William Faulkner - Troubled Literary Genius | Biographical Documentary
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- Опубликовано: 5 фев 2025
- The novels of Nobel Prize winning author William Faulkner are consistently ranked amongst the greatest and most influential works in world literature.
As a writer he constantly experimented with new structures and stylistic devices and he is justly famous for the range and depth of his characterization and portrayals of complex and uncomfortable social issues.
He produced 19 novels, dozens of short stories, screenplays, collections of poetry and public letters… but he was an intensely private man, who rarely smiled and drank heavily.
In this biographical documentary Prof Yorston explores why a man who achieved so much in his life appeared to be so troubled.
Finding Out More
There are several very good biographies that document the facts of his life, but the motivations, the whys and wherefores of his writing and of his personal story remain elusive. The most detailed is Joseph Blotner’s mammoth two volume work which was later slimmed down to a mere 800 pages. But I liked the accounts by Richard Gray and Jay Parini and I’ve added these to my Amazon Store Page. www.amazon.com...
Academic References
Goodwin, D. W. (1992). Alcohol as muse. American Journal of Psychotherapy, 46(3), 422-433.
McCall, W. Vaughn. "Electroconvulsive therapy in the era of modern psychopharmacology." International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology 4.3 (2001): 315-324.
Martin, J. (1983). William Faulkner: Construction and reconstruction in biography and psychoanalysis. Psychoanalytic Inquiry, 3(2), 295-340.
Copyright Disclaimer
The primary purpose of this video is educational. I have tried to use material in the public domain or with Creative Commons Non-attribution licences wherever possible. Where attribution is required, I have listed this below. I believe that any copyright material used falls under the remit of Fair Use, but if any content owners would like to dispute this, I will not hesitate to immediately remove that content. It is not my intention to infringe on content ownership in any way. If you happen to find your art or images in the video, please let me know and I will be glad to credit you.
Images
Wikimedia Commons
Internet Archive
The Wellcome Collection
University of Mississippi
Library of Congress
Music
Footprints In The Snow, performed by Cliff Carlisle (vocals, steel guitar) and his brother Bill Carlisle (guitar) PD
Blue Grass - created with Udio beta, prompt "riding the rails" bluegrass/blues/folk tags, intro, track extension and outro added.
Pie Plant Pete - Hand Me Down My Walking Cane PD
Livery Stable Blues - Original Dixieland Jass Band, recorded 1917.
Porch Blues Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License. creativecommon...
The Colonel Zaccharia Hickman CC0
Anything you can dream - The Whole Other CCO
Blue Creek Trail -Dan Lebowitz CC0
Coming Home - Dan Lebowitz CC0
One Down Dog - Wes Hutchinson CC0
Plantation by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence. creativecommon... Artist: audionautix.com/
Last Train to Mars - Dan Lebowiitz CC0
Cooper Cannell - Amazing Grace CC0
Forest Lullaby - Asher Fulero CCO
Vespers on the Shore Mini Vandals CC0
Lobe - Mini Vandals CC0
Sweetly my heart - Asher Fulero CC0
No 2 Remembering Her - Esther Abrami CC0
Louis Moreau Gottschalk - Le Bananier Public domain
City Walk - John Pattucci CC0 RUclips
On the Rocks -Track Tribe CCO
Wish you’d never left - Track Tribe CC0
The Mood Drops - Nathan Moore CC0
Blue Mood - Robert Munzinger CC0
Gridlock - John Pattucci CC0
Jane Street - Track Tribe CC0
Black Terrier Blues CC0
Tacklebox Blues CC0
Hon Kyoku Doung Maxwell/Zac Zinger CC0
Calm Cam -Track Tribe CC0
George Gershwin: 3 Preludes for Clarinet and Piano II. Clarinet: Byeon Gyu-ri, Piano: Kim Hwa-jeong CCAttribution
PeriTune Café Musette CC3.0
Video edited by Manavi Sakunika and produced by Graeme Yorston and Tom Yorston
When I was 19 I was happily snowed in, alone, at a family friend's A-frame vacation home. I felt competent as a reader -- before I read Faulkner.
Over the next few days I forced my way through 'The Sound and the Fury' rereading nearly every passage, trying to decode it. At around the halfway mark, it all began to make sense. What a book! After finishing I went back to the beginning and read it again. The book was astounding!
It's hard work - but once you get it - it makes sense and the beauty of the writing comes out.
I admire your stamina, but then be sure to clear your palette, with a turn of Jack Vance, America’s preeminent prose stylist living or dead.
