The author of the quote: "If you don't have time to read, you don't have the time or the tools to write" is Stephen King.
On Southern literature:
I was particularly intrigued by Flannery O'Connor's quote on Southern writers from the last post:
"I doubt if the texture of Southern life is any more grotesque than that of the rest of the nation, but it does seem evident that the Southern writer is particularly adept at recognizing the grotesque; and to recognize the grotesque, you have to have some notion of what is not grotesque and why."
I have never cared for William Faulkner because his writing is a coarse caricature of the South I know, a stereotype that confirmed the prejudices of the Hollywood crowd he schmoozed with. But the rich eccentricities of southerners is undeniable, as O'Connor recognizes.
I have always preferred Eudora Welty's portrayal of the South, which to me is more authentic and more rooted in real — but still eccentric — people. O'Connor captures the essence of Southern literature and defines why Faulkner misses the mark while Welty succeeds.
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2 comments:
Your reason for not liking Faulkner is a lot better than mine. I just can't stay focused when reading his stuff.:) Of course, I've always tried to read it sober. Maybe that's my problem.
As a Southerner I have always preferred Southern literature. It often reflects tragedy in a poignant way. As a psychologist, I love how Southerners don't keep their crazies locked up, they trot them out into the parlor for everyone to meet. Meaning that they write excessively about madness and eccentric characters. A Rose for Emily by Faulkner comes to mind.
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