John Kennedy Toole

John Kennedy Toole was an American author best known for his posthumously published novel, A Confederacy of Dunces, written in the late 1950s and published in 1980. He gained remarkable recognition from this novel and became something of a cult figure after it won a Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1981.

Toole was born in New Orleans on December 17th, 1937 and he was the only child of Dorothy Toole and John Kennedy Toole, Sr., a traveling salesman and U.S. Army veteran of German descent. Toole was a bright and curious student and he was especially gifted in creative writing. After graduating from Warren Easton High School in 1955, he enrolled at Tulane University, where he went on to pursue a doctorate in English literature. At Tulane, Toole was an enthusiastic student and one of his professors described him as “a born teacher who wrote with humor and great humanity.”

During the summer before his second year of university, Toole had a “breakdown” which resulted in him spending a couple years in psychiatric care. In 1957, after suffering from depression and mental illness, he was forced to return home as his health was rapidly deteriorating. He was unable to finish his doctoral thesis and temporarily moved back in with his parents, who did their best to provide support. Despite the period of intensive medical treatment, Toole’s condition did not improve and in March 1969, at the age of thirty-one, he committed suicide.

It was only after his death that Toole’s famous novel was published. A Confederacy of Dunces follows the story of a young man, Ignatius J. Reilly, who is very opinionated and has trouble finding a job or place in society. The novel is often seen as an essential contribution to Southern literature, for it exceptionally captures the depth of New Orleans culture and the unique people and idiosyncrasies that shape the city. It is also, and perhaps most prominently, an exploration of human relationships.

Despite being unsuccessful during his lifetime, Toole is often thought of as one of the greatest authors of the twentieth century and so, his posthumous recognition remains remarkable. After its initial publication, A Confederacy of Dunces received rave reviews and countless adaptations and, in 1981, the novel won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. It was even proclaimed the official state book of Louisiana in 2003 and, in 2006, Toole’s childhood home was dedicated as the “John Kennedy Toole Center for Literary Arts”.

John Kennedy Toole continues to be hailed as one of America’s most important authors and his posthumous fame serves as a reminder of his deep influence on the literary world and its relevance to this day. He is remembered for capturing an important part of New Orleans culture and for providing a unique and humorous insight into human relationships. For the literary world, John Kennedy Toole remains something of an enigma, for he achieved prominence only after his death and continues to be celebrated around the world.