I feel bad, and applaud you for reading SATF first. When i read it, i loved it, but didn't understand it even 1 iota. When i was 19 I read Absalom Absalom, and till this day whenever I see it on the shelf I shake. I was living in NYC at the time and it was the last novel i read before picking up Ulysses.
This is the first in depth examination of Faulkner I've encountered. Thank you for it. Again we have it: the difference between what the artist produced and what the artist's life was. There's seems to be a deep strain of "fake it 'til you make it" in Faulkner. The fact that people could never tell whether he was telling the truth or not. (great training for becoming a fiction writer, I suppose.) Adding phony Britishness by adding a "U" to his last name. Coming back from a war with fake stories of heroism and wearing a uniform and rank he did not obtain while using a phony limp. Today that would be called "Stolen Valor." The phony plantation owning gentleman life he attempted. And yet out of that cauldron of a life he lived, he produced work that changed the course of literature. There really is no accounting for art. It comes from a variety of different people, and it strikes like lightning.
I guess that is why art and literature are so fascinating.
In high school we had choose an American novelist and write a serious paper - at least three books, research papers and other criticism. A minimum of ten pages and we had all semester to do it, but half our grade would be based on it. I chose Faulkner because he was from the South as was my father. Wow, was I ever in for a surprise! I started with his best known novel, The Sound and the Fury. The first chapter (s) is told from the POV of a mentally challenged (trying to be pc here, there was another word used at the time)young man in Faulkner’s signature stream of consciousness style. All I could do was jump right in and see where the stream took me. Absolutely no point in hesitating or stopping to analyze. Ride the stream, rapids and all. By the time I had finished my paper I had boundless respect for what he had achieved and how unique he was in literature. I did a few biographical sources but I included none of this information in my paper as I wanted to only judge him on his literary output. I very much believe in reading biographical information only as a means of identifying influences. I still remember the title of my paper, Faulkner’s Women: The Virgin and the Whore. Got an A+. 😁
Ambitious stuff for high school - I did the sciences so opinions were not asked for.
@@professorgraemeyorstonHonors. And quite a while ago. I was the English, history, languages type, much to the dismay of my engineer father. While I am here please let me say how much I enjoy your channel and look forward to each new “chapter.” And I betcha there were plenty of opinions to be found on your exams!
Very ambitious stuff for high school. 👏
I have always been drawn to the writings of William Faulkner. His insufferably long, convoluted, tangle of words that many find off-putting and absurd resonated with me from the get go. Hacking my way through the thick thicket of his narratives - thinking the whole while I thought I knew where he was going in his storytelling - only to find he took me someplace I did not even know there was a there there. Somehow I found it comforting to be so lost. The way I find the clippety clop of a mule in trot comforting.
Yeah, rhythm is the key to writers like Faulkner - not that there are many other writers like Faulkner!
You have to make his stream of consciousness your stream of consciousness. Just go there with him.
Here in the U.S. I think the fact that Faulkner was a southern writer adds greatly to his appeal. The mystery/tragedy of the south emanates from his work and as we are experiencing now politically the Civil War never really ended.
I think that is one of the difficulties for Faulkner for non-American readers - we might know something of the history but we don't have that intimate personal feel of the history.
Faulkner understood that the South has never stopped fighting the Civil War.
@ nonetheless your discussion of Faulkner is excellent and illuminating! My comment was not meant as a criticism!
I have been a fan of Faulkner since I was 17 years old and read and wrote a term paper on As I Lay Dying. At 71 I am still mesmerized by his work. Thank you for the biography.
Glad you enjoyed it.
From the UK. Another fascinating delve into the life and work of a creative artist. Professor Yorston manages to pack so much information into the post but without making it difficult to follow. Many thanks for all you hard work.
Thank you.
It is a real pleasure to listen to you, you are knowledagble and intelligent, both objective and sympathetic, calm and even a good editor. Don't change, man!
Thank you - I have a good team.
German here. I studied American literature at university in the 1990s. Faulkner was a solid stock of authors we studied. We read & discussed As I Lay Dying, Light in August, The Sound & The Fury and Absalom, Absalom.
I'm impressed - they are tough going for a native English speaker.
@professorgraemeyorston
Yeah. Plus the different culture & historical background, also necessary to learn for understanding.
The comment to his daughter “Nobody remembers Shakespeare’s children” was dreadfully cruel. Whether born from self hate or callousness it was completely uncalled for and I can’t begin to imagine the effect it had on the girl. But then, I don’t think being the child of a great writer has as much going for it, as we of common stock, would believe.
