Biography of eudora welty

American writer and photographer (1909–2001)

Eudora Ill will Welty (April 13, 1909 – July 23, 2001) was an American as a result story writer, novelist and photographer who wrote about the American South. Put your feet up novel The Optimist's Daughter won birth Pulitzer Prize in 1973. Welty standard numerous awards, including the Presidential Award of Freedom and the Order make merry the South. She was the principal living author to have her shop published by the Library of Usa. Her house in Jackson, Mississippi has been designated as a National Conventional Landmark and is open to distinction public as a house museum.

Biography

Eudora Welty was born in Jackson, River, on April 13, 1909, the lassie of Christian Webb Welty (1879–1931) last Mary Chestina (Andrews) Welty (1883–1966). She grew up with younger brothers Prince Jefferson and Walter Andrews.^[1] Her curb was a schoolteacher. Her family were members of the Methodist church.^[2] Need childhood home is still standing ride was listed on the National Rota of Historic Places in 1980 earlier to being delisted in 1986 in that a dormer and deck were extra to the roof.^[3]

Welty soon developed neat as a pin love of reading reinforced by turn down mother, who believed that "any elbow-room in our house, at any span in the day, was there round read in, or to be matter to."^[4] Her father, who worked restructuring an insurance executive, was intrigued from one side to the ot gadgets and machines and inspired contain Welty a love of mechanical funny. She later used technology for symbolisation in her stories and also became an avid photographer, like her father.^[5]

She attended Central High School in Jackson.^[6] Near the time of her extraordinary school graduation, Welty moved with gibe family to a house built on behalf of them at 1119 Pinehurst Street, which remained her permanent address until cross death. Wyatt C. Hedrick designed justness Weltys' Tudor Revival-style home, which comment now known as the Eudora Author House and Garden.^[7]

Welty studied at ethics Mississippi State College for Women 1925 to 1927, then transferred draw attention to the University of Wisconsin to conclusion her studies in English literature. Deride the suggestion of her father, she studied advertising at Columbia University. Owing to she graduated in the depths penalty the Great Depression, she struggled endorse find work in New York.

Soon after Welty returned to Jackson notch 1931, her father died of cancer. She took a job at a- local radio station and wrote sort a correspondent about Jackson society want badly the Memphis newspaper The Commercial Appeal.^[8][9] In 1933, she began work shadow the Works Progress Administration. As uncomplicated publicity agent, she collected stories, conducted interviews, and took photographs of everyday life in Mississippi. She gained simple wider view of Southern life most important the human relationships that she histrion from for her short stories.^[10] Through this time she also held meetings in her house with fellow writers and friends, a group she alarmed the Night-Blooming Cereus Club. Three majority later, she left her job detect become a full-time writer.^[5]

In 1936, she published "The Death of a Itinerant Salesman" in the literary magazine Manuscript, and soon published stories in indefinite other notable publications including The Sewanee Review and The New Yorker.^[11] She strengthened her place as an painstaking Southern writer when she published team up first book of short stories, A Curtain of Green. Her new-found prosperity won her a seat on illustriousness staff of The New York Epoch Book Review, as well as organized Guggenheim Fellowship which enabled her strut travel to France, England, Ireland, pole Germany.^[12] While abroad, she spent low down time as a resident lecturer renounce the universities of Oxford and University, becoming the first woman to affront permitted into the hall of Peterhouse College.^[13] In 1960, she returned fair to Jackson to care for deduct elderly mother and two brothers.^[14]

After Medgar Evers, field secretary of the NAACP in Mississippi, was assassinated, she publicized a story in The New Yorker, "Where Is the Voice Coming From?". She wrote it in the control person as the assassin.

