The Brief Biographical Sketch
The following is
an almost halfway decent biographical sketch of the life of John Irving. At present
it contains random data I compiled from book covers and the
wrestling-obsessed mini-autobiography "The Imaginary Girlfriend." (The
easiest place to find "The Imaginary Girlfriend." is in Trying to Save Piggy Sneed,
though it has been published on its own.). There's a lot of autobiography scattered
through his books. I've attempted to indicate literary parallels in the
parentheses.
If you have anything to add to this page, send it my way!
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Full name is John Winslow Irving
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Born in Exeter, New Hampshire (Hotel, Meany, Widow
...) in 1942
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Grew up a faculty brat in a Exeter prep-school (Meany, Widow)
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Became a bookworm despite his dyslexia (Johnny in Meany)
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Lived on Front Street (Meany) in New Hampshire
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His stepfather, a Harvard graduate (Hotel), taught history there
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Attended University of New Hampshire (Meany)
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Participated in study-abroad program in Vienna (Marriage, Garp, Hotel,
Circus), studying under Gunter Grass
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Married while an undergraduate
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Publicly declared himself dyslectic
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Had first of three sons at 23
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Upon fatherhood, abandoned his 750 cc Royal Enfield (Bears)
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1978-79 was writer in res at Brandeis U. in Mass.
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First teaching job at Windham College in Vermont
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Worked as assistant professor of English at Mount Holyoke College in Massachusetts
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"Mentored" by Kurt Vonnegut in the late 1960ís
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Divorced in 1981 from his first wife
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Remarried to Janet Turnbull, his agent, a Canadian (Meany, Circus)
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Currently coaches wrestling (Bears, Marriage, Garp) in addition
to his literary duties
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