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John Faulkner (author)
Encyclopedia
John Faulkner was an American author
. His works, in a plain style, depict life in early Mississippi
. Faulkner is best-remembered for the novel
s Men Working (1941
) and Dollar Cotton (1942
), and the memoir
, My Brother Bill: An Affectionate Reminiscence (1963
), about his elder sibling, author William Faulkner
.
John Faulkner was also an accomplished, self-taught painter. He did a series of painting
s known as The Vanishing South and wrote a short paragraph to describe each one.
, the third son of Murry Cuthbert Falkner (August 17, 1870–August 7, 1932) and Maud Butler (November 27, 1871–October 16, 1960). His brothers were author William Faulkner
(September 25, 1897–July 6, 1962); Murry Charles "Jack" Falkner (June 26, 1899–December 24, 1975); and Dean Swift Falkner (August 15, 1907–November 10, 1935).
The family moved to Oxford, Mississippi
, where John grew up and lived most of his life. He attended college at Ole Miss
, where he earned a B.S. degree
in civil engineering
. He was employed for a time as assistant city engineer in Greenville
. He then went to work as a project engineer with the Mississippi State Highway Department and moved to Greenwood
.
He and Lucille "Dolly" Ramey (November 1, 1903–September 1984) were married on September 2, 1922. They had two sons, Jimmy Faulkner
(July 18, 1923–December 24, 2001), also a writer, and Murry Falkner (born February 22, 1928).
Faulkner eventually quit the highway department and moved to Memphis, Tennessee
, where he became a commercial
airline pilot
. In 1935, his younger brother, Dean Faulkner, died crashing the airplane that brother William had sold to him.
John's airline company was not providing him with income and, in 1938, he moved from Memphis, to the hill country of northeastern Lafayette County, Mississippi
, approximately 17 miles (27.4 km) from Oxford, as manager of his brother William's 320 acres (1.3 km²) farm, Greenfield, which was in Beat Two (Mississippi counties are divided into "beats," an autonomous section under its elected supervisor of roads).
The rural farmers around Greenfield fascinated Faulkner. Remarkably different from the small-town people he was familiar with, and fiercely independent, his contact with them inspired him to write. During the two years he managed the farm in Beat Two, the area that serves as the setting for much of his fiction, he was also a supervisor for the WPA
and had to cope with the hillmen who were on its rolls.
During World War II
, Faulkner served as a commissioned officer
in the U.S. Navy
. After the war he earned his living by writing, lecturing and painting.
, The Mississippi Hill Country. His first novel, titled Beat Six, however, remained unpublished for several decades.
His first published novel, Men Working (1941
), is a satirical comedy that exposes how government bureaucracy (in the form of the WPA) adversely affects the lives of a farm family who are forced to leave the land during the Depression
in order to find work.
In 1942
, Faulkner published Dollar Cotton, his only work set outside the hill country of Mississippi. It tells the story of Otis Town, who around the turn of the century acquires a virgin tract of Mississippi Delta
and after tremendous efforts turns it into a lucrative cotton plantation, only to lose everything in the 1921 recession
when the cotton market collapses.
He also published magazine
stories. A number of his short stories
appeared in Collier's
. Faulkner's third novel, Chooky (1950
), is a series of sketches about an eleven-year-old boy, who is a composite of Faulkner's two sons, Jimmy and Murry, who was himself nicknamed "Chooky."
Faulkner's next novel was published by a different publisher as an original paperback
under the title Cabin Road (1951
). This and his next four paperback
s are prime examples of Southwestern humor, detailing a cast of backwoods people who cannot comprehend the complexities of the 20th century. Much of the humor in these final works is bawdy, but much also derives from the absurdities resulting from the arrival of strangers in "Beat Two."
His final work was a memoir and tribute to his brother, William Faulkner, titled My Brother Bill: An Affectionate Reminiscence. Faulkner began writing the book almost immediately after William's death on July 6, 1962, and completed the manuscript
shortly before his own death the following year. It details mostly childhood events from their lives.
John Faulkner died at age 61 from a stroke
in Oxford, Mississippi, two weeks after he finished reading the galleys
of My Brother Bill. He is interred in St. Peter's Cemetery, Oxford.
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
. His works, in a plain style, depict life in early Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
. Faulkner is best-remembered for the novel
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
s Men Working (1941
1941 in literature
The year 1941 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*Frank Herbert marries Flora Parkinson.*F. Scott Fitzgerald's unfinished work, The Last Tycoon, is edited and published by Edmund Wilson.-New books:...
) and Dollar Cotton (1942
1942 in literature
The year 1942 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*André Gide leaves France to live in Tunis.*Robertson Davies becomes editor of the Peterborough Examiner.*Thomas Mann emigrates to California....
