John Graves (author)
Encyclopedia
John Graves is a Texas writer best known for his book Goodbye to a River
.
As a child growing up in Fort Worth and at his grandfather's ranch in Cuero, Graves was keenly interested in the landscape around him. He graduated from Rice Institute (now Rice University
) in 1942. He subsequently served as a captain in the Marine Corps during World War II, until being wounded by a Japanese grenade on the island of Saipan
. After the war, he went to graduate school at Columbia University
, receiving his master's degree in 1948. While still at Columbia, in 1947, he published the short story “Quarry” in The New Yorker
; he continued to publish fiction in magazines through the 1950s.
Following an early marriage and divorce, he traveled widely, spending considerable time in Spain and the Canary Islands, but returned to Texas in 1957 to care for his father, who was gravely ill. According to the Southwestern Writers Collection, which holds many of Graves's papers, "In November of that year, Graves completed a three-week canoe trip down part of the Brazos River that he feared was about to be changed forever by dams. His narrative chronicle of the trip was first published as a magazine article in Holiday, and later Graves added history, philosophy and folklore which resulted in his first major book, Goodbye to a River
(1960). The book attracted national attention and critical praise for its original style. It won the Carr P. Collins Award of the Texas Institute of Letters in 1961 and was nominated for a National Book Award
that year."http://alkek.library.txstate.edu/swwc/archives/writers/graves.html
In 1970 Graves and his family moved onto a property near Glen Rose, Texas
that Graves had named Hard Scrabble. His writing about the farm and country life continued, with Hard Scrabble: Observations on a Patch of Land, published in 1974, and From a Limestone Ledge (1980). The latter, which collected essays that Graves had published in Texas Monthly
magazine, was also nominated for a National Book Award.
Graves continues to write about the environment and about Texas.
Goodbye to a River
Goodbye to a River is a book by John Graves, published in 1960. It is a "semi-historical" account of a canoe trip made by the author during the fall of 1957 down a stretch of the Brazos River in North Central Texas, between Possum Kingdom Dam and Lake Whitney...
.
As a child growing up in Fort Worth and at his grandfather's ranch in Cuero, Graves was keenly interested in the landscape around him. He graduated from Rice Institute (now Rice University
Rice University
William Marsh Rice University, commonly referred to as Rice University or Rice, is a private research university located on a heavily wooded campus in Houston, Texas, United States...
) in 1942. He subsequently served as a captain in the Marine Corps during World War II, until being wounded by a Japanese grenade on the island of Saipan
Saipan
Saipan is the largest island of the United States Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands , a chain of 15 tropical islands belonging to the Marianas archipelago in the western Pacific Ocean with a total area of . The 2000 census population was 62,392...
. After the war, he went to graduate school at Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
, receiving his master's degree in 1948. While still at Columbia, in 1947, he published the short story “Quarry” in The New Yorker
The New Yorker
The New Yorker is an American magazine of reportage, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons and poetry published by Condé Nast...
; he continued to publish fiction in magazines through the 1950s.
Following an early marriage and divorce, he traveled widely, spending considerable time in Spain and the Canary Islands, but returned to Texas in 1957 to care for his father, who was gravely ill. According to the Southwestern Writers Collection, which holds many of Graves's papers, "In November of that year, Graves completed a three-week canoe trip down part of the Brazos River that he feared was about to be changed forever by dams. His narrative chronicle of the trip was first published as a magazine article in Holiday, and later Graves added history, philosophy and folklore which resulted in his first major book, Goodbye to a River
Goodbye to a River
Goodbye to a River is a book by John Graves, published in 1960. It is a "semi-historical" account of a canoe trip made by the author during the fall of 1957 down a stretch of the Brazos River in North Central Texas, between Possum Kingdom Dam and Lake Whitney...
(1960). The book attracted national attention and critical praise for its original style. It won the Carr P. Collins Award of the Texas Institute of Letters in 1961 and was nominated for a National Book Award
National Book Award
The National Book Awards are a set of American literary awards. Started in 1950, the Awards are presented annually to American authors for literature published in the current year. In 1989 the National Book Foundation, a nonprofit organization which now oversees and manages the National Book...
that year."http://alkek.library.txstate.edu/swwc/archives/writers/graves.html
In 1970 Graves and his family moved onto a property near Glen Rose, Texas
Glen Rose, Texas
Glen Rose is a city in Somervell County, Texas, United States. It is the county seat of Somervell County. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 2,444. Glen Rose is part of the Granbury micropolitan area.-19th century:...
that Graves had named Hard Scrabble. His writing about the farm and country life continued, with Hard Scrabble: Observations on a Patch of Land, published in 1974, and From a Limestone Ledge (1980). The latter, which collected essays that Graves had published in Texas Monthly
Texas Monthly
Texas Monthly is a monthly American magazine headquartered in Austin, Texas. Texas Monthly is published by Emmis Publishing, L.P. and was founded in 1973 by Michael R. Levy, Texas Monthly chronicles life in contemporary Texas, writing on politics, the environment, industry, and education...
magazine, was also nominated for a National Book Award.
Graves continues to write about the environment and about Texas.
Further reading
- Goodbye to a RiverGoodbye to a RiverGoodbye to a River is a book by John Graves, published in 1960. It is a "semi-historical" account of a canoe trip made by the author during the fall of 1957 down a stretch of the Brazos River in North Central Texas, between Possum Kingdom Dam and Lake Whitney...
, 1960 - Hard Scrabble, 1974
- From a Limestone Ledge, 1980
- Blue & Some Other Dogs, 1981
- A John Graves Reader, 1995
- The Last Running, 1999
- Texas Rivers, 2002
- Texas Hill Country, 2003
- Myself and Strangers, 2004
- My Dogs and Guns, 2007