Norton Juster

Biography

Norton Juster (1929-2021) was an architect and city planner who wrote The Phantom Tollbooth as a distraction from a difficult project — he was supposed to be writing a book about urban environments for a Ford Foundation grant and kept procrastinating by writing a children's fantasy instead. The book was illustrated by his roommate Jules Feiffer, a cartoonist for the Village Voice. Juster was trained in precision (architecture demands it) but loved language play and puns. The book was written quickly, from genuine play rather than calculated intent, which is why it feels so free.

Norton Juster at a glance