Harry Mathews, American author, Died at 86

  Writer

Harry Mathews was born on February 14, 1930, and died on January 25, 2017.

He was an American author of various novels, volumes of poetry and short fiction, and essays.

Harry was also a translator of French.

He was born in New York City to an upper-middle-class family.

He was educated at private schools there and at the Groton School in Massachusetts before enrolling at Princeton University in 1947.

Harry left Princeton in his sophomore year for a tour in the United States Navy, during the course of which (in 1949) he eloped with the artist Niki de Saint Phalle, a childhood friend.

Mathews’ military service completed, Mathews transferred to Harvard University in 1950; the couple’s first child, a daughter, was born the following year.

Following his graduated in 1952 with a B.A. in music, the family moved to Europe; a second child, their son Phillip, was born in 1955.

Himself and de Saint Phalle separated in 1960.

He was married to the writer Marie Chaix and divided his time between Paris, Key West, and New York.

Harry Mathews passed away at 86 years old.