I think she was used to the selfishness of both parents drinking - she turned out well - had three sons, bred dogs and was into fox hunting.
That comment by Faulkner was terrible, but ol' Bill was right.
She didn’t turn out well if she was into fox hunting. A sadistic “sport.”
@@dbarker7794 Had Faulkner's granddad said it, he'd have been wrong.
@@mustlovedogs8179Yes, fox hunting is cruel.
Thanks for the video. I admit I tried reading his books as a young woman and found it hard to understand or enjoy his style.
Later in my life I did reread and managed to complete reading a few. Somewhat like Dickens, he wrote about the less than pleasant issues of his time.. As a fellow Southerner I did recognize and grieved over some portrayals. Learning about his life history made his writing style and subject matter understandable. Your channel and work is appreciated.
Thanks for watching.
My grandmother was a college professor and taught music and literature in Louisiana and knew William Faulkner
Fantastic, what were her memories of him?
Very comprehensive biography. I think a similar Eudora Welty biography would be very interesting. She was such a magical writer. Maybe Flannery O’Connor as well.
Great suggestions! I'll look into them.
Yes indeed!
Great documentary. As I recovering alcoholic and drug addict, I can relate to his quest for praise, success, money, and the “right” relationship to cure inner turmoil and depression. It didn’t work for me and it apparently didn’t work for him. Self-destruction seems to be the result of this failed quest.
I wonder if it those who have successful quests have more of a reason to beat their addiction.
When talking about Faulkner, too many over-emphasise the Stream of Consciousness technique, forgetting he was a master of Symbolism and understated prose and Minimalism. Aesthetically and stylistic, he was one of the greats of all time. And he avoided a couple of prose worn-out techniques which most, if not all, writers insist in using to this day.
The French author Claude Simon was the only writer who approached Faulkner's greatness, in my opinion, although with a prose almost devoid of comedy, which suits me very well.
Needless to say, Faulkner is my favourite writer. Many thanks.
Very informative , but more important , you made it very interesting .
Thank you.
Faulkner was only a name to me until I came across The Sound and The Fury in our local book exchange booth (books for free). I will take anything in English - there are a few other Brits in our village - and was instantly fascinated by the story and the way it is written
It is the rather old Penguin Modern Classics edition for £2.25
(No date of publishing to be found, - maybe a page lost)
Faulkner's comment: "It's the book I feel tenderest towards. I couldn't leave it alone and I never could tell it right ....."
Yes it is a hard read, but captivating.
I suspect it's the same edition I have - yes it's definitely worth the effort.
Although I am not very familiar with Faulkner's literary work apart from his scripts/screenplays (I found 'The Sound and the Fury' quite ponderous), being born in Memphis, with familiarity of the culture in which Faulkner was raised and about which he wrote, I found this fascinating.
In addition, my greater family shared the same Southern-tragic scourge of alcoholism and addiction, so I identified strongly there.
Very well-narrated.
Thank you.
I had a boyfriend who lived in Virginia next door to Faulkner’s daughter when Faulkner was there teaching. He was best friends with Faulkner’s grandson and he told me every night Faulkner would put the boys on his knees and tell them bedtime stories. He said they were wonderful stories he looked forward to, but didn’t remember them. I was trying to convince him to be hypnotised to remember them! Those should have been recorded and published. He said Faulkner was really a great grandfather, very loving. I think I dated this boy because Faulkner has always been my favourite writer.
Your story rings true, and your reason for dating your boyfriend because of his connection to the Faulkner family sounds as plausible as any other reason, and could serve as the basis of a good short story. Thanks for sharing.
Great story, thank you.
I agree.
It is astonishing how many false starts and failures Faulkner endured in his search for success, both in personal relationships and literary. I have never attempted to read a Faulkner novel, even though I was an English major, partly because a freshman friend at university complained about having to read “Absolam, Absolam!” Thank you, Richard Montague!
Still, your biographical synopsis has piqued my curiosity and I might have a go at one of his novels. Thank you, professor! Your discussions of famous writers, musicians, and artists are fascinating!
Thank you - do have a go at one of his novels.
Why so troubled? Because if one has the breadth if awareness and imaginative intelligence to write as he did, one is inevitably troubled. The reality of the world IS troubling.
Good point.
And now my week is complete and perfect.👏👏👏😊
Enjoy!
Thank you. Such a great analysis of why he was what he was as a writer. I appreciate these videos.
Thanks for watching.
