Peter F. Neumeyer

Peter Florian Neumeyer (August 4, 1929 – April 2, 2026) was a German-born American academic, literary scholar, poet and children's literature expert. He is best known for his contributions to the study of children's literature, his extensive writings on authors such as E.B. White and Franz Kafka, and his collaboration with illustrator Edward Gorey.

Early life and education Peter Florian Neumeyer was born in Munich, Bavaria, Germany on August 4, 1929. His father, Alfred Neumeyer, was an art historian, and his mother came from a family who owned textile mills. In 1936, he and his family emigrated to the United States, fleeing the Nazi persecution of Jews. He pursued his higher education at the University of California, Berkeley, where he earned his undergraduate degree in 1951, master's degree in 1955, and, in 1963, a doctorate in English.

Academic career Neumeyer began his academic career at Harvard University, where he taught until 1969. At Harvard, he created one of the first literary courses on children's books in North America. He later held teaching positions at the State University of New York, Stony Brook and West Virginia University. Additionally, he taught summer courses on children's literature at Columbia University and lectured in Sweden and Finland.

Research and scholarship Neumeyer published extensively on children's literature, particularly on the works of E.B. White, including The Annotated Charlotte's Web. His scholarly work also includes studies on Franz Kafka, Tove Jansson, Richard Kennedy, and Randall Jarrell. He later lived in Santa Rosa, California.

Neumeyer died on April 2, 2026, at the age of 96.

Awards and recognition In 2005, Neumeyer received the Children's Literature Association's Anne Deveraux Jordan Award in recognition of his significant contributions to the field of children's literature. Donald has a Difficulty. (Harry N. Abrams, 2004). (with Edward Gorey) Floating Worlds : The letters of Edward Gorey & Peter F. Neumeyer. (Pomegranate Press, 2011). (with Edward Gorey)