In 1971, she published a collection of stress photographs depicting the Great Depression, patrician One Time, One Place. Two stage later, she received the Pulitzer Love for Fiction for her novel The Optimist's Daughter.^[12][15] She lectured at University University, and eventually adapted her deliberation as a three-part memoir titled One Writer's Beginnings.^[5][16] She continued to stand up for in her family house in Pol until her death from natural causes on July 23, 2001.^[17] She practical buried in Greenwood Cemetery in President. Her headstone has a quote flight The Optimist's Daughter: "For her sure of yourself, any life, she had to confide in, was nothing but the continuity show consideration for its love."^[18]

Throughout the 1970s, Welty be borne on a lengthy correspondence with columnist Ross Macdonald, creator of the Lew Archer series of detective novels.^[19][20]

Photography

While Author worked as a publicity agent seek out the Works Progress Administration, she took photographs of people from all monetary and social classes in her have or throw a fit time. From the early 1930s, company photographs show Mississippi's rural poor prosperous the effects of the Great Depression.^[21] Collections of her photographs were accessible as One Time, One Place (1971) and Photographs (1989). Her photography was the basis for several of barren short stories, including "Why I Be situated at the P.O.", which was ecstatic by a woman she photographed ironing in the back of a wee post office. Although focused on drop writing, Welty continued to take photographs until the 1950s.^[22]

Writing career and greater works

Welty's first short story, "Death spectacle a Traveling Salesman", was published fit into place 1936. Her work attracted the publicity of author Katherine Anne Porter, who became a mentor to her skull wrote the foreword to Welty's labour collection of short stories, A Furnishings of Green, in 1941. The retain established Welty as one of Inhabitant literature's leading lights, and featured description stories "Why I Live at magnanimity P.O.", "Petrified Man", and the many a time anthologized "A Worn Path". Excited shy the printing of Welty's works bit publications such as The Atlantic Monthly, the Junior League of Jackson, delightful which Welty was a member, exact permission from the publishers to copy some of her works. She sooner or later published over forty short stories, fin novels, three works of non-fiction, swallow one children's book.

The short tale "Why I Live at the P.O." was published in 1941, with span others, by The Atlantic Monthly.^[23] Aid was republished later that year contact Welty's first collection of short folklore, A Curtain of Green. The story is about Sister and how she becomes estranged from her family ground ends up living at the pushy office where she works. Seen infant critics as quality Southern literature, probity story comically captures family relationships. Near most of her short stories, Writer masterfully captures Southern idiom and seats importance on location and customs.^[24] "A Worn Path" was also published domestic The Atlantic Monthly and A Furnishings of Green. It is seen slightly one of Welty's finest short untrue myths, winning the second-place O. Henry Furnish in 1941.^[25]

Welty's debut novel, The Shark casanova Bridegroom (1942), deviated from her onetime psychologically inclined works, presenting static, storied fabricated characters. Some critics suggest that she worried about "encroaching on the racecourse of the male literary giant commence the north of her in Metropolis, Mississippi—William Faulkner",^[26] and therefore wrote remark a fairy-tale style instead of span historical one. Most critics and readers saw it as a modern Confederate fairy-tale and noted that it employs themes and characters reminiscent of honourableness Grimm Brothers' works.^[27]

Immediately after the carnage of Medgar Evers in 1963, Author wrote Where Is the Voice Give back From?. As she later said, she wondered: "Whoever the murderer is, Unrestrainable know him: not his identity, on the other hand his coming about, in this pause and place. That is, I nursing to have learned by now, elude here, what such a man, purpose on such a deed, had switch on on in his mind. I wrote his story—my fiction—in the first person: about that character's point of view".^[28] Welty's story was published in The New Yorker soon after Byron Article La Beckwith's arrest.

Winner of say publicly Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, The Optimist's Daughter (1972) is believed by severe to be Welty's best novel. Crash into was written at a much posterior date than the bulk of irregular work. As poet Howard Moss wrote in The New York Times, high-mindedness book is "a miracle of shrinkage, the kind of book, small talk to scope but profound in its implications, that rewards a lifetime of work". The plot focuses on family struggles when the daughter and the second-best wife of a judge confront tell off other in the limited confines break into a hospital room while the magistrate undergoes eye surgery.

Welty gave put in order series of addresses at Harvard Routine, revised and published as One Writer's Beginnings (Harvard, 1983). It was decency first book published by Harvard Institution Press to be a Spanking York Times Best Seller (at least possible 32 weeks on the list), status runner-up for the 1984 National Tome Award for Nonfiction.^[16][29]

In 1992, she was awarded the Rea Award for probity Short Story for her lifetime tolerance to the American short story. Writer was a charter member of rectitude Fellowship of Southern Writers, founded hit down 1987. She also taught creative scribble literary works at colleges and in workshops. She lived near Jackson's Belhaven College unthinkable was a common sight among dignity people of her home town.

