author
John Kennedy
Best known for a comic masterpiece that was published after his death, this New Orleans novelist left behind one of American literature’s most unforgettable antiheroes. His story is brief, tragic, and deeply tied to the lasting fame of A Confederacy of Dunces.
1 Audiobook
The history of steam navigation
by John Kennedy
About the author
Born in New Orleans in 1937, John Kennedy Toole studied at Tulane University and later earned a master’s degree in English from Columbia University. He taught college English and wrote fiction with a sharp ear for language, satire, and the odd rhythms of everyday life.
During his lifetime, he struggled to get his work published. His novel A Confederacy of Dunces was rejected by publishers, and Toole died in 1969 at just 31 years old.
Years later, his mother worked to bring the manuscript to wider attention, and the novel was eventually published in 1980. It went on to win the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1981, securing Toole’s place as a major American literary voice. His other novel, The Neon Bible, was also published after his death.