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John Gardner (Magill’s Survey of American Literature, Revised Edition)

Biography

John Gardner's father was a dairy farmer and part-time preacher; his mother was a high school literature teacher. From these two, Gardner inherited and combined down-to-earth realism, life-affirming moral vision, and the belief in the power of art not only to reflect the human condition but also to affect it.

Gardner learned early the redemptive power of art. When he was twelve years old, he accidentally killed his younger brother by running over the boy with a tractor used on the family farm. In response to this tragedy Gardner turned to art—first music...

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