Thank so much this clear and insightful work on my favourite author, William Faulkner. I have read most of his mature works at least 3 times. As a Canadian descendant of Missouri Scots-Irish and Kansas Cherokee people there is a song and a vibration in his work that helps connect me to the familial uniqueness of what my grand parents brought with them. The modern jazz like passages that still read as fresh as John Coltrane, this is the American Southern Gothic Master. Bravo!
Thank you.
I hated, than loved Faulkner. I read as I lay dying and wanted to throw it across the room. I honestly thought there was a bit of mental restriction of cognitive path ways going on. I felt heart broke for the mother. I think that's what he wanted. What redeemed was The Town and The Mansion. A Snopes is a Snopes. Living a bit in Atlanta helped make the true connection that there is a lost intelligence like Harper Lee told that gets lost in that turn of the century. A world lost to time that we don't fully understand if we are outsiders. Thank you Prof, keep up the good work.
Thank you.
Thank you for your thorough biography and lovely insights on a writer I was forced to read in college. I knew I was reading something great, but my imagination was that of an aspiring electrical engineer, too literal-minded to be able to make sense of _The_ _Sound_ _and_ _the_ _Fury._ You explained its main points skillfully, for which I am thankful. From that book, one line slithered into my mind in a weird way, and I remember it to this day: _Harvard_ _my_ _Harvard_ _boy_ _Harvard_ _harvard._
I never understood when I was younger why literature teachers insisted on people reading tough books - I didn't like Shakespeare at school - but now I can see that if you got though them - they opened the whole world of great writing.
Thank you for this moving and compelling story of the many aspects of William Faulkner‘s life. I am 72 now in 2025, but in my early 20s in the 1970s I was in college and loved William Faulkner and his writings very very much. It was good to revisit his life in your video. Well done and thank you.
Glad you enjoyed it, and I hope it brought back some memories.
Hi Doc, you featured a Mississippi writer, the mighty Faulkner, so I had to comment. Bravo, a great analysis of a complex man. He's hard to read, but easier than Joyce, lol! Seriously, you ought to come here sometime, you can visit Rowan Oak, y'know. I remember seeing Ms. Welty in the Jitney Jungle on Fortification St. when I lived over in Belhaven, really nice lady. Be cool if you'd feature her sometime, she won a Pulitzer. There's loads of great writers from here for some reason, lol! Thanks Doc, you do a great job.❤
Thanks I'd love to come and have a wander round Rowan Oak - and I'll look into Eudora.
Amazing video. Can't help but think about Cormac Mccarthy, someone who learned from Faulkner's drinking and became unto himself one of the greatest writers of our time.
Excellent writing and narration. Thank you.
Glad you enjoyed it.
I never fail to enjoy your empathetic presentations on the notable people of our world. Thank you.
Thank you.
I read Sound and Fury in college. Your lecture has motivated me to read Faulkner again. Thank you.
Do give him another go!
@professorgraemeyorston Can you give a teaching on Carl Jung, especially his Red Book? Thank you in advance.
I love listening to your voice..thank you for the information on Falkner! Alcohol has ruined many a great writer!! I come from an alcoholic family ,this story really struck home for me. He was Truly a genius! Who knows how many books he had left in him.
Thank you.
Very well done, as always. Alcohol, the fuel to great writers.
Too much alcohol is the poison of great writers, just as it is for anyone else.
Thank you, he was an interesting character. May I suggest Australian Henry Lawson? "Beer makes you feel how you ought to feel without beer"
I have never heard that quote. It's brilliant! In fact, I just wrote it down in my notebook. If you substitute beer for any addiction, it works. I would love to know more about the mind that originated such a seemingly simple, but utterly descriptive sentence. Thank you for the quote, and thank you for the video, most interesting.
Great quote - I'll look into him - I recognise him from his stamp from my schoolboy stamp collecting days - I'll happily add him to the collection!
It is a great quote.
'The loaded dog' and 'The drover's wife' are two of Henry Lawson's better known stories.
Interesting line, I said just that to my brother while we sat in his garden last summer. Years before I remember observing that ecstasy (the drug) showed you what it was like to live without fear.
Another very good bio documentary by you. You certainly do a lot of research and bring out so many interesting details. THANK YOU so much. USA
Glad you enjoyed it
@@professorgraemeyorston Yes, I sure did. Thank you.
Thank you again for these! ❤🎉😊
My pleasure.
Beautifully compiled and presented. I really enjoyed this. Thank you
Glad you enjoyed it!
