It would seem impossible for a student of twentieth-century literature to lack familiarity with Hugh Kenner's criticism. He has put his hand to most of the major modern writers, defining their positions historically and offering unique perspectives on difficult and essential works. Although Kenner has been identified with the formalist tradition (his interest in language and machines bearing obvious similarity to the scientific interests of New Criticism), he avoids close association with established or currently popular schools. Deriving his methods instead from the writers he studies, Kenner invests the artist with an authority and stature often disallowed by modern criticism. His commitment to cultural values, his intelligence, erudition, and wit have made him one of the most important critical voices of his generation.

William Hugh Kenner was born on 7 January 1923 in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada. He is the son of Henry Rowe Hocking Kenner, a classics master turned high-school...