), and the memoir
Memoir
A memoir , is a literary genre, forming a subclass of autobiography – although the terms 'memoir' and 'autobiography' are almost interchangeable. Memoir is autobiographical writing, but not all autobiographical writing follows the criteria for memoir set out below...
, My Brother Bill: An Affectionate Reminiscence (1963
1963 in literature
The year 1963 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*First United States printing of John Cleland's 1749 novel, Fanny Hill . The book is banned for obscenity, triggering a court case by its publisher.*Leslie Charteris publishes his final collection of stories...
), about his elder sibling, author William Faulkner
William Faulkner
William Cuthbert Faulkner was an American writer from Oxford, Mississippi. Faulkner worked in a variety of media; he wrote novels, short stories, a play, poetry, essays and screenplays during his career...
.
John Faulkner was also an accomplished, self-taught painter. He did a series of painting
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
s known as The Vanishing South and wrote a short paragraph to describe each one.
Early life
He was born John Wesley Thompson Falkner, III in Ripley, MississippiRipley, Mississippi
Ripley is a city in Tippah County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 5,478 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Tippah County....
, the third son of Murry Cuthbert Falkner (August 17, 1870–August 7, 1932) and Maud Butler (November 27, 1871–October 16, 1960). His brothers were author William Faulkner
William Faulkner
William Cuthbert Faulkner was an American writer from Oxford, Mississippi. Faulkner worked in a variety of media; he wrote novels, short stories, a play, poetry, essays and screenplays during his career...
(September 25, 1897–July 6, 1962); Murry Charles "Jack" Falkner (June 26, 1899–December 24, 1975); and Dean Swift Falkner (August 15, 1907–November 10, 1935).
The family moved to Oxford, Mississippi
Oxford, Mississippi
Oxford is a city in, and the county seat of, Lafayette County, Mississippi, United States. Founded in 1835, it was named after the British university city of Oxford in hopes of having the state university located there, which it did successfully attract....
, where John grew up and lived most of his life. He attended college at Ole Miss
University of Mississippi
The University of Mississippi, also known as Ole Miss, is a public, coeducational research university located in Oxford, Mississippi. Founded in 1844, the school is composed of the main campus in Oxford, four branch campuses located in Booneville, Grenada, Tupelo, and Southaven as well as the...
, where he earned a B.S. degree
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
in civil engineering
Civil engineering
Civil engineering is a professional engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including works like roads, bridges, canals, dams, and buildings...
. He was employed for a time as assistant city engineer in Greenville
Greenville, Mississippi
Greenville is a city in Washington County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 48,633 at the 2000 census, but according to the 2009 census bureau estimates, it has since declined to 42,764, making it the eighth-largest city in the state. It is the county seat of Washington...
. He then went to work as a project engineer with the Mississippi State Highway Department and moved to Greenwood
Greenwood, Mississippi
Greenwood is a city in and the county seat of Leflore County, Mississippi, United States, located at the eastern edge of the Mississippi Delta approximately 96 miles north of Jackson, Mississippi, and 130 miles south of Memphis, Tennessee. The population was 15,205 at the 2010 census. It is the...
.
He and Lucille "Dolly" Ramey (November 1, 1903–September 1984) were married on September 2, 1922. They had two sons, Jimmy Faulkner
Jimmy Faulkner
Jimmy Faulkner was one of Ireland's top guitarists, who in a four-decade career played with many of Ireland's leading rock, blues, folk and jazz musicians....
(July 18, 1923–December 24, 2001), also a writer, and Murry Falkner (born February 22, 1928).
Faulkner eventually quit the highway department and moved to Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
, where he became a commercial
Commercial aviation
Commercial aviation is the part of civil aviation that involves operating aircraft for hire to transport passengers or cargo...
airline pilot
Aviator
An aviator is a person who flies an aircraft. The first recorded use of the term was in 1887, as a variation of 'aviation', from the Latin avis , coined in 1863 by G. de la Landelle in Aviation Ou Navigation Aérienne...
. In 1935, his younger brother, Dean Faulkner, died crashing the airplane that brother William had sold to him.
John's airline company was not providing him with income and, in 1938, he moved from Memphis, to the hill country of northeastern Lafayette County, Mississippi
Lafayette County, Mississippi
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 38,744 people, 14,373 households, and 8,321 families residing in the county. The population density was 61 people per square mile . There were 16,587 housing units at an average density of 26 per square mile...
, approximately 17 miles (27.4 km) from Oxford, as manager of his brother William's 320 acres (1.3 km²) farm, Greenfield, which was in Beat Two (Mississippi counties are divided into "beats," an autonomous section under its elected supervisor of roads).