Always a good listen. Thank 💕
Thanks for watching.
What a fascinating video! Now I am very motivated to read the 2 books I have of him asap. Thank you!
Hope you enjoy them!
Very well done and informative, a man who didn’t seem to enjoy his life. To me, his writing very hard to understand but was very entertaining. Thank you.
Glad you enjoyed it.
Well done! I have read all of his books. I like the long list of movies you give here. I have some watching to do. Thank you.
Well done.
First, the man takes a drink, then the drink takes a drink, then the drink takes the man.
Any chance you can take a look at Samuel Beckett?
Waiting for Godot is my favorite play.
Very true - great suggestion - I'll look into SB.
Because of his convoluted writing style his prose is a challenge at least for me. So far the only thing I’ve actually finished is his story Old Man maybe one other short story. I’m currently struggling with The Sound and the Fury but am told it gets better after the first chapter and the conclusion where the author brings all the threads together is very rewarding. So it remains on my bucket list.⚛❤
Keep going - it might be worth watching the film first as at least you'll understand some of the threads - but it may spoil that sense of revelation at the end of the book.
I have never read any of Faulkner's literary works, but I read a biography of him years ago.
I always enjoy your essays on writers and other artists;
and I was just wondering what you think about Knut Hamsun, a fictionalist whose name is rarely mentioned these days. I learned about Hamsun through Henry Miller and through your countryman Colin Wilson's book "The Outsider;" and years ago, I read and reread most of Hamsun's novels.
Thanks again! 😊
Great suggestion - KH was also a favourite of Bukowski which is why I ended up reading him.
Knut Hamsun is definitely a great writer. Read his Vagabond Trilogy and found it a wonder. He's the opposite of Faulkner, because it's an easy reading. Hamsun manages to catch the reader, despite his characters being common people. ➖ Then Hamsun has plenty of poetry in his novels, making them a very catchy ones. ➖ Forget about his Nazi praisings, that was a big mistake on his side. And it isn't reflected at all in his writings, fortunately. Hamsun is an excellent Writer. 💜❤️💎😔🙏
"Pan," "Hunger," "Mysteries," and "Growth of the Soil" stand out as my favorites.
As I recall from the biography, Hamsun was grateful to Germany because they were first to publish his books.
He also believed in following promptings from his unconscious, and so he praised Hitler and the Nazis without thinking much about the consequences.
Later, he was imprisoned in his home country, and his reputation there was damaged for his involvement with and support for the Third Reich.
Yes, his books are very readable.
I found Colin Wilson's "The Outsider" to be a great source book of Outsider writers, their work and their thinking.
Wilson's "The Occult," the first volume in his "Occult Trilogy," also has great interest.
He also wrote a large number of other books, some of which are not found easily here in the States.
Wilson's ideas about the evolution of human consciousness made a strong impression on me many years ago.
Really thorough yet entertaining video throughout
Glad you enjoyed it.
Yes I remember having to read Faulkner in high school, and I too thought it was a workout.
I'm glad it wasn't just me!
Challenging for high school. Its definitely a task
I like most literary documentaries. There was a fine 4 or 5 part doc. about Southern Lit in general, which I found very informative.
Glad you enjoyed it.
It is ironic that we are all powerfully influenced by admonitions to refrain from drinking, sexual promiscuity, and other aspects of dissolute living, yet we find consistently that these foibles comprise the playbook of genius writers and other great artists.
They do for many, but not all - the consistent theme of their loves is not their dissolution but their single mindedness to achieve their artistic goals.
Well done, visuals, script. I found Faulkner difficult to enter into, as English major, more than half century ago. may try again. Danke schoen.
Thank you - give him another go!
Keep ‘em coming!
That's the plan.
Marvelous! I'm very grateful for your work...
Thank you.
My paternal grandfather knew him at Ole Miss 1919-1920. He was described as interesting because he was so unreliable. He liked to talk and avoid work of any type. He didn't fit in. Grandfather had no respect for him.
He (grandfather) never understood that a young writer is an observer and often provokes in order to learn. When I got to Ole Miss (1978-1982), studying at Faulkner's home was a very meaningful event. You got a peek into his troubles and hard work. Some of his writings are still on the walls, where he would use the large canvas to work out the many issues in the book. The area of a wall let him place various issues there and try them in his head in variety of combinations, before putting them on paper. Seeing how a man lives gives you a unique understanding of that inner man.
I encourage you to visit Rowan Oak.
Thanks for sharing your grandfather's memories - and yes I'd love to visit.
