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When I knew him, Barthelme was in his early forties. He died in 1989, at the age of 58. “The School,” which appeared first in the 1976 collection, Amateurs, is one of Barthelme’s more accessible stories. To describe it is to sound ridiculous: a very funny story about death and the negation of meaning, and the only story ever written, by anyone, in which a resurrected gerbil is the bringer of hope. - Steven Polansky, Author of Dating Miss Universe: Nine Stories
About the Author: Donald Barthelme published seventeen books, including four novels and a prize-winning children's book. He was a longtime contributor to The New Yorker, winner of the National Book Award, a director of PEN and the Authors Guild, and a member of the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters. He died in July of 1989.
About the Guest Editor: Steven Polansky was born in New York City. He was educated at Wesleyan, Hollins, and Princeton. He has taught at St. Olaf College, Macalester, and the University of Minnesota. His short fiction has appeared in The New Yorker, Harper’s, Glimmer Train, Best American Short Stories, New England Review, and Minnesota Monthly. He has published two books: The Bradbury Report, a novel, and a book of short stories, Dating Miss Universe, which won the Sandstone Prize and the Minnesota Book Award. He has a wife, two sons, and a daughter. He lives in Wisconsin.
About the Publisher: Electric Literature is an independent publisher amplifying the power of storytelling through digital innovation. Electric Literature’s weekly fiction magazine, Recommended Reading, invites established authors, indie presses, and literary magazines to recommended great fiction. Once a month we feature our own recommendation of original, previously unpublished fiction.
About the Author: Donald Barthelme published seventeen books, including four novels and a prize-winning children's book. He was a longtime contributor to The New Yorker, winner of the National Book Award, a director of PEN and the Authors Guild, and a member of the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters. He died in July of 1989.
About the Guest Editor: Steven Polansky was born in New York City. He was educated at Wesleyan, Hollins, and Princeton. He has taught at St. Olaf College, Macalester, and the University of Minnesota. His short fiction has appeared in The New Yorker, Harper’s, Glimmer Train, Best American Short Stories, New England Review, and Minnesota Monthly. He has published two books: The Bradbury Report, a novel, and a book of short stories, Dating Miss Universe, which won the Sandstone Prize and the Minnesota Book Award. He has a wife, two sons, and a daughter. He lives in Wisconsin.
About the Publisher: Electric Literature is an independent publisher amplifying the power of storytelling through digital innovation. Electric Literature’s weekly fiction magazine, Recommended Reading, invites established authors, indie presses, and literary magazines to recommended great fiction. Once a month we feature our own recommendation of original, previously unpublished fiction.
12 pages, ebook
First published January 1, 1976
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About the author
Donald Barthelme
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Unspeakable Practices, Unnatural Acts
(1968) apparently collects sometimes surrealistic stories of modern life of American writer Donald Barthelme.
A student at the University of Pennsylvania bore Donald Barthelme. Two years later, in 1933, the family moved to Texas, where father of Barthelme served as a professor of architecture at the University of Houston, where Barthelme later majored in journalism.
In 1951, this still student composed his first articles for the Houston Post. The Army drafted Barthelme, who arrived in Korea on 27 July 1953, the very day, when parties signed the ceasefire, ending the war. He served briefly as the editor of a newspaper of Army before returning to the United States and his job at the Houston Post. Once back, he continued his studies of philosophy at the University of Houston. He continued to take classes until 1957 but never received a degree. He spent much of his free time in “black” jazz clubs of Houston and listened to musical innovators, such as Lionel Hampton and Peck Kelly; this experience influenced him later.
Barthelme, a rebellious son, struggled in his relationship with his demanding father. In later years, they tremendously argued about the kinds of literature that interested Barthelme. His avant-garde father in art and aesthetics in many ways approved not the postmodern and deconstruction schools. The Dead Father and The King , the novels, delineate attitude of Barthelme toward his father as King Arthur and Lancelot, the characters, picture him. From the Roman Catholicism of his especially devout mother, Barthelme independently moved away, but this separation as the distance with his father troubled Barthelme. He ably agreed to strictures of his seemingly much closer mother.
