Background

IRVING, John was born on March 2, 1942 in. Exeter, New Hampshire, United States. Son of Colin F. N. Irving and Frances Winslow.

Education

University of Pittsburgh, Vienna, New Hampshire and Iowa.

Career

Assistant Professor, of English, Mt. Holyoke College 1967-1972, 1975-1978. Writer-in-residence, University of Iowa 75.

With Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference 1976. Rockefeller Foundation grantee 1971-1972. National Endowment for Arts Fellow 1974-1975, Guggenheim Fellow 1976-1977.

Works

• book

  • Setting Free the Bears

  • Trying to Save Piggy Sneed

  • My Movie Business: A Memoir

• novel

  • The Water-Method Man

  • The 158-Pound Marriage

  • The World According to Garp

  • The Hotel New Hampshire

  • A Prayer for Owen Meany

  • A Son of the Circus

Religion

Irving had a very religious upbringing which later played a role in some of his novels.

Interests

• Reading

Connections

Father:

John

Mother:

Frances

step-father:

Colin

First wife:

Shyla Leary

Second wife:

Janet Turnbull

Son:

Colin

Son:

Brendan

Son:

Everett