I'd love your to hear your thoughts on the singer Karen Carpenter. She had such an original voice, yet seemed so tortured... died so young.
Great suggestion - I have done a short on her - but I'll do a longer one.
Thanks, I didn't know about the short on her. Another person I'd like to know more about is Philip Seymour Hoffman.
I've (re)read Faulkner for almost 50 years. I was hooked from day one in high school as my family is from Mississippi and the whole arc of the Sartoris clan resonates with me.
Just fyi. I much preferred Parini's biography
Another fantastic video!
Thank you; I enjoyed it immensely. Have you considered researching D. H. Lawrence, Anne Rice, or Virginia Woolf? I know they have all been done before, but I would love to hear your take on things.
Thanks,
Mille, Australia.
❤🧡💛💚💙💜
Great suggestions Mille - DHL and VW are on the list, but I'll also look into Anne Rice.
Thank you for another excellent biography. Another writer to explore would be the New Zealand writer Janet Frome.
Thanks, yes JF is on the list.
We all seek pleasure and relief in a world that is not cooperating. Addiction is not a disease but a way of coping with the misery we call life. We are biologically evolved to seek pleasure, that is our nature. Shipwrecks on the rocks of humanity. The Sirens are calling, luring us to our destruction.
An artist I find very interesting is Jean Michel Basquiat. I would LOVE to see you do a bio documentary on him. There was great depth to him, starting from his childhood. Another artist of interest is Yayoi Kusama. Also Yoshitomo Nara who is also from Japan. Nara says Japan tends to not appreciate their contemporary artists. Perhaps that is changing.
I can't do anyone who is still alive for ethical reasons as I'm still a doctor, but Basquiat is on the list!
@@professorgraemeyorston I understand. So glad Basquiat is on the list. Also, Leyendecker (deceased) was an amazing artist. Thank you.
A great presentation. However I would like to hear more about his literature.
Hell yeah!!! I just booked my reservations to the opening of the extra saucy letters in 2039
They'll be interesting and very....tender!
Once again, Graeme, you avoided the heavy-handed psychologizing many lay people wouldn’t hesitate to indulge in.
Because his writing is so complex - there are a million and one interpretations - but I liked his comment about Jewel's horse...
Thank you for this. Faulkner is my favorite.
My i suggest a living writer? John Irving
He would be great one but I can't comment on anyone living for ethical reasons.
@professorgraemeyorston I should have thought of that. Thank you
I enjoy your videos on literary figures. Please if it interests you, do one on John Dos Passos.
Great suggestion, thanks.
Very well presented
Thank you.
i have been reading him for fifty years. certain places he takes you deep. deep, but familiar. his best books are go down moses and absalom. i like sanctuary myself. the writing in that is pretty amazing.
Yes, there's always something new to find in his writing.
Alcoholics don’t need a reason to drink. At least he wasn’t as mean natured as Steinbeck. I enjoyed your exhaustive biography of Billy.
Thank you.
I met an man whose mother dated Faulkner. He remembers a man passed out face down on the carpet in the living room. He thinks that was him. My mom had Sound and the Fury in her book shelf when I was a kid. I couldn't quite grasp it.
Sounds like Billy!
My all-time favorite author, I've read every one of his books. Always knew he was a drunk. So many great writers were.
Very true.
I was familiar with Faulkner’s scriptwriting only until I was preparing for my Master’s in Medieval studies. Faulkner was on the general reading list. His novels especially were revelatory. That his personal life was so f*cked up is appalling, but he is a titan of literature.
His personal life was fairly tame in comparison to Steinbeck and Hemingway.
Interesting as always. Thank you.
Glad you enjoyed it
wonderful piece Professor
Many thanks!
Unless you have a photographic memory it is essential to read “ The Sound and the Fury”twice. It is the most intriguing book I’ve ever read.
At least twice!
Thank you sir for your story about my hero,count nocount❤
Glad you enjoyed it.
One of my favorite lines in literature, from his novel As I Lay Dying. "My mother is a fish.'
Amazing - where did he come up with those voices?
Excellent. Thank you.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Bob Dylan, from his name onwards, to his early playing experiences in Midwestern circuses comes to mind
of the young artist who confabulates to make himself seem more interesting. Faulkner became a great writer, and he had as tangled a history with words as he did with his romantic longings and quests..
Good analogy.
Thank you. I enjoy your videos.
Have you made any program of Daphne du Maurier? I would love to hear your thoughts on her life and work.