Barthelme went to teach for brief periods at Boston University and at University at Buffalo, and he at the college of the City of New York served as distinguished visiting professor from 1974-1975. He married four times. Helen Barthelme, his second wife, later entitled a biography Donald Barthelme: The Genesis of a Cool Sound , published in 2001. With Birgit Barthelme, his third wife and a Dane, he fathered Anne Barthelme, his first child, a daughter. He married Marion Barthelme near the end and fathered Kate Barthelme, his second daughter. Marion and Donald wed until his death from throat cancer. People respect fiction of Frederick Barthelme and Steven Barthelme, brothers of Donald Barthelme and also teachers at The University of Southern Mississippi.
A student at the University of Pennsylvania bore Donald Barthelme. Two years later, in 1933, the family moved to Texas, where father of Barthelme served as a professor of architecture at the University of Houston, where Barthelme later majored in journalism.
In 1951, this still student composed his first articles for the Houston Post. The Army drafted Barthelme, who arrived in Korea on 27 July 1953, the very day, when parties signed the ceasefire, ending the war. He served briefly as the editor of a newspaper of Army before returning to the United States and his job at the Houston Post. Once back, he continued his studies of philosophy at the University of Houston. He continued to take classes until 1957 but never received a degree. He spent much of his free time in “black” jazz clubs of Houston and listened to musical innovators, such as Lionel Hampton and Peck Kelly; this experience influenced him later.
Barthelme, a rebellious son, struggled in his relationship with his demanding father. In later years, they tremendously argued about the kinds of literature that interested Barthelme. His avant-garde father in art and aesthetics in many ways approved not the postmodern and deconstruction schools. The Dead Father and The King , the novels, delineate attitude of Barthelme toward his father as King Arthur and Lancelot, the characters, picture him. From the Roman Catholicism of his especially devout mother, Barthelme independently moved away, but this separation as the distance with his father troubled Barthelme. He ably agreed to strictures of his seemingly much closer mother.
Barthelme went to teach for brief periods at Boston University and at University at Buffalo, and he at the college of the City of New York served as distinguished visiting professor from 1974-1975. He married four times. Helen Barthelme, his second wife, later entitled a biography Donald Barthelme: The Genesis of a Cool Sound , published in 2001. With Birgit Barthelme, his third wife and a Dane, he fathered Anne Barthelme, his first child, a daughter. He married Marion Barthelme near the end and fathered Kate Barthelme, his second daughter. Marion and Donald wed until his death from throat cancer. People respect fiction of Frederick Barthelme and Steven Barthelme, brothers of Donald Barthelme and also teachers at The University of Southern Mississippi.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 165 reviews
October 28, 2021
The School by Donald Barthelme is one of the most loved of all pieces of postmodern short fiction. I certainly enjoyed reading and composing my write-up. Here goes:
Bad News in the Land of Plenty: Edgar the elementary school teacher starts by informing us, “Well, we had all these children out planting trees, see, because we figured that . . . that was part of their education, to see how, you know, the root systems . . . and also the sense of responsibility taking care of things, being individually responsible. You know what I mean. And the trees all died.” Sounds like Edgar is a well-meaning and sweet sort of guy but all that hesitation and “you know” speaks to how Edger has a basic lack of self-confidence, especially when things begin to go wrong.
More Bad News: Edgar goes on to tell us how, before the trees, the children’s snakes died, probably because the school boiler was shut off during a teacher’s strike. And then the herb gardens all died, probably because of overwatering by overly conscientious kids or maybe because of sabotage. Sabotage! So now Edgar and the school have to deal with the prospect of death caused deliberately and maybe even by one or some of the children. In this way, the stakes are raised. Poor sweet, well-meaning Edgar. I bet he never expected to deal with this kind of nasty issue when he decided to become an elementary school teacher.
