a former

assistant professor Assistant Professor is an academic rank just below the rank of an associate professor used in universities or colleges, mainly in the United States and Canada. Overview This position is generally taken after earning a doctoral degree A docto ...

at the

University of Alabama in Huntsville The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) is a public research university in Huntsville, Alabama. The university is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and comprises nine colleges: arts, humanities & social scienc ...

, who is serving a life sentence for shooting six colleagues, killing three, during a department meeting on February 12, 2010. In 2018, Irving was an honorary degree recipient at

Williams College Williams College is a private liberal arts college in Williamstown, Massachusetts. It was established as a men's college in 1793 with funds from the estate of Ephraim Williams, a colonist from the Province of Massachusetts Bay who was kille ...

.

Notes

References

External links

* *
Literary Encyclopedia
* *

{{DEFAULTSORT:Irving, John 1942 births 20th-century American male writers 20th-century American non-fiction writers 20th-century American novelists 20th-century American screenwriters 20th-century American short story writers 20th-century memoirists 21st-century American male writers 21st-century American novelists 21st-century Canadian male writers 21st-century Canadian novelists American children's writers American emigrants to Canada American feminist writers American male non-fiction writers American male novelists American male screenwriters American male short story writers American memoirists American social commentators Best Adapted Screenplay Academy Award winners Canadian children's writers Canadian feminist writers Canadian male non-fiction writers Canadian male novelists Canadian male screenwriters Canadian male short story writers Canadian memoirists Canadian social commentators Cultural critics Iowa Writers' Workshop alumni Iowa Writers' Workshop faculty Lambda Literary Award winners Living people Members of the American Academy of Arts and Letters Mount Holyoke College faculty National Book Award winners Novelists from Iowa Novelists from Massachusetts Novelists from New Hampshire Novelists from Vermont People from Exeter, New Hampshire People from Manchester, Vermont People with dyslexia Phillips Exeter Academy alumni Postmodern writers Screenwriters from Iowa Screenwriters from Massachusetts Screenwriters from New Hampshire Screenwriters from Vermont Social critics University of Iowa alumni University of New Hampshire alumni University of Pittsburgh people Writers about activism and social change Writers of historical fiction set in the modern age

Early life

Career

Other projects

Works

Novels

Short fiction

Other fiction

Nonfiction

Filmography based on writings

Personal life

Notes

References

Further reading

External links