John Cheever, an American novelist and short story writer born in Quincy in 1912, established a career that spanned five decades. His literature, written in English and focused on prose, earned him significant recognition including the National Book Award and the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. He died in 1982 at the age of 70 in Ossining.
Formative Years and Education
Born in 1912, Cheever attended Thayer Academy and Quincy High School. His early experiences in Massachusetts later influenced the settings of his fiction, which frequently featured New England villages. By the mid-1930s, he had begun submitting work to The New Yorker, starting a professional relationship that lasted for much of his career.
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Cheever worked as a novelist, short story writer, screenwriter, and diarist. His published novels include The Wapshot Chronicle, The Wapshot Scandal, Bullet Park, Falconer, and the novella Oh What a Paradise It Seems. These works, alongside his numerous short stories, established his reputation within the field of American fiction.
Academic and Professional Affiliations
Beyond his creative writing, Cheever held teaching positions at Boston University, the University of Iowa, and the University of Utah. He was a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters as well as the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and he received a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1951.
Awards and Legacy
His work received consistent critical praise throughout his life. Honors include the O. Henry Award in 1956, the National Book Award for Fiction in 1958 and 1981, the William Dean Howells Medal in 1965, and the National Book Critics Circle Award in 1978. In 1979, he was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. He is buried at the First Parish Cemetery.
Fast facts
- Born: 1912, Quincy
- Died: 1982, Ossining
- Citizenship: United States
- Primary occupations: Writer, novelist, screenwriter
- 1979 Pulitzer Prize winner
- Member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters
- Final burial: First Parish Cemetery
Questions readers ask
What genres did John Cheever write?
He was a novelist, short story writer, screenwriter, and diarist.
Where was John Cheever educated?
He attended Quincy High School and Thayer Academy.
Achievements
- National Book Award for Fiction — 1981
- William Dean Howells Medal of the American Academy of Arts and Letters — 1965
- National Book Critics Circle Award for Fiction — 1978
- Pulitzer Prize for Fiction — 1979
