Pictures from an Institution
Pictures from an Institution is a 1954 novel by American poet Randall Jarrell. It is an academic satire, focusing on the oddities of academic life, in particular the interpersonal relationships among the characters and their private lives. The nameless narrator, a Jarrell-like figure who teaches at a women's college called Benton, makes humorous observations about his students and, especially, his fellow academics, in particular the offensively tactless novelist Gertrude, modeled on Mary McCarthy.
 First edition | |
| Author | Randall Jarrell |
|---|---|
| Cover artist | John Sandford |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Satire |
| Publisher | Alfred A. Knopf |
Publication date | 1954 |
| Media type | |
| Pages | 277 |
| OCLC | 285285 |
Some believe Benton was modeled after Sarah Lawrence College, where Jarrell taught. However, in an interview with the New York Times, Jarrell stated that "Benton is supposed to be just a type ... I've taken things from real places, but mostly have made them up."[1]
Characters
- Unnamed narrator, a professor of literature
- Gertrude Johnson, a visiting novelist
- President Robbins, a former Olympic diver
- Gottfried Rosenbaum, composer in residence
Awards
Pictures from an Institution was a finalist for the National Book Award.[2]
References
- Nichols, Lewis. "Talk With Randall Jarrell", "The New York Times", May 2, 1954, accessed April 1, 2011.
- National Book Foundation. "National Book Awards - 1955" 2007, accessed April 1, 2011.
External links
- An excerpt from the book at the University of Chicago Press.
- New York Times review by Orville Prescott (1954)