Peter De Vries

Peter De Vries (born February 27, 1910 in Chicago, Illinois) was a prolific American novelist, short‑story writer, editor, and celebrated satirist. Raised in a devout Dutch Calvinist immigrant household, he graduated from Calvin College in 1931 and later became an influential figure at Poetry magazine before joining The New Yorker editorial team from 1944 until 1987 +15Encyclopedia Britannica+15eNotes+15. Known for his razor‑sharp wit and linguistic inventiveness, De Vries authored more than twenty novels, short stories, essays, and poetry, many characterized by his playful prose and moral insight GoodreadsDe Vries earned acclaim with novels such as The Tunnel of Love (1954), The Mackerel Plaza, Reuben, Reuben, and the deeply personal The Blood of the Lamb (1961), which reflected on the tragic loss of his young daughter Emily to leukemia Prabook+15The New Yorker+15The New Yorker+15. His writing deftly combines comedy and melancholy, skewering suburban pretensions while exploring grief, faith, and human longing. His style has been described as both “extravagant wordplay” and “comic vision” rooted in emotional complexity The New Yorker+1+1.

De Vries’s legacy lives on through numerous memorable quotes laden with irony and wisdom. He quipped: “I write when I’m inspired, and I see to it that I’m inspired at nine o’clock every morning.” He also observed: “I love being a writer. What I can’t stand is the paperwork.” And picturesque musings include: “When I can no longer bear to think of the victims of broken homes, I begin to think of the victims of intact ones.” These lines reflect his humor, self‑awareness, and probing look at marriage, creativity, and life’s absurdities Goodreads+5Inspiring Quotes+5BrainyQuote+5.