On the Southern Literary Trail discussion

Moderator Diane Barnes inspired me to add this folder to record the loss of authors whom we have read and admired. As there is a time to be born, so is there a time to die. Here we will record the passing of notable voices we shall no longer hear.

Mike Sullivan

Peter Matthiessen, May 22,1927-April 5, 2014

Peter Matthiessen died on Saturday at his home in Sagaponack, N.Y. He was 86. The cause of death was Leukemia which was diagnosed last year. Matthiessen's last novel, In Paradise, will be published this next week.

Our group read Shadow Country in January, 2013. From Matthiessen's obituary in the New York Times,

He delved into another isolated world for his late-career “Watson” trilogy — “Killing Mister Watson” (1990), “Lost Man’s River” (1997) and “Bone by Bone” (1999) — parts of which he compressed into one long opus, “Shadow Country” (2008). It won a National Book Award, though many critics thought a reworked version of previously published fiction did not deserve the honor.

The trilogy uses the life and death of a fearsome historical figure, Edgar J. Watson, to address issues of race, environment and power in America. Watson, a mysterious cane planter in the Ten Thousand Islands region of southwest Florida, was suspected in dozens of murders, including that of the outlaw Belle Starr. Watson himself was killed in 1910 by residents of Chokoloskee, an island settlement where he was suspected in a string of deaths."

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/06/boo...

Mike

There's a great article in today's NYT Magazine about Peter Matthiessen's life and career, obviously written before knowledge of his death.

Diane wrote: "There's a great article in today's NYT Magazine about Peter Matthiessen's life and career, obviously written before knowledge of his death."

Yes. It was a very good article. The timing of the piece was ironic.

I loved the Adrian Mole books. So much fun to read!

I'm so glad that I read Shadow Country thanks to this group. I definitely plan to read more of Mattheissen's quite varied body of work.

I am undergoing a personal rebellion concerning murder in literary fiction. At this point it seems that all fiction must have it, and that does grate on my sensibilities (sorry!). But taking a quick look on Amazon at the quality of this man's writing--he's new to me--has already resulted in my buying the book! He passed away earlier this month--he's someone that I've missed. Thank you for your post, Sue.

Patricia wrote: "I am undergoing a personal rebellion concerning murder in literary fiction. At this point it seems that all fiction must have it, and that does grate on my sensibilities (sorry!). But taking a qu..."

You're welcome Patricia. There most certainly is violence in Shadow Country but it is more like the Wild West than some of the literary tangles that have been in vogue lately. And The book really is a brilliant study of a time, place and character.

Like that phrase: "literary tangles." It is certainly nicer than the term "literary contrivances," which I must admit I'm leaning toward.

Patricia wrote: "Like that phrase: "literary tangles." It is certainly nicer than the term "literary contrivances," which I must admit I'm leaning toward."

You're probably nearer the truth! My politeness won out and, to tell the truth, I haven't read some of the books I'm thinking of so can't really sat. Reading for my groups here and with friends and off my shelves keeps me more than busy.

For those readers who loved One Hundred Years of Solitude and Love in the Time of Cholera, Gabriel García Márquez, Conjurer of Literary Magic, Dies at 87. Marquez died at his home yesterday in Mexico City. Marquez was diagnosed with lymphatic cancer in 1999. His brother indicated that Marquez began to suffer from senile dementia in 2012. Here is the obituary from the NY Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/18/boo... .

Marquez was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1982.



Gabriel Garcia Marquez, March 6, 1927-April 17, 2014

Thanks Mike. I've only read one of his books to date, but definitely intend to read more.

Lucius Shepard died last month. His work was usually very hard to classify: many called such works as The Jaguar Hunter "magical realism".

I met with him last summer; he was having health problems at the time, but we were able to have a 2 hr visit about his experiences, and his books. He had a greg sense of humor, but it was so tongue in cheek that many people probably didn't know it. :D

If you like, look him up. His "Golden" was being talked about by movie people, he told me. I wonder if that now means it will be made or it won't ?

He was a big mouth about caring for the Central American peoples against the large conglomerates giving them 'jobs'… at the cost of their health and safety. He was a multi-layered guy.

Maya Angelou died quietly at her home this morning at the age of 86. Her family says she was lucid and aware til the end. She was a giant of literature, civil rights, and humanity. What a lady she was!

