Howard Bahr 1946
Biography
of Howard Bahr
In August of 1993, Bahr set out for a change. Because his job at Rowan Oak and Ole Miss seemed to be a dead end, he accepted a job at Motlow State Community College in Tullahoma, Tennessee, teaching English as an assistant professor. It was after he moved to Tennessee that he published his first novel, The Black Flower, in 1998. It is a beautifully written novel about an ordinary soldier in the Civil War, which was nominated for The Stephen Crane Award, and won The Lincoln Prize from Gettysburg College and The LSU Michael Shaara Award for Civi War First Fiction. It was also nominated for the the Sue Kaufman First Fiction Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. In addition, the novel was chosen as both a Book-of-the-Month Club and a Quality Paperback Book alternate.
While in Starkville in the spring of 2007 for Starkville Reads, Bahr stated that The Year of Jubilo will be his last Civil War novel for awhile. He is working on a story set in 1940 in New Orleans, Louisiana, and his hometown of Meridian, Mississippi. (See 2008 update below).
UPDATE 2008: In 2006 Howard Bahr's third novel The Judas Field: A Novel of the Civil War was published to high acclaim. His newest book, Pelican Road,
was published May 8, 2008. It is the story of men who worked
on the great American railroads. Bahr himself, after serving
in the US Navy in Vietnam and the Western Pacific, worked as
a breakman and Bahr's prose has been praised by many. April Austin says in her review in the Christian Science Monitor in 2000 that Bahr is "A writer of uncommonly beautiful phrases and compelling characters, he has twice managed to convey truths about the human condition within the confines of the American Civil War. First, in his debut novel, "The Black Flower" (1997) and now again with "The Year of Jubilo," which tells of a soldier returning home at war's end." Howard Bahr is the winner of the 2007 Michael Shaara Prize for Excellence in Civil War Fiction for his book The Judas Field. The award was presented at Gettysburg College in November, 2007. Currently Howard Bahr lives in Jackson, Mississippi, and teaches English writing classes at Belhaven College. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A Review of The
Black Flower The Black Flower by Howard Bahr is a beautifully-crafted
tale of a soldier and his comrades dealing with the everyday
aspects of battle and war. It is set around the Battle
of Franklin during the Civil War in Franklin, Tennessee.
Bushrod Carter, the main character, is from Cumberland, Mississippi.
This is a humbling story of courage, and human nature. In this book, the black flower is symbolic for death. Bushrod Carter is constantly confronted with his own mortality in dreams and fantasies, but he isn't afraid of it so much as he is intrigued by it. His dreams are most often of his dead friends; but they don't frighten him, they seem almost pleasant and welcoming. Bushrod Carter is a sweet boy with no desire to kill anyone nor any interest in promotion of his rank. After a devastating battle, he meets a nurse named Anna, who is doing her best to remain strong for the wounded soldiers. In their time of need, they come to offer each other a bond of understanding. Neither want to talk about the horrific aspects of the war, but both know personally the horror it offers. I recommend the book strongly to anyone, especially those with an interest in America history or the Civil War in particular. It is a heartwarming story of the resilience of the human spirit and of hope in even the most dire situations. Its simplicity adds to its charm, giving it a humble and honest feeling. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- An Interview
with Howard Bahr (May 2, 2001)
What did you do after you graduated high school?
When did you start writing?
When did your fascination with the Civil War begin?
What brought you to Ole Miss?
Who are some of your favorite authors?
What books have influenced your writing the most?
Have you had any major setbacks in your writing career?
Can you tell me a little bit about your family?
What made you decide to work at Motlow?
What do you most like about writing?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- New York Times Book Review by Robert Morgan in June 2000 of The Year of Jubilo. Review of The Year of Jubilo by April Austin in 2000 in the Christian Science Monitor. Book Review of The Year of Jubilo by Michael Burgin in Pif Magazine. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Austin, April. "The long journey back to the Civil War. "Interview/ Howard Bahr. 2000. http://www.csmonitor.com/durable/2000/07/20/plbsl.com Bahr, Howard. Telephone Interview. 2 May 2001. Bahr, Howard. The Black Flower. New York: Henry Holt, 1998. Esteves-Moore, Barbara. "Students connect with history by meeting author at Canton." Williamson A.M. 1999.wysiwyg://http://www.tennessean.com/wii/99/11/23/wauthor023.shtml Laubenthal, Dr. Penne. "The Power of the Word." Athens State University. 2001. http://www.athens.edu/writers.com/ Mudge, Alden. "A poetic tale and a writer whose time has finally
come" First Person Book Page. 1998. --------------------------------------------------------- |
After
his high school graduation in 1964, Bahr entered the United
States Navy, where he served four years. After being released
from the Navy in 1968, Bahr worked on the Gulf Coast Railroad
for five years. In 1973, Howard Bahr entered the University
of Mississippi in Oxford as a twenty-seven year old freshman.
There he received both a Bachelor's and a Master's degree in
English. He completed the coursework and examinations
for a doctoral degree, but withdrew before completing a dissertation.
During his time at Oxford, he worked as a curator at Rowan Oak,
the William Faulkner Homestead and Museum, from 1976 to 1993.
Also, he became an instructor of literature at the college and
a re-enactor of the Civil War. 
Bahr's second book, The Year of the Jubilo, published
in 2000, is also a novel about the Civil War. Many critics have
commented on its depiction of sorrow, anarchy, and defeat, but
others find in it a note of hope. Robert Morgan comments that
the "affection for the greening countryside and town of
Cumberland, the loving detail of forest and river, soil and
graveyard, are the true moral and poetry of this war story,
showing that the life of a place transcends any one ruin or
atrocity." 
yard
clerk on several railroads in the South and Midwest.
Of
course, I've got one now, not being able to write. Sometimes
you just get in a place where you're stuck. Some people
say that's when you've said everything you have to say and
that there's nothing left. That's what they say led
Hemingway to kill himself. 
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