John Updike:John Updike: His admiration of small town His admiration of small town AmericaAmerica is is

reflectedreflectedin his workin his work

““The scrape and snap of Keds on loose alley pebbles The scrape and snap of Keds on loose alley pebbles seems to catapult their voices seems to catapult their voices

into the moist March air blue above the wires”. into the moist March air blue above the wires”. - John Updike- John Updike

John Updike:John Updike:

John Updike was born and raised in a small town in the Northeast United States; he has used his life experience and passion for the small town in much of his work. “The Rabbit” series of novels tells the story of a one time sports hero living in a suburban town in the Northeast United States and his struggles with everyday life.

Updike’s short stories have a frequent setting of small-town America. His story A&P takes place in a small New England town and uses detailed description to make the reader feel like they are at the location of the story.

Updike’s use of brand names and pieces of Americana bring his stories to life. He has an ability to make everyday people and their struggles in life interesting; he finds heroes in everyday blue collar people. He also makes the most simple events in peoples life interesting. Updike’s subjects are often everyday people and their stories of triumph. His favorite themes are love, sex and religion in middle America.

Updike is a “people’s writer” and his small town middle-class characters make the most interesting subjects.

The simple mention of things like “McDonalds, Dunkin Donuts, Fenway Park, and The New York Yankees among others paint a image that cries America.

Genres:Genres:

• Novels

• Short Stories

• Poetry

• Children’s Books

• Magazine Journals

The “Rabbit” Series of NovelsThe “Rabbit” Series of Novels

• Rabbit Run

• Rabbit Redux

• Rabbit is Rich

• Rabbit at Rest

• Rabbit Remembered

Other NovelsOther Novels

• Witches of Eastwick

• Golf Dreams

• The Poorhouse Fair

• Toward the End of Time

• Terrorist

Short StoriesShort Stories

• The Full Glass

• A & P

• Outage

• Snowing in Greenwich Village

• My Father’s Tears

PoetryPoetry

• Ex-Basketball Player

• Flight to Limbo

• On the Road

• Sonic Boom

• Burning Trash

Updike: “Everybody can be a Hero”Updike: “Everybody can be a Hero”