The Dixie Limited: Writers on William Faulkner and His Influence
M. Thomas Inge
Abstract
Flannery O'Connor once noted, “The presence alone of Faulkner in our midst makes a great difference in what the writer can and cannot permit himself to do. Nobody wants his mule and wagon stalled on the same track the Dixie Limited is roaring down.” Her railroading metaphor wittily captures much of the respect and unease William Faulkner's example brought the worldwide community of authors. Few other writers have exerted as profound an influence on literature as Faulkner. This book documents the scope of his influence in the twentieth century through the words of those writers themselves. The ... More
Flannery O'Connor once noted, “The presence alone of Faulkner in our midst makes a great difference in what the writer can and cannot permit himself to do. Nobody wants his mule and wagon stalled on the same track the Dixie Limited is roaring down.” Her railroading metaphor wittily captures much of the respect and unease William Faulkner's example brought the worldwide community of authors. Few other writers have exerted as profound an influence on literature as Faulkner. This book documents the scope of his influence in the twentieth century through the words of those writers themselves. The book offers a survey attempting to capture exactly what Faulkner meant to his literary peers and colleagues both in the United States and abroad. Many major American writers sound off here, as well as important figures from France, England, Japan, and South America. Some speak about his technical virtuosity and how this expertise has directly influenced them, and others express the difficulties of trying to escape his example. A few even criticize him for what they see as artistic failures. The variety of responses demonstrate that Faulkner created an unavoidable power in his own time and remains a permanent force in literature.
Keywords:
fiction,
William Faulkner,
literary peers,
American writers,
literature
Bibliographic Information
Print publication date: 2016 |
Print ISBN-13: 9781496803382 |
Published to University Press of Mississippi: September 2017 |
DOI:10.14325/mississippi/9781496803382.001.0001 |