William Faulkner explored human nature--sex, class and race--against the historical realities of Southern living. The Civil War still looms in the background of his novels, but his explorations of human nature delves far deeper than these "decaying fragments of myth." Read more about the life of William Faulkner, and find out how he created his works.
1. Faulkner: A Biography
by Joseph Blotner. Random House. This two-volume biography has been considered the definitive discussion of William Faulkner's life and works. Blotner first published "Faulkner: A Biography" in 1974," but he made extensive revisions for this one-volume edition. This book is an essential resource for the study of William Faulkner and his novels.
2. One Matchless Time: A Life of William Faulkner
by Jay Parini. HarperCollins. Jay Parini is a novelist and biographer, who is known for his biography of Robert Frost. Here, he explores the life of William Faulkner, with his "many thousands of selves."3. On William Faulkner
by Eudora Welty, and Noel Polk (Afterword). University Press of Mississippi. This book brings together many of the writings of Eudora Welty, which related to her admiration for and defense of William Faulkner. The work includes essays, lectures, and musings on Faulkner.4. William Faulkner: A Critical Study
by Irving Howe. Ivan R. Dee, Publisher. Taking into consideration Faulkner's greatest works and thematic development, Irving Howe writes, "The scheme of my book is simple." He wanted to explore the "social and moral themes" in Faulkner's books, and then he provides analysis of his important works.5. William Faulkner: His Life and Work
by David Minter. Johns Hopkins University Press. David Minter draws from Faulkner's essays, interviews, letters, and other writers to create a revealing portrait of William Faulkner.6. The William Faulkner Audio Collection
by William Faulkner. HarperCollins. This collection features William Faulkner's voice reading his acceptance speech for the Nobel Prize for Literature, along with readings of "Rose for Emily," "That Evening Sun," "Spotted Horses," and other works.7. Faulkner and War
by Noel Polk (Editor), and Ann J. Abadie (Editor). University Press of Mississippi. Faulkner never went to war, but he did enlist in the Royal Flying Corps in Canada. This book is a collection of essays, which explore the role that war played in Faulkner's life and works.8. A Companion to Faulkner Studies
by Charles A. Peek (Editor), Robert W. Hamblin (Editor). Greenwood Publishing Group. This book is an essential reference resource in the study of William Faulkner: his life and works. "A Companion to Faulkner Studies" surveys theoretical contributions from the archetypal, historical, biographical, feminist, and other approaches in literary criticism. The book also includes a bibliography and a glossary.9. William Faulkner A to Z
by A. Nicholas Fargnoli, and Michael Golay. Facts on File. This comprehensive reference guide discusses everything related to William Faulkner: his life, works, characters, along with chronologies, influences, a bibliography, photographs, family trees Faulkner and the characters in his novels/stories, and more.10. Faulkner in America
by Joseph R. Urgo (Editor), and Ann J. Abadie (Editor). University Press of Mississippi. The essays in the book discuss the relationship between Faulkner and America literature, including discussions of American ideas, identities and conflicts.