The Wheel of Life and Death: After the gerbils die, the mice die, the salamander dies, the tropical fish dies, even the puppy one of the children found under a truck on day dies after the children keep it for two weeks, Edger and his class are face to face with the reality of death. Not easy, particularly in a culture where the subject of death is taboo. The Buddha suggested the practice of going down to the river to watch corpses of the dead burn on the fires for a week, repeating: "One day that will be me; one day that will be me." By such practice, a person directly experiences the ever-present reality of death and comes to appreciate the wisdom in the aphorism: "Life without death isn’t life but self-preservation." Unfortunately, in modern society where death is a taboo, death and dying happen at a remove from the eyes of the living, so, when people are directly confronted by death and forced to respond, the experience can come as something of a shock.
Kim from Korea: Through the "Help the Children" program, Edgar’s class adopts a Korean orphan named Kim. Shortly thereafter, the class receives a letter explaining how Kim died but the cause of Kim’s death is not stated. This is the first human death the class has to deal with. No question, the grim reaper is moving in even closer. But, for me, the tone of Edgar’s language here gives the impression that Kim’s death, since he is both an orphan and from Korea, isn’t quite as tragic had Kim been, like the children in class, American and had a family. Perhaps Donald Barthelme is making the tacit observation that for Americans, people in Third World countries simply don’t count as much.
Bad Luck: Edgar thinks the school simply is having a run of bad luck. And the bad luck continues with the deaths of many parents by heart attack, drowning, car crashes and two suicides. Two suicides! No comment from Edgar on the cause or circumstances involving the suicides or the children’s reaction to a parent’s suicide. This strikes me as quite strange, glossing over the suicides of children’s parents and then immediately moving on to note how grandparents have been dropped like flies. Actually, in terms of grandparents, as we all know, this is the predictable turning of the wheel. But remaining silent on the details of those two suicides. Goodness!
Tragedy: As Aristotle observed, we feel deeply and profoundly the tragedy of an individual’s life cut short when we know that person personally. Two boys from his class, Matthew Wein and Tony Mavrogordo, are crushed under wooden beams that collapsed at a local construction site. Yet Edgar rather breezily remarks how the parents are investigating negligence and “It’s been a strange year.” For me, I sense Edgar is a rather decent chap but when it comes down to it, the guy lacks depth of emotion and feeling. Again, Donald Barthelme might be making a general statement about late twentieth century American society, how we are so cut off from our emotions and feelings that even when confronted by the tragic death of two children we know personally, we simply shrug our shoulders and carry on. And, if these tragedies aren't enough, the kicker is Edgar’s off-the-hand remark about how Billy Brandt’s father was killed, knifed by a masked intruder in his own home. Again, the perplexing tone of Edgar's words, as if such an event is really nothing special, just another bit of bad luck.
The Showdown: The children come to class. They demand answers. What happened to all the animals? To Kim? To parents and grandparents? Teacher Edgar is placed on the spot. A philosophical discussion ensues followed by a plea that Edgar make love to Helen, the assistant teacher in the room. Helen walks up to Edgar and embraces him. Edgar, in turn, kisses her a few times on the brow. The children become excited. There’s a knock on the door. Edgar opens the door and the new gerbil walks in. The children cheer wildly.
An entire essay could be written about the concluding short paragraph of this story, however my observation here is simply to mention how absolutely rare it is to have such a public display of affection and intimacy, two teachers embracing and tender kisses on the forehead. Such is the reality of school: all the necessary skills taught, skills like reading, writing and arithmetic but very little, if anything, on those dimensions that give real depth to our lives, things like coming to grips with the reality of death and the yearning we all have for affection, tenderness and intimacy with others.
Coda: Some years ago I was part of Group Motion, a Friday night Philadelphia dance improv group wherein we would always dance for two hours with gentle, affectionate touching, occasional tender embracing and much heartfelt eye contact. At the conclusion we'd all sit in a circle and share our experience. I recall one dancer commenting: "It's amazing how we can actually get away with these Friday nights." Of course this comment is spot-on since the Group Motion experience is so contrary to the general way people interact in public. Truly ironic, even tragic, since we all yearn for tenderness, affection and making more than a superficial contact with others. I suspect the absence of such tenderness and affection is a major reason why people turn to heavy drinking and other numbing remedies.
