For the past half-century, John Barth has been recognized as our quintessential postmodernist and praised as one of the best writers “we have ever had” ( ). In this unique collection, thirty-six writers and critics look back at Barth’s career, providing a deeper understanding of his books as well as privileged glimpses into the man behind the books. Like Barth’s sixth work of fiction, is a bit of a chimera: a tripartite hybrid of tributes and reminiscences from friends, colleagues, fellow writers, and former students; a sheaf of cutting-edge scholarly essays; and a triadic conclusion comprising a description of the Sheridan Libraries Barth Collection, a rare recording of a 1966 public reading by Barth, and a two-part radio interview with him. At once a Festschrift, an assemblage of academic essays written to honor a colleague, and a liber amicorum, a book of friends, and illustrated with photos from Barth’s life and career, this volume provides Barth's critics, students, and fans with an essential vade mecum to his life and works.