Angelou has inspired and influenced me. A beautiful woman of beautiful words.

Sad news indeed, Diane. But, oh how she will be remembered.

"You may write me down in history
With your bitter, twisted lies,
You may tread me in the very dirt
But still, like dust, I'll rise.

Does my sassiness upset you?
Why are you beset with gloom?
'Cause I walk like I've got oil wells
Pumping in my living room.

Just like moons and like suns,
With the certainty of tides,
Just like hopes springing high,
Still I'll rise.

Did you want to see me broken?
Bowed head and lowered eyes?
Shoulders falling down like teardrops.
Weakened by my soulful cries.

Does my haughtiness offend you?
Don't you take it awful hard
'Cause I laugh like I've got gold mines
Diggin' in my own back yard.

You may shoot me with your words,
You may cut me with your eyes,
You may kill me with your hatefulness,
But still, like air, I'll rise.

Does my sexiness upset you?
Does it come as a surprise
That I dance like I've got diamonds
At the meeting of my thighs?

Out of the huts of history's shame
I rise
Up from a past that's rooted in pain
I rise
I'm a black ocean, leaping and wide,
Welling and swelling I bear in the tide.
Leaving behind nights of terror and fear
I rise
Into a daybreak that's wondrously clear
I rise
Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave,
I am the dream and the hope of the slave.
I rise
I rise
I rise."

Maya Angelou, April 4, 1928-May 28, 2014

Wow, evokes much emotion, that one.

I just watched a video of Maya Angelou reciting this poem Mike posted. Impossible to watch without tears.

Thank you Mike. That is wonderful and so powerful.

Maya Angelou. I have so much respect. I kept my kiddies home from school to hear her speak at Clinton's inauguration. I had them memorize her poem. A forver memory. They joined us for dinner this evening and could still quote from it. I was/remain a tough taskmaster. Miya Angelou was a gifted soul. Mike, thank you. Powerful.

Sadly, I have just heard the news that the brilliant Randy Thornhorn passed away earlier this month, on May 6th. Randy was a remarkably talented writer and he will be deeply missed.

Deacon wrote: "Sadly, I have just heard the news that the brilliant Randy Thornhorn passed away earlier this month, on May 6th. Randy was a remarkably talented writer and he will be deeply missed..."

That is said. Two of his books sit high on my tbr list. Here is an interesting obituary that perhaps should be taken with a grain of salt, seeing as the Oxford American's The Best Southern Novels of All Time was published in 2009, not 2015, and included 10 titles, not 100. Even so, Randy will be missed.

Alabama novelist compared to Faulkner dies; his books ranked among best Southern novels

I'm fairly new to this group and just catching up on older threads. I'm surprised that Harper Lee (b 28Apr26 / d 19Feb16) and Pat Conroy (b 26Oct45 / d 04Mar16) weren't profiled.

Or maybe they are in another thread ....

Book Concierge wrote: "I'm fairly new to this group and just catching up on older threads. I'm surprised that Harper Lee (b 28Apr26 / d 19Feb16) and Pat Conroy (b 26Oct45 / d 04Mar16) weren't ..."

Harper Lee's passing got lots of attention elsewhere, I put most of the discussions under her section. I know Conroy's passing was discussed but it definitely should have been mentioned here.

Book Concierge wrote: "I'm fairly new to this group and just catching up on older threads. I'm surprised that Harper Lee (b 28Apr26 / d 19Feb16) and Pat Conroy (b 26Oct45 / d 04Mar16) weren't ..."

Here's the thread on Pat Conroy who will be missed.

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

The Water is Wide: A Memoir will be a group read in July.

Two boards were created to discuss Harper Lee's passing.

They are Death of Harper Lee and Harper Lee died!

Elie Wiesel, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize and author of Night and other books about the Holocaust, has died at age 87.

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/03/wor...
I love this line in the New York Times:

"But by the sheer force of his personality and his gift for the haunting phrase, Mr. Wiesel, who had been liberated from Buchenwald as a 16-year-old with the indelible tattoo A-7713 on his arm, gradually exhumed the Holocaust from the burial ground of the history books."

My hero. ❤️

Sad news . Thanks for posting, Tom .

That makes me so incredibly sad. Such a wonderful person.