October 23, 2025
I was set this short story to read for a creative writing seminar. What a masterclass of writing! Within a paragraph you are hooked. The setting is set, the tone fluid, the voice striking and your expectations subverted. There are a dozen small hooks and a real drive fuelled by the colloquial narrative voice and the growing escalation of horror at what is happening in the lives of one class at this school. It is not grotesque, but it is horrifying for sure. Such a magnetic read! I highly recommend to anyone who wants a quick, satisfying read that goes against your expectations.
As almost always with a short story, it does not quite have that investment that will make it a favourite read of mine. But, this is everything a short story should be and more!
As almost always with a short story, it does not quite have that investment that will make it a favourite read of mine. But, this is everything a short story should be and more!
December 28, 2018
Disturbing but yet interesting, I enjoyed the writing style.
June 16, 2016
This tiny little story has a lovely, optimistic theme, and the laid-back writing style really works in small doses, reading like a transcribed excerpt from a casual conversation. However, as pleasant as the rest was, the ending came far too abruptly and the children suddenly started speaking like computers or eighty-year-old philosophy professors. I don't much like surrealism.
Then again, I'm not quite convinced that anybody really likes surrealism.
Read it here.
(And, if you were left baffled, as I was, at whatever the ending was supposed to represent, this short analysis might help you make sense of it.)
Then again, I'm not quite convinced that anybody really likes surrealism.
Read it here.
(And, if you were left baffled, as I was, at whatever the ending was supposed to represent, this short analysis might help you make sense of it.)
November 3, 2021
Actually the story takes just 2 pages, and it is the wonderful George Saunders and his essay that discovered it for me. Have to explore more by Barthelme!
December 21, 2014
When you review a three page story, saying anything about the plot would spoil it. "The School" centers on the deaths and lives that take place within a single classroom, and Donald Barthelme uses magical realism and absurdity to make us think about the greater implications of his humorous and off-putting plot. Every word within this piece propels it forward toward its confusing yet fitting conclusion. Would recommend to those interested in thinking about why every word or phrase within a story matters and to those who enjoy a little bit of weirdness in their fiction.
January 2, 2015
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 9, 2022
Good night!
It's dark now and just before going to bed, and just before turning off my candelabrum, I will share a few lines.
What a story it was. Throbbing, burning, agonizing, and yet it poured oil on troubled waters of my soul!
Lovely little tale!
This story was like a fleeting body but also like an undying spirit!
Full Marks!
It's dark now and just before going to bed, and just before turning off my candelabrum, I will share a few lines.
"One day we had a discussion in class, and they asked me where did they go? the trees, the salamander, the tropical fish, the poppas and mommas, the Methew and Tony, where did they go? and I said I don't know. I don't know. And they said, who knows? and I said, nobody knows. And they said is death which gives meaning to life? and I said, no life is that which gives meaning to life.
And they said but is not death considered as fundamental datum by which the taken-for-granted mundanity of every day may be transcended in the direction of-
I said, yes maybe.
They said, we don't like it.
I said, that's sound.
They said it's a bloody shame!
I said, it is.
What a story it was. Throbbing, burning, agonizing, and yet it poured oil on troubled waters of my soul!
Lovely little tale!
This story was like a fleeting body but also like an undying spirit!
Full Marks!
September 15, 2022
lol what is this
August 22, 2014
A new gerbil. Just in time.
April 19, 2024
I like how it only becomes clear that something is off with the children toward the end.
The children seem to learn mainly about two things in this school: death and sex, but mostly death. Things that are somewhat taboo to talk about casually.
I love the surreal off-beat tone of this story and how the narrator casually mentions how many deaths occurs at this school, almost like the school is cursed but he’s unaware of it. When the children want to see the teachers have sex that’s when you start to get that the world if this story is a bit weird. The things that are usually unspoken and avoided are directly acknowledged and directly confronted.
