# Tom Wolfe

> American author and journalist (1930–2018)

**Wikidata**: [Q216195](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q216195)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Wolfe)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/tom-wolfe

## Summary
Tom Wolfe (1930–2018) was an American author and journalist widely recognized as a pioneer of New Journalism, a literary movement that applied fictional techniques to non-fiction reporting. He is best known for his influential works *The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test* (1966) and the novel *The Bonfire of the Vanities*, which profoundly influenced 20th-century American literature and journalism.

## Biography
- **Born:** March 2, 1930
- **Died:** May 14, 2018
- **Nationality:** United States
- **Education:** Washington and Lee University; Yale University
- **Known for:** Pioneering New Journalism and opinion journalism; authoring *The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test* and *The Bonfire of the Vanities*
- **Employer(s):** Not specified in source material
- **Field(s):** Literature; opinion journalism

## Contributions
Tom Wolfe’s body of work spans non-fiction, novels, essays, screenwriting, and prose. His notable works include:

- **The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test** (1966): A defining non-fiction work chronicling Ken Kesey and the Merry Pranksters’ cross-country bus journey and psychedelic experiences, a seminal document of 1960s counterculture.
- **The Bonfire of the Vanities**: A landmark novel offering sharp social critique of 1980s New York City, examining greed, social status, and racial tension.
- **New Journalism and opinion journalism**: Wolfe was a central figure in opinion journalism, a form of journalism that makes no claim of objectivity, and helped shape the New Journalism movement that blended literary techniques with reporting.

Wolfe’s career work period began around 1965 and spanned over five decades.

## FAQs
**What literary movement is Tom Wolfe associated with?**
Tom Wolfe is closely associated with New Journalism, a movement that incorporated literary and fictional techniques into non-fiction reporting, and opinion journalism, which explicitly rejects claims of objectivity.

**What are Tom Wolfe’s most famous books?**
His best-known works include the non-fiction book *The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test* (1966) and the novel *The Bonfire of the Vanities*, both of which have had enduring cultural impact.

**Where did Tom Wolfe receive his education?**
Wolfe attended Washington and Lee University, a private liberal arts university in Lexington, Virginia, and Yale University, a private university in New Haven, Connecticut.

**What awards did Tom Wolfe receive?**
Wolfe received the National Humanities Medal, the Dos Passos Prize, the National Book Award, delivered the Jefferson Lecture, and was awarded the Wilbur Cross Medal for Yale alumni.

**Who influenced Tom Wolfe’s writing?**
Wolfe was influenced by a diverse group of writers and thinkers, including Émile Zola, Ernest Hemingway, Evelyn Waugh, Charles Dickens, Hunter S. Thompson, Jack Kerouac, Ken Kesey, and Norman Mailer.

**What professional roles did Tom Wolfe hold?**
He worked as a journalist, novelist, reporter, essayist, non-fiction writer, screenwriter, writer, and prose writer throughout his career.

## Why They Matter
Tom Wolfe transformed American journalism and literature by championing New Journalism, a style that used the tools of fiction—scene-setting, dialogue, point of view—to tell factual stories with unprecedented narrative power. Works like *The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test* and *The Bonfire of the Vanities* shaped how readers understood the 1960s counterculture and 1980s social stratification. Wolfe influenced generations of writers including Norman Mailer, Hunter S. Thompson, and Jack Kerouac, and his legacy endures in both literary non-fiction and satirical fiction.

## Notable For
- Pioneering New Journalism and shaping opinion journalism
- Authoring *The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test* (1966), a seminal work of 1960s counterculture reportage
- Writing *The Bonfire of the Vanities*, a defining novel of 1980s American society
- Receiving the National Humanities Medal
- Receiving the National Book Award
- Receiving the Dos Passos Prize
- Delivering the Jefferson Lecture
- Receiving the Wilbur Cross Medal from Yale University
- Membership in the American Academy of Arts and Letters (founded 1899)
- Membership in the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (founded 1780)
- Work period starting in 1965

## Body

### Early Life and Education
Thomas Kennerly Wolfe Jr. was born on March 2, 1930, in the United States. He attended Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia, and later Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut. His full legal name is recorded as Thomas Kennerly Wolfe Jr., and he also used the aliases Thomas Kennerly, Jr. Wolfe and Thomas Kennerly "Tom" Wolfe, Jr.

### Literary Career and Major Works
Wolfe’s professional writing career began around 1965. He became known for his versatility across multiple genres—journalism, fiction, essays, screenwriting, and prose.

His major non-fiction work, **The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test**, was published in 1966. The book chronicled the adventures of author Ken Kesey and his group, the Merry Pranksters, as they traveled across the country experimenting with psychedelic drugs. The work is considered a definitive document of the 1960s counterculture.

