Donald Barthelme Jr. (April 7, 1931 – July 23, 1989) was a prominent American short story writer and novelist renowned for his playful, postmodernist style. His contributions to literature are marked by a unique blend of surrealism and modernism.

Throughout his career, Barthelme worked as a newspaper reporter for the Houston Post, served as managing editor of Location magazine, and was the director of the Contemporary Arts Museum in Houston from 1961 to 1962. He co-founded the magazine Fiction alongside Mark Mirsky, Max, and Marianne Frisch.

Additionally, Barthelme was a respected professor at various universities and was one of the original founders of the University of Houston Creative Writing Program.