​John Irving was labeled as "stupid" and "lazy" by many of his teachers growing up, particularly in English where he was put in a remedial spelling class after failing. It wasn’t until his brother Brendan was diagnosed with dyslexia that Irving realized why he, too was struggling so much in school. Although there were several times he wanted to quit, his high school wrestling coach instilled confidence in Irving that pushed him to continue with his education. He learned to overextend himself by paying twice as much attention to his reading and writing.

​It is perhaps this attention to detail that allowed Irving to become such a successful author. He published his first novel when he was 26, won a National Book Award for another novel, and even an Academy Award for his screenplay adaptation of another novel. Irving notes that his dyslexia became an advantage in his writing career because it taught him to go slowly while writing, and to go over his writing again and again in order to make improvements.

​Read more about Irving and his accomplishments on the Yale website. [2]

This renowned author notes that his dyslexia is an advantage in his writing career.
Success Story: John Irving