Barthelme, Donald (Vol. 5) - Barthelme, Donald 1931–
Barthelme, Donald 1931–
Barthelme, a short story writer and novelist, writes witty, imaginative, and brilliant parodies. (See also Contemporary Authors, Vols. 21-22.)
[Barthelme's] first national publication…, a review of the 39th Annual of Advertising and Editorial Art Design [appeared in] Harper's in October 1961. Looking over the year's best ads, he noted that many "give not so much as a clue to what is being advertised." The award-winning spreads were nothing but form, with content "typically nowhere in sight." But Barthelme knew they were making millions, striking to the core of a new American sensibility, and so it is not surprising that when his own short stories began to appear the same year, their theme and technique followed the same direction.
His basic concern was with the forms of language, even the sounds of words, and he practiced clever disruptions to make people see what was really happening before...
[The entire page is 5364 words long]
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