John Buell (1927-2013) was a lifelong resident of Montreal, where he taught English and Communication Studies at Concordia University. Upon his retirement in 1987, he was made professor emeritus. Buell's five novels--The Pyx (1959), Four Days (1962), The Shrewsdale Exit (1972), Playground (1976), and A Lot to Make Up For (1990)--were lauded by Edmund Wilson, amongst other prominent critics. Three of Buell's novels have been made into feature films.