Barthelme, Donald, 1931-1989

Variant names

Hide Profile

Donald Barthelme was born in Philadelphia in 1931 to parents Donald Barthelme Sr. and Helen (Bechtold) Barthelme. In 1932, the family moved to Houston, where Donald Barthelme Sr. developed an architectural practice and taught at the University of Houston and Rice University. Barthelme had four younger siblings: Joan (born 1932), Peter (born 1938), Frederick (born 1943), and Steven (born 1947). Barthelme enrolled at the University of Houston in 1949, where he took courses in journalism, literature, creative writing, and philosophy. He became a reporter, critic, and editor for the school's newspaper, The Cougar.

In July 1951, he left the University of Houston for a job at the Houston Post, where he reviewed movies, plays, and concerts. From July 1953 to December 1954 he served in Korea, writing for the 2nd Infantry Division's official publication. Following his return to Houston, Barthelme took a public relations job at the University of Houston. There he founded and became editor of the interdisciplinary journal Forum. In 1961, Barthelme became acting director of the Contemporary Arts Museum. The following year he moved to New York City to edit a new journal of art and literature called Location. In 1961, Barthelme's short story "The Darling Duckling at School" (later renamed "Me and Mrs. Mandible") appeared in the journal Contact. Inspired by Samuel Beckett, Barthelme rejected the constraints of traditional plot, setting, and character development in favor of verbal collages full of absurdity and wit. In 1963, Barthelme published the story "L'lapse" in the New Yorker, quickly becoming a regular contributor.

In 1964 Barthelme released his first collection of stories, Come Back, Dr. Caligari. From that point on, he stayed at the forefront of American literature for three decades. Barthelme published nine more story collections, and 129 stories and "casuals" in the New Yorker. Always innovative, he created "collage stories" that combined images and text, and "dialogue stories" in which two disembodied voices alternate in conversation. He also published three novels - Snow White, The Dead Father, and Paradise. In 1972 he released a children's book, The Slightly Irregular Fire Engine, winning the National Book Award for Children's Literature.

Barthelme remains best known for Sixty Stories, a 1981 anthology of his finest work from the sixties and seventies. Sixty Stories was nnominated for the National Book Critics Circle Award, the PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction, and the Los Angeles Times Book Prize in 1982. Donald Barthelme taught creative writing at City College in New York from 1974-75. In 1979, he was invited to teach in the Creative Writing Program at the University of Houston. Initially he taught in Houston one semester a year, while continuing to live in New York City. In 1983, Barthelme moved to Houston to become a full-time professor. A beloved teacher, he eventually became director of the Creative Writing Progam, a position he held until his death.

From the description of Donald Barthelme literary papers, 1956-2001. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 694183024