Blessings from South Africa
There’s a classic anecdote regarding Faulkner and his wife Estelle. While he was struggling economically, Estelle continued to charge items at local stores in Oxford, MS, including Neilson’s, a store that I shopped in as an Ole Miss student in the 1980s. Neilson’s is still a thriving department store in downtown Oxford. When William continued to receive bills from Neilson’s and other stores in Oxford that he could not afford, he took out an ad in the newspaper, “The Oxford Eagle,” that said he would no longer be responsible for his wife Estelle’s charges.
And then there’s the famous story regarding William Faulkner and Clark Gable. Clark was possibly the most famous actor in Hollywood when he invited William to go riding with him in California. The story goes that when Gable asked him what he did for a living, Faulkner said something to the effect of, “I’m a writer, and, what do you do for a living, Mr. Gable?” 😂 Can you imagine Clark Gable’s astonishment? I love this story. Yes, William Faulkner inherited a genetic predisposition for alcoholism, and tragedy accompanied him all the days of his life. But his genius is eternal, and those of us who are from Mississippi feel that we walk on hallowed ground when we walk the grounds of Rowan Oak. NCR Davis, author of “For the Boys - The War Story of a Combat Nurse in Patton’s Third Army”
Thank you, I had to leave out those famous anecdotes as the video was getting a bot too long.
@ I figured such. Thank you for doing these videos. I’m glad that your channel popped up on my feed.
You should cover Jean Michel Basquiat, I’ve seen your videos on Van Gogh and Warhol multiple times I’d love to see you cover Basquiat
Thank you, he's on the to do list - my next painter is Suzanne Valadon!
When speaking about Faulkner I always keep in mind his Long and Hot Summer scrptwriting. A movie I consider a Masterwork, thanks to Orson Welles, too. Think he based it on some of his Short Stories, though never knew exactly upon which one and what was its Title, as a Short Story. ➖ My girlfriend is fond of Faulkner as a writer, much more than me. 😔🙏👍
Great movie - it's based loosely on two works: the 1931 novella "Spotted Horses", the 1939 short story "Barn Burning" and the title comes from The Hamlet.
Hilarious presentation in a good way.
His drinking doesn't surprise me, nor does it seem terribly excessive for the time period. He was still able to write. Two world wars took their toll and alcohol conquered all ailments...or so it was said. That remedy lived on through the 60's and 70's until drugs gradually took over.
He didn't exactly rough it in either world war and I'm pretty sure he wasn't drinking to avoid catching colds.
Hemingway must have loved the guy
> writes "r*c!sm bad"
> "Oh, he's such a genius!"
William Shakespeare had three children Susanna, Judith and Hamnet. He had 4 grandchildren but none had heirs so William's line ended (unless he had children to other women than Anne). Clearly somebody has remembered this for me to find it out.
And he was right - no-one remembers them.
@@professorgraemeyorston William did have an illustrious grandfather (WC) who I learnt of through your biography who wrote a book and begat a famous grandson.
48:48 walking along caught in your own thoughts and ignoring well known faces makes him a pretty normal writer.
We are often people that live mainly in our minds/imaginations . I've told everyone, "If i seem to ignore you, shout hello and wave", so no feelings are hurt that way.
Prof, i am surprised you didn't know about this not unknown trait in writers!
There are many writers who do not do this - it is a mistake to assume all writers are the same in terms of their personality.
@professorgraemeyorston no doubt...but when describing this trait in your subject here, you sound distinctly unsympathetic, instead of showing a more neutral attitude. Why implicitly judge the man on that trait (which is not uncommon), that's what I'm trying to point out
While reading Faulkner you need a dictionary. His vocabulary was huge. His books are difficult reads. Nothing easy but ultimately rewarding.
Very true.
It also needs a spreadsheet to keep up with all of his characters.
It's a repeated thing with lots of male writers. How do you lead an interesting life and then balance it with the need to sit at a typewriter for much of that life? He and Hemingway seemed to be a lot alike in many ways.
Very different personalities, but similar ways of dealing with the problems of life.
@@professorgraemeyorston Couldn't one imagine those two swapping stories over a bottle of whiskey? Faulkner's personality always seemed to elude me, but your video does indeed give a lot of insights. I think Hemingway was the sort of man Faulkner would have liked to have been. OTOH, I think in terms of writing, Faulkner thought Hemingway lacked bravery, didn't take risks, which Faulkner did all the time. So many of these writers had alcohol issues though.
mention The Stanley Rose Bookstore!!!!
A great writer!
