Howard Buten
Encyclopedia
Howard Buten is an American author living in France
. He is also a psychologist
, clown, and violin player. He is the author of five novels, the first of which, entitled When I Was Five I Killed Myself, was published in 1981.
When as a young man Howard Buten encountered his first child with Autism
, he was stunned, exhilarated, and consumed by a single thought: What must it be like to be him? Today, 30 years later, this continues to be the question that has shaped Buten's life's work as a researcher, clinical psychologist, therapist, and founder of a noted clinic for the autistic in Paris
, France
.
He is also a theatrical clown (real clown, graduate of Ringling Bros) with the stage name Buffo, who is quite well known in France. He got his start in theatrics at a very young age, re-enacting scenes from his favorite stories, along with his childhood friends/neighbors.
Buten's first and best known novel, "When I was five I killed myself", is virtually unknown in his home country, but has sold more than a million copies in France. He was made Chevalier of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres
, an important literary honor, in 1991.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. He is also a psychologist
Psychologist
Psychologist is a professional or academic title used by individuals who are either:* Clinical professionals who work with patients in a variety of therapeutic contexts .* Scientists conducting psychological research or teaching psychology in a college...
, clown, and violin player. He is the author of five novels, the first of which, entitled When I Was Five I Killed Myself, was published in 1981.
When as a young man Howard Buten encountered his first child with Autism
Autism
Autism is a disorder of neural development characterized by impaired social interaction and communication, and by restricted and repetitive behavior. These signs all begin before a child is three years old. Autism affects information processing in the brain by altering how nerve cells and their...
, he was stunned, exhilarated, and consumed by a single thought: What must it be like to be him? Today, 30 years later, this continues to be the question that has shaped Buten's life's work as a researcher, clinical psychologist, therapist, and founder of a noted clinic for the autistic in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
He is also a theatrical clown (real clown, graduate of Ringling Bros) with the stage name Buffo, who is quite well known in France. He got his start in theatrics at a very young age, re-enacting scenes from his favorite stories, along with his childhood friends/neighbors.
Buten's first and best known novel, "When I was five I killed myself", is virtually unknown in his home country, but has sold more than a million copies in France. He was made Chevalier of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres
Ordre des Arts et des Lettres
The Ordre des Arts et des Lettres is an Order of France, established on 2 May 1957 by the Minister of Culture, and confirmed as part of the Ordre national du Mérite by President Charles de Gaulle in 1963...
, an important literary honor, in 1991.
Works
- When I Was Five I Killed Myself (also published under the title Burt) (1981)
- Le Cœur sous le rouleau compresseur (1984)
- Il faudra bien te couvrir... (1989)
- C'était mieux avant (1994)
- Quand est-ce qu'on arrive? (2002)
- Ces enfants qui ne viennent pas d'une autre planète (2002)
- Histoire de Rofo, clown (2002)
- Through the Glass Wall: Journeys Into the Closed-Off Worlds of the Autistic (Bantam, 2004)
- I understand that if not completely satisfied i will be ....
- Il y a quelqu'un là-dedans
- Mister Butterfly
- Buffo par Buten
- "Through the Glass Wall"