Eudora Welty (1909–2001) and William Faulkner (1897–1962) were almost unquestionably Mississippi’s leading literary lions during the twentieth century. Their influence on American literature is immeasurable.
On William Faulkner brings together Welty’s reviews, essays, lectures, and musings on Faulkner, including such gems as her reviews of Intruder in the Dust and The Selected Letters of William Faulkner, as well as her comments during her presentation of the Gold Medal to Faulkner during the National Institute of Arts and Letters awards ceremony in 1962. The collection also features an excerpt from a letter she wrote to the novelist Jean Stafford, telling of meeting Faulkner and of going sailing with him. Included too are Welty’s impassioned defense of Faulkner’s work—published as a letter to the New Yorker—and the obituary of the Nobel laureate that she wrote for the Associated Press.
In addition, the book includes a cryptic postcard Faulkner wrote to Welty from Hollywood, plus six photographs, and a caricature of Faulkner drawn by Welty during the 1930s.
Commenting on the place of both writers in contemporary literature, an essay by the noted literary scholar Noel Polk puts the collection in context and offers assessment and appreciation of their achievements in American literature.
On William Faulkner is a valuable resource for exploring Faulkner’s work and sensing Welty’s critical voice. Her sharp critical eye and graceful prose make her an astute commentator on his legacy.
Eudora Welty is author of many novels and story collections, including The Optimist’s Daughter (winner of the Pulitzer Prize), Losing Battles, The Ponder Heart, The Robber Bridegroom, A Curtain of Green and Other Stories, as well as three collections of her photographic work—Photographs, Country Churchyards, and One Time, One Place: Mississippi in the Depression, all published by University Press of Mississippi.