He was indeed.
@@professorgraemeyorstonWe studied him in college. I wrote a paper about Faulkner and his use of the Gothic/horror, especially in “As I Lay Dying” and”Absalom, Absalom, and “A Rose for Emily.” Those vultures flying over Addie’s coffin as they take the ill-advised journey to Jefferson are unforgettable.
Whether a genius in science, math, physics, writing, psychology, history……personalities can be traumatic! Enjoy their products and do not worry about their PRIVATE LIFE.
Great work, Professor. I have just finished Light in August, and noticed that you described how Faulkner's wife tried to jump out of the hotel window once (ruclips.net/video/ISx3FDYkHrQ/видео.html.) At the time Faulkner was writing this novel where rev. Hightower's wife actually did the same thing - jumped from a hotel window in Memphis. Life writes novels, as a frequent phrase we have in HR.
Writers do make use of everything that is happening in their lives.
I will reread
Definitely worth it - life experience helps understand the subtle little references.
I read As I Lay Dying in high school on my own. What an awful experience then! Wonder how I’d feel reading it now at 61. Later after I started law practice in North Georgia, older lawyers were called Colonel. It was because lawyers were awarded that rank in the Confederate Army
😮 Wasn't aware of that, but it makes sense. I remember one of the attorneys in 'Inherit the Wind' being bestowed with the honorary title of 'Colonel'.
Interesting, thank you.
@@professorgraemeyorston I’m sure the term is long gone now. That is the term has changed but the attitudes have not sadly
I regard "As I Lay Dying" as a surrealistic work , don't know if anyone agrees.
I think of surrealism as a parody of realism, a single alternate reality, whereas Faulkner is a multi-layered, multiple voiced, multi perspective postmodern world where there is no certain reality.
His books are like someone on LSD trying to explain the old south.
Never had LSD but I know what what you mean.
Not only is he a library genius, he played mr feeney in boy meets world.
For me, even if The Sound and the Fury is considered Faulkner's greatest work, The Wild Palms may be his better one. ➖ Always wondered how he could work out a novel or a Short Story, with such uninteresting characters as his peasants and country people could be. In this sense, have to say that couldn't keep on with Light in August, after the first two hundred pages I read. ➖ And think has to be said, that neither Sanctuary, nor Soldier's Pay were good enough novels. Sanctuary could have been, but think it was carelessly done, and then I read it's a novel he did because he was charged to write something alike. So, it was a bit of a scandal, but he did it for money reasons. So, it went spoiled and think not even the movie, was a success. ➖ About The Sound and the Fury, it's a fab work, though as everybody says, it isn't an easy reading. But it catches you and its plot goes quickly enough. ➖ Faulkner is not an easy reading, but there's also something special about his vocabulary. You could say he's dry or harsh, still he's precise and with some kind of inner rare beauty you won't find nowhere else. Am not fond of monologues as a literary technique, but I admit that should have read As I Lay Dying, having gone so far with this author. Who's certainly not a friendly one. But one does not have time enough to read everything we should. And is me who's saying it, after having read around five thousand books or more. 🤔🙄😔🙏👍
That's a lot of books!
@professorgraemeyorston Yep. Am lucky to have found time for reading as much as I wanted. Though not everything I read was worthy. Took me sometime to search out what I should read and what not. ➖ When was a teen, found two very cultivated pals, older than me, and asked both to make me lists of what they thought, deserved to be read. They did it, and from then on, I wasn't lost any more. ➖ But of course, before having those lists, I had already read all the French, Brits and Russian classics one has to. ➖ What I regret is to have spend too much time reading things that weren't a great thing. ➖ So, about everything I've read, only eight hundred or a thousand as much, should really be read. ➖ Reading is a passion for me. Because I wanted to have become a Literature Professor. And never could, for my father only wanted me to study Law career. And so, he never paid me any other studies. ➖ Am still struggling nowadays, to find the time I need to keep with what I think deserves to be read. It's a big pleasure, each time I find some very good new Author. ➖ Am fond of Art and Culture, and so, I enjoy a lot too, being surrounded by people who share these things with me. 😔🙏
Drinking alcohol and smoking cigarettes were socially acceptable behaviors pre and post World War II . It was not unusual to order a double martini at 11 : 00 AM and smoke two packs
of cigarettes a day. The majority of people were either drunk or hung over all day long. It's remarkable that , in such a poor mental condition , authors were able to write such masterpieces .
Some minds are concentrated
Able to put life aside to write about the life he created in his imagination
Good point.