If you’re a bookworm, it is without a doubt that you’ve known many popular literary pieces; but these masterpieces wouldn’t be accessible today without the passion of the writers. The geniuses behind these outstanding works encountered a lot of criticisms before, that’s why they deserved to be recognized worldwide.
One genius that contributed a lot in modern Literature is Thomas Kennerly Wolfe, Jr., widely known as Tom Wolfe. If you’re not familiar with this brilliant person, he wrote many articles, won literary awards, and even published novels. If you’re curious and craving to know a lot of things about him, then continue reading until the end, Pal!
Personal Information About Tom Wolfe
Thomas Kennerly Wolfe, Jr. was born on the 2nd day of March 1930, in Richmond, Virginia. He studied at Washington and Lee University; upon entering college, he became one of the Phi Kappa Sigma Fraternity.
Tom Wolfe did his thesis on Communism in the American literary community in 1957 at Yale University. He also wrote for several newspapers such as Springfield Union in Massachusetts and even The Washington Post. This great man finally said goodbye to Literature on May 14, 2018, because of infection.
Tom Wolfe’s Remarkable Works
Tom Wolfe inscribed a lot of literary pieces, and some of his great works are entitled “The Kandy-Kolored Tangerine-Flake Streamline Baby,” “The Painted Word,” “From Bauhaus to Our House,” “The Right Stuff, I am Charlotte Simmons,” “My Three Stooges,” “Hooking Up,” “The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test,” “A Man in Full,” “Back to Blood,” and many more.
Tom Wolfe Put On A White Suit As His Trademark
Tom Wolfe bought his very first suit for a summer vacation, and he chose white more than any other color. But he realized that the suit was kind of weighty to wear during summer, so he decided to just wear it in winter instead. Luckily, his style had become a trend. The white suit is intended for summer seasons, but Tom Wolfe held a grip on his own kind of get up. He completed his trademark with a two-tone pair of shoes, a white necktie, and a homburg hat.
Tom Wolfe Wrote A Literary Piece About Astronauts
Tom Wolfe was interested in the Mercury Seven Astronaut, who traveled to outer space between 1961 to 1963. These seven exceptional astronauts set high standards for the next American astronauts.
Wolfe marked these astronauts as brave fighters in his book entitled “The Right Stuff,” because they allowed themselves to be exposed to any danger in the space for their country’s benefit. He then brought into vogue the phrase “The Right Stuff” and featured it in the year 1983.
Tom Wolfe Wrote A Long Harangue About John Updike, Norman Mailer, and John Irving
If you’re a writer, you will receive criticisms not just from your readers, but also from other writers, and Tom Wolfe wasn’t exempted in that matter. John Updike, John Irving, and Norman Mailer are known novelists who criticized Tom Wolfe’s novel.
John Updike marked Wolfe’s masterpiece as entertainment and not literature, Norman Mailer depicted Wolfe’s books as having sexual relations with a 300-pound demoiselle. Lastly, John Irving considered Tom’s works as awful. These criticisms plunged Wolfe to write a piece entitled the Three Stooges.
Tom Wolfe Garnered Much Praise From Other Critics
Everything has two sides, right, buddy? Even though other critics stained your name, it won’t stop you from receiving excellent feedback from other people. Unlike the three prominent novelists mentioned a while ago, Kurt Vonnegut delineated Tom as an intelligent person.
Aside from Kurt Vonnegut, Paul Fussel also glorified Wolfe’s works; he considered him an intellectual author who always shared his enthusiasm for literature with his readers. Aside from these two known individuals, Dwight Garner commended him for challenging the assumptions of the literary community with no hint of fear.
Tom Wolfe Was Seen In The Simpsons
On the 19th of November 2006, Tom Wolfe was seen in one episode of Moe’N’a Lisa with three other great novelists, namely Jonathan Franzen, Gore Vidal, and Michael Chabon; it was his second appearance on the said show. He first appeared on the 12th of November 2000, in the episode entitled Insane Clown Poppy.
Tom Wolfe Introduced Several Poetic Phrases into the English language
People will always remember a particular writer by the phrases or terms they’ve read from your works. Tom Wolfe also popularized the terms “The Me Decade,” “Good Ol Boy,” “Statusphere”, and of course, “The Right Stuff. “
Takeaway
Reading books or any literary pieces is very enjoyable, but let’s not bury the names behind these masterpieces. Genius writers like Tom Wolfe deserved to be recognized and his works, for he contributed and fought a lot of things to keep literature alive.