The rural farmers around Greenfield fascinated Faulkner. Remarkably different from the small-town people he was familiar with, and fiercely independent, his contact with them inspired him to write. During the two years he managed the farm in Beat Two, the area that serves as the setting for much of his fiction, he was also a supervisor for the WPA
Works Progress Administration
The Works Progress Administration was the largest and most ambitious New Deal agency, employing millions of unskilled workers to carry out public works projects, including the construction of public buildings and roads, and operated large arts, drama, media, and literacy projects...
and had to cope with the hillmen who were on its rolls.
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Faulkner served as a commissioned officer
Officer (armed forces)
An officer is a member of an armed force or uniformed service who holds a position of authority. Commissioned officers derive authority directly from a sovereign power and, as such, hold a commission charging them with the duties and responsibilities of a specific office or position...
in the U.S. Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
. After the war he earned his living by writing, lecturing and painting.
Writing career
Faulkner's fascination with the rural farmers of Beat Two formed the basis for his writings. One of his early works is a historical essayEssay
An essay is a piece of writing which is often written from an author's personal point of view. Essays can consist of a number of elements, including: literary criticism, political manifestos, learned arguments, observations of daily life, recollections, and reflections of the author. The definition...
, The Mississippi Hill Country. His first novel, titled Beat Six, however, remained unpublished for several decades.
His first published novel, Men Working (1941
1941 in literature
The year 1941 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*Frank Herbert marries Flora Parkinson.*F. Scott Fitzgerald's unfinished work, The Last Tycoon, is edited and published by Edmund Wilson.-New books:...
), is a satirical comedy that exposes how government bureaucracy (in the form of the WPA) adversely affects the lives of a farm family who are forced to leave the land during the Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
in order to find work.
In 1942
1942 in literature
The year 1942 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*André Gide leaves France to live in Tunis.*Robertson Davies becomes editor of the Peterborough Examiner.*Thomas Mann emigrates to California....
, Faulkner published Dollar Cotton, his only work set outside the hill country of Mississippi. It tells the story of Otis Town, who around the turn of the century acquires a virgin tract of Mississippi Delta
Mississippi Delta
The Mississippi Delta is the distinctive northwest section of the U.S. state of Mississippi that lies between the Mississippi and Yazoo Rivers. The region has been called "The Most Southern Place on Earth" because of its unique racial, cultural, and economic history...
and after tremendous efforts turns it into a lucrative cotton plantation, only to lose everything in the 1921 recession
1921 recession
The Depression of 1920–21 was an extremely sharp deflationary recession in the United States, shortly after the end of World War I. It lasted from January 1920 to July 1921...
when the cotton market collapses.
He also published magazine
Magazine
Magazines, periodicals, glossies or serials are publications, generally published on a regular schedule, containing a variety of articles. They are generally financed by advertising, by a purchase price, by pre-paid magazine subscriptions, or all three...
stories. A number of his short stories
Short story
A short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels. Short story definitions based on length differ somewhat, even among professional writers, in part because...
appeared in Collier's
Collier's Weekly
Collier's Weekly was an American magazine founded by Peter Fenelon Collier and published from 1888 to 1957. With the passage of decades, the title was shortened to Collier's....
. Faulkner's third novel, Chooky (1950
1950 in literature
The year 1950 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*Kazuo Shimada wins the "Mystery Writer Of Japan" award for his book Shakai-bu Kisha .*Jack Kerouac has his first novel published....
), is a series of sketches about an eleven-year-old boy, who is a composite of Faulkner's two sons, Jimmy and Murry, who was himself nicknamed "Chooky."
Faulkner's next novel was published by a different publisher as an original paperback
Paperback
Paperback, softback or softcover describe and refer to a book by the nature of its binding. The covers of such books are usually made of paper or paperboard, and are usually held together with glue rather than stitches or staples...
under the title Cabin Road (1951
1951 in literature
The year 1951 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*E. E. Cummings and Rachel Carson are awarded Guggenheim Fellowships.*Flannery O'Connor is diagnosed with lupus....
). This and his next four paperback
Paperback
Paperback, softback or softcover describe and refer to a book by the nature of its binding. The covers of such books are usually made of paper or paperboard, and are usually held together with glue rather than stitches or staples...
s are prime examples of Southwestern humor, detailing a cast of backwoods people who cannot comprehend the complexities of the 20th century. Much of the humor in these final works is bawdy, but much also derives from the absurdities resulting from the arrival of strangers in "Beat Two."