So what is this school for? What are you supposed do learn at school? I feel this question is very indirectly implied but I can’t gather the answer from this story.
The children seem to learn mainly about two things in this school: death and sex, but mostly death. Things that are somewhat taboo to talk about casually.
I love the surreal off-beat tone of this story and how the narrator casually mentions how many deaths occurs at this school, almost like the school is cursed but he’s unaware of it. When the children want to see the teachers have sex that’s when you start to get that the world if this story is a bit weird. The things that are usually unspoken and avoided are directly acknowledged and directly confronted.
So what is this school for? What are you supposed do learn at school? I feel this question is very indirectly implied but I can’t gather the answer from this story.
June 20, 2018
I liked the easy-going style of the story at the beginning of the story, it felt casual. Sadly, this all changes when little kids start talking not only like adults, but as pretentious adults trying too hard to sound all deep and philosophical until the point they suggest to their teacher a sex demonstration. What started as a sad yet intriguing story ended up becoming something quite disturbing.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 28, 2023
A short story of only two pages— full of an escalating theme of death. Children at a school witness the end result of dying in the trees that they planted, the animals they tried to nurture, then death came from other avenues. Wow, a different style of short story writing— then at the end an example of an exhibition of loving someone- the author really changing gears here and is non-traditional in his style.
June 20, 2019
The School was morbid and surreal with a unique undertone of humour and optimism. I normally wouldn't expect such a calm and casual delivery of a plot that's full of death, murder, bad luck and ill omens. Despite the grim subject matter, the horror in the book is casually dismissed in order to focus on the positives. This is where the quote that stuck out to me most comes in to play. I feel like these two sentences alone capture the essence of what the entire plot was trying to convey.
"And they said, is death that which gives meaning to life? And I said no, life is that which gives meaning to life."
This story is full of death, but the message of the story is an uplifting one. Death is all around us, any moment can be our last. So we need to do our best to keep our spirits high and live life to the fullest even knowing that one day it will all come to an end. Cherish every moment, even when it's hard. As much as I love gloomy, pessimistic horror full of harsh life lessons, this was a unique take on the genre that I've never really seen done in this fashion before.
I didn't like the writing style, the flow of the plot, the characterization was poor and the ending was abrupt, but I did like the general message of the story. I think it would work much better as a novella rather than an extremly short story. It was over so fast that it was hard to fully appreciate the impact it was trying to deliver.
"And they said, is death that which gives meaning to life? And I said no, life is that which gives meaning to life."
This story is full of death, but the message of the story is an uplifting one. Death is all around us, any moment can be our last. So we need to do our best to keep our spirits high and live life to the fullest even knowing that one day it will all come to an end. Cherish every moment, even when it's hard. As much as I love gloomy, pessimistic horror full of harsh life lessons, this was a unique take on the genre that I've never really seen done in this fashion before.
I didn't like the writing style, the flow of the plot, the characterization was poor and the ending was abrupt, but I did like the general message of the story. I think it would work much better as a novella rather than an extremly short story. It was over so fast that it was hard to fully appreciate the impact it was trying to deliver.
December 30, 2014
Disturbing, interesting and funny. This is the first short story I've read by Barthelme and I think I will seek out more of his work. for a 3 page story this was simply delightful.
March 12, 2016
Quite good!
May 9, 2017
Well that was delightfully dark and peculiar little read.
December 21, 2021
"The School" (1976) by Donald Barthelme is one of the best examples of flash fiction. The story, set on a normal day in a school, begins with the narrator who is a teacher telling us about the children planting orange trees. But trees die like the snakes that died a few weeks ago on the strike. The narrator goes on thinking about the other things that died like the mice, salamander, gerbils, dog named Edgar, orphan child, students, and their parents. After all the things that happened, he starts to think that if there is something wrong with the school, but then he ends up saying it was just bad luck. Then children start to ask questions about death, the narrator tells them he does not know the answers. The ending is left open-handed and does not answer many questions, but it is also an answer to the biggest question, What is the meaning of Life? The story is pretty surreal, it feels like a dream, but it is actually full of symbols. The conflict between life and death is perfectly symbolized in children's daily life and the children are actually us trying to find answers to our existential crisis. The story constantly plays with the idea of death and makes us ask ourselves questions like was it just bad luck? Or is there any other way around? I think everyone should read this story once in their life, it is so short that you can finish it in 3 minutes, but the impact it made on you will last forever.
