WRITER
John Kennedy Toole
1937 - 1969

John Kennedy Toole
John Kennedy Toole (; December 17, 1937 – March 26, 1969) was an American novelist from New Orleans, Louisiana, whose posthumously published novel, A Confederacy of Dunces, won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1981. At 16 in 1954, Toole wrote his first novel, The Neon Bible, which he shelved in the same year, not finding a willing publisher; he later dismissed it as "adolescent." After earning a master's degree from Columbia University, he was a successful and popular professor, first at University of Southwestern Louisiana (now ULL), at Hunter College while pursuing a PhD at Columbia (unfinished), and finally in New Orleans. Having persuaded Simon & Schuster, however, to accept A Confederacy of Dunces, Toole was unable to resolve editorial disputes. Due in part to the novel's failure, he suffered from paranoia and depression, dying by suicide at the age of 31. Read more on Wikipedia
His biography is available in different languages on Wikipedia. John Kennedy Toole is the 2,142nd most popular writer (down from 2,114th in 2019), the 3,109th most popular biography from United States (down from 2,657th in 2019) and the 253rd most popular American Writer.
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Among WRITERS
Among writers, John Kennedy Toole ranks 2,142 out of 7,302. Before him are Inger Christensen, Jón Arason, Joan Didion, Lu Ji, Hamza Hakimzade Niyazi, and Elizabeth von Arnim. After him are Alberto Manguel, Paul Hazard, Marion Zimmer Bradley, Caecilius Statius, Virginia Eliza Clemm Poe, and Mariano José de Larra.
Most Popular Writers in Wikipedia
Go to all RankingsInger Christensen
1935 - 2009
HPI: 62.78
Rank: 2,136
Jón Arason
1484 - 1550
HPI: 62.78
Rank: 2,137
Joan Didion
1934 - 2021
HPI: 62.78
Rank: 2,138
Lu Ji
261 - 303
HPI: 62.77
Rank: 2,139
Hamza Hakimzade Niyazi
1889 - 1929
HPI: 62.77
Rank: 2,140
Elizabeth von Arnim
1866 - 1941
HPI: 62.77
Rank: 2,141
John Kennedy Toole
1937 - 1969
HPI: 62.77
Rank: 2,142
Alberto Manguel
1948 - Present
HPI: 62.77
Rank: 2,143
Paul Hazard
1878 - 1944
HPI: 62.77
Rank: 2,144
Marion Zimmer Bradley
1930 - 1999
HPI: 62.77
Rank: 2,145
Caecilius Statius
230 BC - 168 BC
HPI: 62.76
Rank: 2,146
Virginia Eliza Clemm Poe
1822 - 1847
HPI: 62.76
Rank: 2,147
Mariano José de Larra
1809 - 1837
HPI: 62.76
Rank: 2,148
Contemporaries
Among people born in 1937, John Kennedy Toole ranks 149. Before him are André Glucksmann, Facundo Cabral, Eduard Uspensky, Ned Beatty, Bruce McCandless II, and Harri Holkeri. After him are Félix Miélli Venerando, Eduard Streltsov, Lluís Martínez Sistach, Sami Frey, Jovan Divjak, and Igor Volk. Among people deceased in 1969, John Kennedy Toole ranks 78. Before him are Adolfo López Mateos, Rómulo Gallegos, Frederic Bartlett, Meher Baba, Aleksandras Stulginskis, and Jeffrey Hunter. After him are Mikio Naruse, Michael Lippert, Lucien Bianchi, George Cœdès, Max Weinreich, and Giovanni Urbani.