His final work was a memoir and tribute to his brother, William Faulkner, titled My Brother Bill: An Affectionate Reminiscence. Faulkner began writing the book almost immediately after William's death on July 6, 1962, and completed the manuscript
Manuscript
A manuscript or handwrite is written information that has been manually created by someone or some people, such as a hand-written letter, as opposed to being printed or reproduced some other way...
shortly before his own death the following year. It details mostly childhood events from their lives.
John Faulkner died at age 61 from a stroke
Stroke
A stroke, previously known medically as a cerebrovascular accident , is the rapidly developing loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. This can be due to ischemia caused by blockage , or a hemorrhage...
in Oxford, Mississippi, two weeks after he finished reading the galleys
Galley proof
In printing and publishing, proofs are the preliminary versions of publications meant for review by authors, editors, and proofreaders, often with extra wide margins. Galley proofs may be uncut and unbound, or in some cases electronic...
of My Brother Bill. He is interred in St. Peter's Cemetery, Oxford.
Fiction
- Men Working. New York: Harcourt, BraceHarcourt Trade PublishersHarcourt was a United States publishing firm with a long history of publishing fiction and nonfiction for children and adults. The company was based in San Diego, California, with an Editorial / Sales / Marketing / Rights offices in New York City and Orlando, Florida.In 2007, the U.S...
, 19411941 in literatureThe year 1941 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*Frank Herbert marries Flora Parkinson.*F. Scott Fitzgerald's unfinished work, The Last Tycoon, is edited and published by Edmund Wilson.-New books:...
. - Dollar Cotton. New York: Harcourt, Brace, 19421942 in literatureThe year 1942 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*André Gide leaves France to live in Tunis.*Robertson Davies becomes editor of the Peterborough Examiner.*Thomas Mann emigrates to California....
. - Chooky. New York: Norton, 19501950 in literatureThe year 1950 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*Kazuo Shimada wins the "Mystery Writer Of Japan" award for his book Shakai-bu Kisha .*Jack Kerouac has his first novel published....
. - Cabin Road. New York: FawcettFawcett PublicationsFawcett Publications was an American publishing company founded in 1919 in Robbinsdale, Minnesota by Wilford Hamilton "Captain Billy" Fawcett . At the age of 16, Fawcett ran away from home to join the Army, and the Spanish-American War took him to the Philippines. Back in Minnesota, he became a...
, 19511951 in literatureThe year 1951 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*E. E. Cummings and Rachel Carson are awarded Guggenheim Fellowships.*Flannery O'Connor is diagnosed with lupus....
. - Uncle Good's Girls. New York: Fawcett, 19521952 in literatureThe year 1952, in literature involved some significant events and new literary publications.-Events:*J. L. Carr takes over as headmaster of Highfields Primary School, Kettering, which will eventually furnish the subject matter for his novel, The Harpole Report.*November 25 - Agatha Christie's play...
. - The Sin Shouter of Cabin Road. New York: Fawcett, 19551955 in literatureThe year 1955 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*28 May - Philip Larkin makes a train journey from Hull to London which inspires his poem The Whitsun Weddings....
. - Ain't Gonna Rain No More. Greenwich, CT: Fawcett, 19591959 in literatureThe year 1959 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*April 30 - Theatrical première of Bertolt Brecht's Saint Joan of the Stockyards, originally performed on radio in 1932....
. - Uncle Good's Weekend Party. Greenwich, CT: Fawcett, 19601960 in literatureThe year 1960 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*November 2 – Penguin Books is found not guilty of obscenity in the Lady Chatterley's Lover case in the United Kingdom....
. - Beat Six. Athens, GA: Hill Street PressHill Street PressHill Street Press is an independent publisher with a focus college trivia books and 100% thematic crossword puzzle books for enthusiasts. Books published by Hill Street Press are available through National Book Network....
, 19991999 in literatureThe year 1999 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*June 19 - Stephen King is hit by a Dodge van while taking a walk. He spends the next three weeks hospitalized...
.
Nonfiction
- My Brother Bill: An Affectionate Reminiscence. New York: Trident, 19631963 in literatureThe year 1963 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*First United States printing of John Cleland's 1749 novel, Fanny Hill . The book is banned for obscenity, triggering a court case by its publisher.*Leslie Charteris publishes his final collection of stories...
.
External links
- John Faulkner at The Mississippi Writers Page
- John Faulkner's Vanishing South at AmericanHeritage
- Remembering John Faulkner at Article Archives of The Mississippi Quarterly
- Memory believes before knowing remembers: William Faulkner, John Faulkner and My Brother Bill at FindArticles
- John Faulkner Memorial at Find A GraveFind A GraveFind a Grave is a commercial website providing free access and input to an online database of cemetery records. It was founded in 1998 as a DBA and incorporated in 2000.-History:...