His novel **The Bonfire of the Vanities** became one of the most celebrated American novels of the late 20th century, providing a satirical examination of greed, social status, and racial tension in New York City.

Other notable works identified in the source include works linked to Q3301814, Q4658094, Q7280417, Q1401130, and Q4839394.

### Professional Roles and Occupations
Wolfe held multiple roles throughout his career:
- **Journalist**: Collecting, writing, and distributing news and information
- **Novelist**: Writing novels
- **Reporter**: Collecting and reporting information on events
- **Essayist**: Writing essays
- **Non-fiction writer**: Authoring non-fiction texts
- **Screenwriter**: Writing for films, TV shows, comics, and games
- **Writer**: Using written words to communicate ideas and produce literary works
- **Prose writer**: Writing in prose

### Affiliations and Memberships
Wolfe was a member of two prestigious American honor societies:
- **American Academy of Arts and Letters** (founded 1899), an honor society headquartered in the United States
- **American Academy of Arts and Sciences** (founded 1780), a United States honorary society and policy research center

### Awards and Recognition
Wolfe received significant recognition throughout his career:
- **National Humanities Medal**: An American award for contributions to the humanities (established 1988)
- **Dos Passos Prize**: An annual award for writers in the middle of their career exploring specifically American themes (established 1980)
- **National Book Award**: A United States literary award in five categories (established 1936)
- **Jefferson Lecture**: An honorary lecture series
- **Wilbur Cross Medal**: An award for Yale University alumni (established 1966)

### Influence and Intellectual Lineage
Wolfe was influenced by a range of major literary figures, including:
- **Émile Zola** (1840–1902): French novelist, journalist, and playwright known for literary realism and *J’accuse…!*
- **Ernest Hemingway** (1899–1961): American author and journalist, Nobel Prize winner known for *The Sun Also Rises* and *The Old Man and the Sea*
- **Evelyn Waugh** (1903–1966): British writer and journalist, author of *Brideshead Revisited*
- **Charles Dickens** (1812–1870): English novelist and social critic, creator of iconic characters like Ebenezer Scrooge and Oliver Twist
- **Hunter S. Thompson** (1937–2005): American journalist and author, creator of gonzo journalism, author of *Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas*
- **Jack Kerouac** (1922–1969): American writer, pioneer of the Beat Generation, author of *On the Road*
- **Ken Kesey** (1935–2001): American novelist, author of *One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest* and leader of the Merry Pranksters
- **Norman Mailer** (1923–2007): American writer, two-time Pulitzer Prize winner, pioneer of New Journalism

### Online Presence and Identifiers
Wolfe maintained an official website at http://www.tomwolfe.com/. He is identified across numerous library, academic, and media databases with extensive cataloging records, reflecting his broad global reach and scholarly recognition.

## References

1. [Source](http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/21501b0e-fa33-11db-8bd0-000b5df10621.html)
2. BnF authorities
3. [Source](http://www.nytimes.com/2001/11/11/obituaries/11KESE.html)
4. [Source](http://news.bbc.co.uk/nolpda/ukfs_news/hi/newsid_8269000/8269003.stm)
5. Czech National Authority Database
6. [Source](http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/rockandpopmusic/7995299/Black-Panthers-Hymn-to-the-fathers-of-radical-chic.html)
7. [Source](http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/stuart-loory-globe-trotting-journalist-and-cnn-bureau-chief-dies-at-82/2015/01/16/e0419bb4-9da0-11e4-a7ee-526210d665b4_story.html)
8. RKDartists
9. Find a Grave
10. [Source](https://www.neh.gov/about/awards/national-humanities-medals/tom-wolfe)
11. [Source](https://www.nationalbook.org/awards-prizes/national-book-awards-1980/?cat=autobiography-hardcover&sub-cat=general-nonfiction-hc)
12. [Source](https://gsas.yale.edu/documents/wilbur-cross-medalists-1966-2023-year)
13. [Source](https://www.chipublib.org/chicago-public-library-foundation-awards/)
14. [Source](https://www.nationalbook.org/programs/dcal/#tab-2)
15. International Standard Name Identifier
16. CiNii Research
17. Virtual International Authority File
18. [Source](https://archives.nypl.org/mss/22833)
19. SNAC
20. Brockhaus Enzyklopädie
21. GeneaStar
22. Munzinger Personen
23. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
24. [Tom Wolfe | Open Library](https://openlibrary.org/authors/OL230834A/Tom_Wolfe)
25. Catalogue of the Library of the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross
26. CONOR.SI
27. Autoritats UB
28. The Unz Review
29. Goodreads
30. archINFORM
31. [Source](https://www.archinform.net/service/wd_aiarch.php)
32. LIBRIS. 2018
33. Cinemathèque québécoise Linked Open Data