February 6, 2017
I just.. what did I just read.
It started out really interesting an I, too was curious what was going on, was there a reason? Or was it just explaining how life works in an extravagant way?
Then it suddenly, and I really really mean suddenly. Went a whole other way and I was just so confused.
In the end I didnt get the answer to my question and instead got a weird ass ending.
What also bothered me is how the kids suddenly became almost like philosophers.
Read it over here
It started out really interesting an I, too was curious what was going on, was there a reason? Or was it just explaining how life works in an extravagant way?
Then it suddenly, and I really really mean suddenly. Went a whole other way and I was just so confused.
In the end I didnt get the answer to my question and instead got a weird ass ending.
What also bothered me is how the kids suddenly became almost like philosophers.
Read it over here
June 20, 2019
This was a story I got to read in a Literature class I'm taking. Needless to say, I found it strange.
Questions:
How old were these children supposed to be? The majority of the story makes it sound like they're young (planting trees, an herb garden, the class fish). Yet, when it nears the end of the story, they suddenly sound much older even contemplating the difference between life and death.
What was with them asking the teacher to have sex or "make love" with the teaching assistant? Did I say this was a strange story?
Questions:
How old were these children supposed to be? The majority of the story makes it sound like they're young (planting trees, an herb garden, the class fish). Yet, when it nears the end of the story, they suddenly sound much older even contemplating the difference between life and death.
What was with them asking the teacher to have sex or "make love" with the teaching assistant? Did I say this was a strange story?
November 28, 2022
On a lark, read this quickie and was amused throughout at the dark humor; so much so that I couldn’t help but wonder why those that rated it so poorly were so taken aback. Anyone who has ever set foot inside a classroom knows that at bare minimum, this is an allegory for one of those days in education when Murphy’s Law wholly applies. What can go wrong will. It’s not quite irony nor satire, but hyperbolic tragicomedy. Loved it.
September 8, 2015
Well, that escalated quickly. It's nothing to be worried about of course, school pets die sometimes it simply happens. And plants can be very finicky. And well, the string of bad luck with grandparents, fathers, and mothers can't really be counted, just a string of bad luck. Definitely nothing to worry about.
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June 14, 2014Interesting...
February 6, 2016
And they said, is death that which gives meaning to life? And I said no, life is that which gives meaning to life.
May 22, 2016
One of the strangest things I've read in a while
February 25, 2017
Deliciously dark short short story that takes a philosophical turn. Barthelme has mastered his use of language, conveying the story in a brilliant read-between-the-lines-way.
February 17, 2019
I was enjoying the prose and was wondering what all of this death and loss meant and then the ending took a hard left into weird and uncomfortable.
February 23, 2023
The irony was how this and Tandolfo the Great were utilized as examples for a class on how not to be artsy or inaccessible.
February 16, 2021
Wow, I absolutely just do not like Barthelme. I get that he was breaking rules and broadening horizons in the genre, but it does not work for me at all. I feel like we get the point within the first 5 sentences and everything is repeated ad nauseum after that, like a 3rd grader who gets a good idea and thinks it then makes sense to hammer that idea over and over and over again. Blech. If you like to see someone breaking the form, maybe you'd like it. If you like interesting, good narratives that uncover the truth of the world, skip it.
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April 7, 2025 "One day, we had a discussion in class. They asked me, where did they go? The trees, the salamander, the tropical fish, Edgar, the poppas and mommas, Matthew and Tony, where did they go? And I said, I don’t know, I don’t know. And they said, who knows? and I said, nobody knows. And they said, is death that which gives meaning to life? and I said, no, life is that which gives meaning to life."
Displaying 1 - 30 of 165 reviews