John Knowles (1926–2001) was an American novelist. Most of his works are psychological examinations of characters caught in a struggle between the wild and the pragmatic facets of their personalities.
Born in Fairmont, West Virginia, Knowles attended Phillips Exeter Academy in Exeter, New Hampshire. He served briefly in the military and then graduated from Yale University.
Knowles became a full-time writer after contributing to various publications during the 1950s. He taught creative writing at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Princeton University, and Florida Atlantic University.
Knowles is best known for his novel A Separate Peace (1959,) based on Knowles’ experiences at Phillips Exeter Academy. An enduring classic, it’s part of many a high-school English syllabi in the United States. This narrative of high school boys whose youth is drawing to a premature end during the war summer of 1942. Its sequel, Peace Breaks Out (1981,) features student rivalry in the same setting as a troubled young teacher who has recently returned from World War II.
Knowles’s other novels include Indian Summer (1966,) Morning in Antibes (1962,) The Paragon (1971,) and A Stolen Past (1983.) He also wrote Double Vision (1964; travelogue) and Phineas (1968; short stories.)
More: Wikipedia • READ: Works by John Knowles
It is a sad day when one looks back and sees that his largest regrets have become some of the most integral elements of his dreams.
—John Knowles
Topics: Dreams
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