Barthelme, Donald

Barthelme, Donald (bär'thelm) [key], 1931–89, American writer, b. Philadelphia. In his short stories and novels, Barthelme describes a world so unreal that traditional modes of fiction can no longer encompass it. His stories employ advertising jargon, counterfeit footnotes, recondite allusions, and various typographical and narrative extravagances to fit his own private vision of an absurd reality. Barthelme's works include the novels Snow White (1967) and The Dead Father (1985); the short-story collections Unspeakable Practices, Unnatural Acts (1968), City Life (1970), Sadness (1972), and Great Days (1979); and a collection of nonfiction pieces, Guilty Pleasures (1974).

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2007, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

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