Tom Robbins, who carved out a unique place in the literary world with his satirical and playful style, has passed away at the age of 92. Beginning his life’s journey as an award-winning mischievous child, Robbins completed it as a true absurdist.
The American writer Tom Robbins died on February 9, 2024, at his home in La Conner, Washington, at the age of 92. Known for his absurd and satirical novels, Robbins was a bestselling author whose works, though rooted in the countercultural movement of the 1960s, managed to captivate readers across generations.
Thomas Eugene Robbins was born on July 22, 1932, in the town of Blowing Rock, North Carolina. From an early age, he seemed to recognize that mischief could be an art form—so much so that he was awarded the title of “Most Mischievous Boy” in high school.
He set out to study journalism at Washington and Lee University but left before completing his degree.
In 1953, to avoid being drafted, he enlisted in the Air Force, serving in Korea and Nebraska before being discharged in 1957. He then enrolled at Richmond Professional Institute in Virginia (now Virginia Commonwealth University), where he took his first steps into journalism. He became the editor of the school newspaper and began working as a sportswriter for the Richmond Times-Dispatch. He graduated in 1959.
Photo: Sourced from Goodreads.
In the early 1960s, Robbins moved to Seattle to pursue a master’s degree at the University of Washington’s East Asian Studies Institute. He worked as an art critic for The Seattle Times, hosted alternative radio programs, and explored various fields of journalism. However, what truly mattered to him was discovering himself on the path to fiction writing.
By the mid-1960s, he began to focus seriously on writing. In 1970, he settled in La Conner, Washington, where he spent the rest of his career. By then, Tom Robbins had become the main protagonist of his own novels. Describing himself as someone “blessed with crazy wisdom,”
Tom Robbins.
Photo: Courtesy of Mary Randlett / UW Special Collections.The New York Times said:
“If you read Even Cowgirls Get the Blues expecting an ordinary novel, you’ll be disappointed. But if you dive into it like a garage sale, rummaging around, you’ll find an incredibly entertaining and sometimes profoundly enlightening treasure. Tom Robbins is one of the masters of absurdity.”
Following his passing, his wife, Alexa Robbins said:
“If you open one of his novels, you’ll see that he’s still there—laughing, dancing, and sharing his wild wisdom with you.”
