William Faulkner: Essays, Speeches, and Public Letters, edited by James B. Meriwether, was first published 1966. An expanded version was published in 2004. This work is an exhaustive collection of 102 of Faulkner’s nonfiction writings from the 1920s through the 1950s. Here one finds the man and citizen Faulkner speaking for himself rather than through fiction. The rich material includes reviews, letters on public affairs, speeches, such as the funeral oration for Mammy Caroline Barr, the Nobel Prize speech, addresses to student graduations, and many others. Before his death Faulkner was contemplating a nonfiction book on the declining virtues of American society. Several writings anticipating this work appear here.
For our overview of the works of William Faulkner, go to 20.00.06.
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