John Faulkner
 1901-1963
Major Works
- Men Working 1941
- Dollar Cotton 1940
- Chooky 1950
- Cabin Road 1951
- Ain't Gonna Rain No More
- Uncle Good's Weekend Party
- My Brother Bill: An Affectionate Reminiscence.
1963
- Side Road
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Biography of John Faulkner
By Claire Hardin (SHS)
Among all of the writing talent that has emerged from Mississippi is John Faulkner. He, like his brother William Faulkner, is a talented writer, but John has been somewhat in William's shadow. John Wesley Thompson Faulkner III was born on the twenty-fourth of September in 1901 in Ripley, Mississippi. (Lives) His parents, Murry Cuthbert and Maud Butler Falkner, had four children, John was the third child. He lived in Oxford most of his life, working in different occupations up to age forty. Some of his occupations included railroad employee, highway engineer, pilot, and manager of his brother William's farm, called Greenfield. (John Faulkner) While managing this farm, John became very familiar with people who differed from everyone he had known in the small town where he grew up. His contact with the rural farmers he had come to know provided him the beginning ideas for his writings. He formed the basis of his first novel, Beat Six, through this experience, but the novel was never published. (Lives) Faulkner attended college at Ole Miss, where he received a B.A. degree. (Profiles) One of his early works is an historical essay, "The Mississippi Hill Country." He married Lucille "Dolly" Faulkner.
John Faulkner's first published novel was a novel called Chooky whose  protagonist is a composite of Faulkner's two sons, Jimmy (who also writes) and Murry. Critics have compared Faulkner's works to the style of Erskine Caldwell; both writers have a somewhat ordinary, simplistic style. When the writings of John Faulkner are compared to his brother's, (Nobel Prize-winning William Faulkner), few similarities are found. John was influenced very little by his brother. In 1951, John's career took an unfortunate twist at a very inopportune time. His publishing company rejected one of his novels, at approximately the same time that his brother received the Nobel Peace Prize (Lives). This ironic situation created a block that John could not overcome. Soon after this rejection, another company saw potential in his novel and agreed to publish it. John called this novel Side Road. His last book was in memory of William, who died in July of 1962. (Lives) Not long after the completion of this novel, John Faulkner died on March 28, 1963. (Profiles) John Faulkner has never been viewed as a significant figure in literary history, possibly because he grew up in the shadow of his brother's fame. However, his works, though in plain style, accurately depict life in early Mississippi.
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Timeline
1901 - Born in Ripley, Mississippi
1941--Published Men Working
1942--Published Dollar Cotton
1950--Published Chooky
1951 - Rejection of one of his novels; brother William wins the Nobel Peace Prize, Cabin Road published
1962 - My Brother Bill published after death of William Faulkner on
1963 - John Faulkner dies on March 28
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A Review
of excerpt from My Brother Bill
by Claire Hardin (SHS)
My Brother Bill, John Faulkner's last work, is a sweet memory of his childhood that takes the reader back to the carefree days of youth, when nothing in the world mattered. It was written in honor of his brother, William Faulkner, after his death in 1962. The story takes place in their hometown of Oxford, Mississippi. After only being able to read an excerpt from this book from Dorothy Abbott's Mississippi Writers I was amazed at how familiar I became with his style of writing. This story has a very simplistic style and focuses on the simple pleasures of childhood. It begins with a description of the preparation for the town carnival, which is enjoyed by people of all ages. Through Faulkner's detailed descriptions, the reader can sense the feelings of joy and anticipation as though he were at the carnival himself. It is written in first person, with the author narrating. Throughout the carnival, Faulkner describes th e activities, sights, and sounds from the eyes of a little boy. The main attraction at the carnival is the balloonist, also referred to as the "balloonatic." Everyone gathers around to watch him sail into the air, and shortly after, to him fall back down again. This event seems to be the highlight of the carnival, especially for the children, who watch in awe and wonder as this crazy man's feet are lifted into the air by a huge gas filled balloon.
This short chapter from the novel ends in John Faulkner's backyard, where he watches his father become very angry because the balloonist has landed in the chicken pen. It is evident in this story that Faulkner thought very highly of his family and always watched them as a child to see their reactions to certain situations. He makes it clear in his writing that he had a certain fascination with William, his brother that he called Bill. The brothers were very different growing up; John looked up to him and respected him greatly. I really enjoyed reading this short excerpt and would love to continue reading his works. Part of what makes this story so amusing is its ability to awaken the child that is still somewhere inside all of us. This excerpt from Faulkner's last novel possesses a sweet innocence and gives the reader a chance to see the world through the eyes of a child once again.
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Related Websites
More
details on the life and works of John Faulkner are available
on Ole Miss site.
Critics reviews for My Brother Bill are available at amazon.com
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Bibliography
Cox, James L., "Profiles of Famous and Notable Mississippians: John Faulkner.", Mississippi Almanac: 1997-98., Yazoo City, Ms: Computer Search and Research, 1997. 135-138.
Lloyd, James B., Lives of Mississippi Authors, 1817-1967., Jackson, Mississippi: The University Press of Mississippi, 1981. 164.
"John Faulkner".[online] Available/http://www.olemiss.edu/depts/english/ms-writers/dir/faulkner_john/, 4-15-99.
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