Perhaps it is time to re-read Night in tribute to his passing.

Perhaps it's time for me to read it the first time. One of those terrible omissions in my reading life.

Kim wrote: "Perhaps it is time to re-read Night in tribute to his passing."

I agree. I believe it has been about 40 years since I read it.

I read it for the first time since joining GR. His work needs to be remembered.

Remembering William Faulkner

We lost great Author William Faulkner, on July 6, 1962 at a private sanitarium in Byhalia, Mississippi. It was a place to which Faulkner went to "dry out" after a period of binge drinking after completing a novel. The novel was his last. "The Reivers," a true "Grandfather's Tale." It deals with the learning of wisdom and responsibility by young Lucas Beauchamp. Probably the most accessible of all of Faulkner's writings, it is among my favorite of his works.

Faulkner was an excellent horseman. The decline of his health leading to his death began with a fall, seriously injuring his back. His family rushed him to Byhalia. He was seen by a nurse to rise straight up in his bed during the night. He fell back onto his pillow. William Faulkner was dead.

I have been to Byhalia jn search of that Sanitarium. I learned that it's founder closed it. It was one of many private sanitariums to become abandoned , later to be demolished. No trace of the sanitarium exists today. There is no historical marker to commemorate his death.

Perhaps Mississippi would rather not commemorate such a sad ending to the life of William Faulkner, vthis country's greatest writer in my opinion.

One thing is clear. Faulkner wasn't ready to die. He wasn't finished writing. He had written Albert Erskine, his Editor at Random House, he had one more novel in him. About fox hunting. Riding to the hounds, a match between man and nature. I can only imagine what he might have created.

Faulkner's final published novel, "The Reivers," was posthumously awarded The Pulitzer Prize for fiction. Deservedly so.

Each year I travel to Faulkner Country, a world he created in a place he called Yoknapatawpha to explore further and delve deeper into Faulkner's work. Among American writers he is the most Southern of them all. However, although his novels portray a very regional world, the themes of his stories and novels are among the most universal in portraying the behavior of man, both the good and the bad.

His favorite whiskey was Jack Daniel's whiskey. He kept it for himself. He served the cheap stuff to his guests. So like the man, I have studied for many years of my own life.

So, July 6, each year, I raise a toast, a shot of Jack Daniels, Black Label, to William Faulkner. He has taught me much in understanding people. Their strengths, weaknesses, and all to often, their fall from Grace.

Born: William Cuthbert Falkner
September 25, 1897
New Albany, Mississippi, U.S.
Died : July 6, 1962 (aged 64)
Byhalia, Mississippi, U.S.

In memory of William Faulkner,

Fitting tribute to one of the greatest of the great. Here's to you, William Faulkner, thanks for all you left us.

Lawyer wrote: "We lost this great Author William Faulkner, on July 6, 1962 at a private sanitarium in Byhalia, Mississippi. It was a place to which Faulkner went to "dry out" after a period of binge drinking afte..."

and now I'll spend the rest of the day guessing at the derivation of "Byhalia", lol. Thanks for this wonderful, peaceful tribute. I'll substitute sweet tea for Jack and find a porch somewhere today.

Mike, thanks for the wonderful tribute to Faulkner . I was first introduced to his writing many years ago as a literature student in college . I had the wonderful opportunity to be a part of a seminar class on Faulkner. We read a good number of his novels and had hours long discussions on his brilliant writing. Some day I should reread some of the novel. Thanks again for this .

Gone way too young!

Fox and hounds, hunting- I wish he could have had the time to do more.

Very nice tribute to a well deserving writer. Not only writer, but distinct and unique personality. He was embedded in home. Seldom, seldom observed any longer.

I had a friend of 50 years plus who always drank Crown Royal. All of my Scrabble pieces, games tokens, you name it for multiples- got put into Royal plush bags that Phil donated to my causes. Every time I see a Crown Royal bag I think of him. Jack Daniels is a proper memory twist to Faulkner's verve.

Carol wrote: "and now I'll spend the rest of the day guessing at the derivation of "Byhalia", lol. Thanks for this wonderful, peaceful tribute. I'll substitute sweet tea for Jack and find a porch somewhere today. ."