Archival Resources
Role Title Holding Repository
referencedIn Walker Percy Papers, circa 1910-1992 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Library. Southern Historical Collection
creatorOf Barthelme, Donald. Donald Barthelme literary papers, 1956-2001. University of Houston, M.D. Anderson Library
creatorOf James W. Boynton papers Archives of American Art
referencedIn Mirsky, Mark. Letters to Albert J. Guérard, 1970-1995. Stanford University. Department of Special Collections and University Archives
creatorOf Rosenberg, Harold, 1906-1978. Harold Rosenberg Papers, 1923-1984. Getty Research Institute
referencedIn New Yorker records New York Public Library. Manuscripts and Archives Division
referencedIn Haskell, Douglas Putnam, 1899-1979. Douglas Putnam Haskell papers, Series I: Pending correspondence, 1949-1964. Columbia University in the City of New York, Columbia University Libraries
referencedIn New Directions Publishing records Houghton Library
referencedIn Meredith, William, 1919-2007. William Meredith papers, 1947-1979. Library of Congress
creatorOf Kronenberger, Louis, 1904-1980. Papers, 1940-1981. Copley Press, J S Copley Library
referencedIn Harold Rosenberg papers, 1923-1984 Getty Research Institute
referencedIn Sheffield, Jo Ellen. Papers, 1972-1974. Duke University Libraries, Duke University Library; Perkins Library
referencedIn Professor Ruth Pennybacker Collection 1969-044., 1934-1981 Special Collections, University of Houston Libraries
referencedIn American Review records, 1967-1977 Bentley Historical Library
referencedIn Joyce Carol Oates Papers, 1956-2006 Syracuse University. Library. Special Collections Research Center
creatorOf Federman mss. Lilly Library (Indiana University, Bloomington)
creatorOf Donald Barthelme, Forum, Collection, 1969-004., 1956-1960 Special Collections, University of Houston Libraries
referencedIn Pennybacker, Ruth. Professor Ruth Pennybacker collection, 1934-1981. University of Houston, M.D. Anderson Library
creatorOf Dembski, Stephen. The show / Stephen Dembski ; text by Donald Barthelme. University of Maryland (College Park, Md.). Libraries
creatorOf Farrar, Straus, and Giroux. Farrar, Straus & Giroux, Inc. records, 1899-2003 (bulk 1945-1989). New York Public Library System, NYPL
creatorOf Barthelme, Donald. Donald Barthelme "Forum" collection, 1956-1960. University of Houston, M.D. Anderson Library
creatorOf Barthelme, Donald. The emerald [archive]. Ohio State University Libraries
referencedIn Gropius, Walter, 1883-1969. Papers, 1925-1969 (bulk: 1937-1969) Houghton Library
referencedIn Percy, Walker, 1916-1990. Walker Percy papers, 1910-1992. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
referencedIn Farrar, Straus & Giroux, Inc. records, 1899-2003, 1945-1989 New York Public Library. Manuscripts and Archives Division
creatorOf Hopwood Awards Collection, 1930- University of Michigan
creatorOf Donald Barthelme Literary Papers 2002-007., 1956-2001 Special Collections, University of Houston Libraries
referencedIn Barthelme, Helen Moore, 1927-. Helen Moore Barthelme papers, 1949-2002. University of Houston, M.D. Anderson Library
creatorOf Donald Barthelme collection, 1963–1991 University of Delaware Library - Special Collections
Role Title Holding Repository
Relation Name
associatedWith American Review corporateBody
associatedWith Angell, Roger person
associatedWith Angell, Roger. person
childOf Barthelme, Donald, 1907-1996 person
sibling of Barthelme, Frederick, 1943-.... person
spouseOf Barthelme, Helen Moore, 1927- person
associatedWith Barth, John, 1930- person
associatedWith Beattie, Ann person
associatedWith Beattie, Ann. person
associatedWith Boynton, Jack, 1928- person
associatedWith Dembski, Stephen. person
associatedWith Farrar, Straus, and Giroux corporateBody
associatedWith Farrar, Straus, and Giroux. corporateBody
associatedWith Federman, Raymond. person
correspondedWith Gropius, Walter, 1883-1969 person
associatedWith Haskell, Douglas Putnam, 1899-1979. person
associatedWith Hijuelos, Oscar person
associatedWith Kronenberger, Louis, 1904-1980. person
associatedWith Love, Jim, 1927-2005. person
associatedWith Lowry, Beverly. person
associatedWith Lowry, Beverly. person
correspondedWith Meredith, William, 1919-2007. person
associatedWith Mirsky, Mark. person
associatedWith New Directions Publishing Corp. corporateBody
correspondedWith New Yorker Magazine, Inc corporateBody
associatedWith Oates, Joyce Carol, 1938- person
associatedWith O'Hara, J. D. (James Donald) person
associatedWith Paley, Grace person
associatedWith Paley, Grace. person
associatedWith Pennybacker, Ruth family
associatedWith Pennybacker, Ruth. person
correspondedWith Percy, Walker, 1916-1990 person
associatedWith Percy, Walker, 1916-1990 person
associatedWith Percy, Walker, 1916-1990. person
associatedWith Powell, Padgett person
associatedWith Powell, Padgett. person
associatedWith Rosenberg, Harold, 1906-1978 person
associatedWith Rosenberg, Harold, 1906-1978. person
associatedWith Sheffield, Jo Ellen. person
associatedWith University of Houston corporateBody
associatedWith University of Houston. Creative Writing Program. corporateBody
Place Name Admin Code Country
Subject
Authors, American
Short stories, American
Authors
Experimental fiction, American
Forum (Houston, Tex)
Postmodernism (Literature)
Occupation
Authors
Novelists
Activity

Person

Active 1956

Active 2001

Male

Americans

English

Information

Permalink: http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6j49j6w

Ark ID: w6j49j6w

SNAC ID: 85754536