Others Born in 1937
Go to all RankingsAndré Glucksmann
PHILOSOPHER
1937 - 2015
HPI: 63.06
Rank: 143
Facundo Cabral
SINGER
1937 - 2011
HPI: 63.05
Rank: 144
Eduard Uspensky
WRITER
1937 - 2018
HPI: 63.04
Rank: 145
Ned Beatty
ACTOR
1937 - 2021
HPI: 62.93
Rank: 146
Bruce McCandless II
ASTRONAUT
1937 - 2017
HPI: 62.88
Rank: 147
Harri Holkeri
POLITICIAN
1937 - 2011
HPI: 62.83
Rank: 148
John Kennedy Toole
WRITER
1937 - 1969
HPI: 62.77
Rank: 149
Félix Miélli Venerando
SOCCER PLAYER
1937 - 2012
HPI: 62.77
Rank: 150
Eduard Streltsov
SOCCER PLAYER
1937 - 1990
HPI: 62.38
Rank: 151
Lluís Martínez Sistach
RELIGIOUS FIGURE
1937 - Present
HPI: 62.37
Rank: 152
Sami Frey
ACTOR
1937 - Present
HPI: 62.32
Rank: 153
Jovan Divjak
POLITICIAN
1937 - 2021
HPI: 62.21
Rank: 154
Igor Volk
PILOT
1937 - 2017
HPI: 62.19
Rank: 155
Others Deceased in 1969
Go to all RankingsAdolfo López Mateos
POLITICIAN
1909 - 1969
HPI: 63.64
Rank: 72
Rómulo Gallegos
WRITER
1884 - 1969
HPI: 63.58
Rank: 73
Frederic Bartlett
PSYCHOLOGIST
1886 - 1969
HPI: 63.49
Rank: 74
Meher Baba
RELIGIOUS FIGURE
1894 - 1969
HPI: 63.11
Rank: 75
Aleksandras Stulginskis
POLITICIAN
1885 - 1969
HPI: 63.09
Rank: 76
Jeffrey Hunter
ACTOR
1926 - 1969
HPI: 62.84
Rank: 77
John Kennedy Toole
WRITER
1937 - 1969
HPI: 62.77
Rank: 78
Mikio Naruse
FILM DIRECTOR
1905 - 1969
HPI: 62.74
Rank: 79
Michael Lippert
MILITARY PERSONNEL
1897 - 1969
HPI: 62.74
Rank: 80
Lucien Bianchi
RACING DRIVER
1934 - 1969
HPI: 62.68
Rank: 81
George Cœdès
HISTORIAN
1886 - 1969
HPI: 62.29
Rank: 82
Max Weinreich
HISTORIAN
1894 - 1969
HPI: 62.27
Rank: 83
Giovanni Urbani
RELIGIOUS FIGURE
1900 - 1969
HPI: 62.27
Rank: 84
In United States
Among people born in United States, John Kennedy Toole ranks 3,109 out of 20,380. Before him are Melissa Leo (1960), Joan Didion (1934), Annie Potts (1952), Frank Jack Fletcher (1885), Elizabeth Bolden (1890), and Bill Cobbs (1934). After him are Alfre Woodard (1952), Gabby Giffords (1970), Marion Zimmer Bradley (1930), John Milnor (1931), J. B. Pritzker (1965), and Matthew Fox (1966).
Others born in United States
Go to all RankingsMelissa Leo
ACTOR
1960 - Present
HPI: 62.78
Rank: 3,103
Joan Didion
WRITER
1934 - 2021
HPI: 62.78
Rank: 3,104
Annie Potts
ACTOR
1952 - Present
HPI: 62.78
Rank: 3,105
Frank Jack Fletcher
MILITARY PERSONNEL
1885 - 1973
HPI: 62.78
Rank: 3,106
Elizabeth Bolden
RELIGIOUS FIGURE
1890 - 2006
HPI: 62.78
Rank: 3,107
Bill Cobbs
ACTOR
1934 - 2024
HPI: 62.77
Rank: 3,108
John Kennedy Toole
WRITER
1937 - 1969
HPI: 62.77
Rank: 3,109
Alfre Woodard
ACTOR
1952 - Present
HPI: 62.77
Rank: 3,110
Gabby Giffords
POLITICIAN
1970 - Present
HPI: 62.77
Rank: 3,111
Marion Zimmer Bradley
WRITER
1930 - 1999
HPI: 62.77
Rank: 3,112
John Milnor
MATHEMATICIAN
1931 - Present
HPI: 62.77
Rank: 3,113
J. B. Pritzker
POLITICIAN
1965 - Present
HPI: 62.76
Rank: 3,114
Matthew Fox
ACTOR
1966 - Present
HPI: 62.76
Rank: 3,115
Among WRITERS In United States
Among writers born in United States, John Kennedy Toole ranks 253. Before him are Kate Millett (1934), John W. Campbell (1910), William Steig (1907), Lewis Mumford (1895), Harold Bloom (1930), and Joan Didion (1934). After him are Marion Zimmer Bradley (1930), Virginia Eliza Clemm Poe (1822), Charlotte Perkins Gilman (1860), Raymond E. Feist (1945), Anne Applebaum (1964), and Katherine Jackson (1930).
Kate Millett
1934 - 2017
HPI: 62.85
Rank: 247
John W. Campbell
1910 - 1971
HPI: 62.84
Rank: 248
William Steig
1907 - 2003
HPI: 62.84
Rank: 249
Lewis Mumford
1895 - 1990
HPI: 62.82
Rank: 250
Harold Bloom
1930 - 2019
HPI: 62.80
Rank: 251
Joan Didion
1934 - 2021
HPI: 62.78
Rank: 252
John Kennedy Toole
1937 - 1969
HPI: 62.77
Rank: 253
Marion Zimmer Bradley
1930 - 1999
HPI: 62.77
Rank: 254
Virginia Eliza Clemm Poe
1822 - 1847
HPI: 62.76
Rank: 255
Charlotte Perkins Gilman
1860 - 1935
HPI: 62.73
Rank: 256
Raymond E. Feist
1945 - Present
HPI: 62.66
Rank: 257
Anne Applebaum
1964 - Present
HPI: 62.62
Rank: 258
Katherine Jackson
1930 - Present
HPI: 62.57
Rank: 259