Well, Carol, here's the answer you seek. I eat, live, and breath this stuff. :)

Byhalia was named for a creek spelled Bihalee. The Chickasaw word was Dai-yi-il-ah meaning “White Oak.” The U.S. Postal Service accepted the name Byhalia in 1846.

A Note on Wright's Sanitarium, Byhalia, Mississippi

Listed in the Secretary of State’s Mississippi Official and Statistical Register (1968-1972) are the names of the medical facilities located in the state. Included is the Leonard Wright Sanatorium in Byhalia. Dr. Wright established the sanatorium around 1949 in the former home of T.D. Burrow. Some local concern surfaced over having a facility in Byhalia that cared for patients with drug or alcohol addiction and minor nervous disorders. However, financially well-to-do patients from Louisiana, Texas, Arkansas, Tennessee, and Mississippi frequented the successful sanatorium. The most famous patient was William Faulkner, noted Mississippi author from Oxford.

Currently, a Shell Gas Station on Highway 78 in Byhalia, sits on a portion of the property previously covered by the Sanitarium and its grounds.


An overview of Wright's Sanitorium, Byhalia, Ms.

Angela M wrote: "Mike, thanks for the wonderful tribute to Faulkner . I was first introduced to his writing many years ago as a literature student in college . I had the wonderful opportunity to be a part of a semi..."

Angela M, I was first introduced to William Faulkner when a young high school student by one of the owners of my town's only book store, Lustigs. To make a long story short, Miss Maxine Lustig took me under her wing from early childhood, carefully recommended and selected books for me to try. I could buy one book at a time. I could not buy another unless I returned to discuss the book I had just finished and Miss Lustig was satisfied "I GOT IT!" My first Faulkner that came to me by her recommendation was Light in August, It was that book that lit the Faulkner spark in me. Hard? Oh, yes it was, though I now return to it, completely satisfied, without scratching my head, wondering what in Hades Faulkner was trying to tell me. Miss Maxine did more for my education than any teacher in the class room. Odd, you may think. However, by the time I entered College, I learned that Miss Lustig had led me through each and every work of literature that I was required to read in College. And to think Miss Lustig had me thinking I was reading all of this because it was FUN. Well, it was. I miss that dear lady to this day.

Jeanette wrote: "Gone way too young!

Fox and hounds, hunting- I wish he could have had the time to do more.

Very nice tribute to a well deserving writer. Not only writer, but distinct and unique personality. He ..."

Indeed he was, Jeanette. Gone too young. Oh, the liquor had taken its toll. However, it was a sudden heart attack that struck him when he sat straight up in bed around 1:30 in the morning at Wright's Sanitorium. Strangely, Faulkner had a premonition that when he was taken to Byhalia that last time, he would not return home. He was right.

Thanks for this wonderful tribute, Mike. As I grow older, I realize how young 64 actually is.

Sue wrote: "Thanks for this wonderful tribute, Mike. As I grow older, I realize how young 64 actually is."

Sue, you're most welcome. I will turn Sixty-four August 31, 2016. There are days I sense the intimations of mortality. Yet, I still maintain the key to immortality is a teetering stack of unread books. *SMILE*

Thanks, Mike, for the Faulkner tribute. And thanks, Angela for the tribute to Miss Maxine Lustig. What a great lady!

Mike, I turn 68 later this year. My father died at what I now see as the young age of 63. I too have a reading list that will outlive me and wouldn't want it any other way. Always another book to plan on, always a future beckoning. And several are part of the Faulkner canon I have yet to complete. Thanks to this group I have made strides.

thanks for the tribute .i have read most of his books 3 or more times.i guess i do this just to understand some of them.do you attend the Faulkner gathering in oxford in the summer, and if you do is it very informative ?Thanks pal and hold it in the road.

thanks for the tribute.i have read most of his books three or more times just to have an understanding of them. do you attend the faulkner gathering in oxford in the summer, and if you do so ;how is it? thanks pal and HOLD IT IN THE ROAD.

i just relized i commented the same thing twice.i guess it is because of all those years of drinking Faulkner's preferred brew.however i'm sober now.alcohol will catch up to you one day
'

Please say a prayer for the victims of the attack in Nice last night

From my hospital bed I saw many arrive in the services last night and heard the helicopters

I know this has nothing to do with reading but all I ask is to say one prayer

Thankyou

Jane