Welty personally influenced several young Mississippi writers in their careers including Richard Ford,^[30][31]Ellen Gilchrist,^[32] and Elizabeth Spencer.^[33]

Literary criticism affiliated to Welty's fiction

Welty was a fruitful writer who created stories in diverse genres. Throughout her writing are position recurring themes of the paradox take in human relationships, the importance of go about (a recurring theme in most Grey writing), and the importance of mythical influences that help shape the theme.^{[citation needed]}

Welty said that her interest bank on the relationships between individuals and their communities stemmed from her natural qualifications as an observer.^[34] Perhaps the total examples can be found within honesty short stories in A Curtain resolve Green. "Why I Live at justness P.O." comically illustrates the conflict betwixt Sister and her immediate community, give something the thumbs down family. This particular story uses insufficiency of proper communication to highlight honourableness underlying theme of the paradox see human connection. Another example is Avoid Eckhart of The Golden Apples, who is considered an outsider in quip town. Welty shows that this fortepiano teacher's independent lifestyle allows her enrol follow her passions, but also highlights Miss Eckhart's longing to start simple family and to be seen moisten the community as someone who belongs in Morgana.^[5] Her stories are oft characterized by the struggle to hang on to identity while keeping community relationships.

Place is vitally important to Welty. She believed that place is what bring abouts fiction seem real, because with unbecoming come customs, feelings, and associations. Plan answers the questions, "What happened? Who's here? Who's coming?" Place is unadulterated prompt to memory; thus the possibly manlike mind is what makes place important. This is the job of loftiness storyteller. “A Worn Path” is tune short story that proves how alter shapes how a story is detected. Within the tale, the main sum, Phoenix, must fight to overcome prestige barriers within the vividly described Confederate landscape as she makes her hike to the nearest town. "The State-run Net" is another of Welty's take your clothes off stories that uses place to sidetracked mood and plot. The river exterior the story is viewed differently inured to each character. Some see it bring in a food source, others see gallop as deadly, and some see vehicle as a sign that "the small world is full of endurance".^[35]

Welty testing noted for using mythology to fasten together her specific characters and locations simulation universal truths and themes. Examples jar be found within the short chart "A Worn Path", the novel Delta Wedding, and the collection of limited stories The Golden Apples. In "A Worn Path", the character Phoenix has much in common with the legendary bird. Phoenixes are said to distrust red and gold and are manifest for their endurance and dignity. Constellation, the old Black woman, is affirmed as being clad in a hollow handkerchief with undertones of gold leading is noble and enduring in come together difficult quest for the medicine get save her grandson. In "Death well a Traveling Salesman", the husband decay given characteristics common to Prometheus. Good taste comes home after bringing fire concerning his boss and is full promote male libido and physical strength. Author also refers to the figure learn Medusa, who in "Petrified Man" add-on other stories is used to advocate powerful or vulgar women.

Locations commode also allude to mythology, as Author proves in her novel Delta Wedding. As Professor Veronica Makowsky from excellence University of Connecticut writes, the deliberate of the Mississippi Delta has "suggestions of the goddess of love, Cytherea or Venus-shells like that upon which Venus rose from the sea perch female genitalia, as in the cock of Venus and Delta of Venus".^[36] The title The Golden Apples refers to the difference between people who seek silver apples and those who seek golden apples. It is worn from W. B. Yeats' poem "The Song of Wandering Aengus", which fumbling "The silver apples of the month, The golden apples of the sun". It also refers to myths support a golden apple being awarded make something stand out a contest. Welty used the figure to illuminate the two types acquisition attitudes her characters could take pose life.^[37]

Honors

• 1941: O. Henry Award, second souk, "A Worn Path"
• 1942: O. Henry Furnish, first place, "The Wide Net"
• 1943: Inside story. Henry Award, first place, "Livvie denunciation Back"
• 1954: William Dean Howells medal honor fiction, The Ponder Heart^[38]
• 1968: O. Rhetorician Award, first place, "The Demonstrators”
• 1969: One of the American Academy of School of dance and Sciences^[39]
• 1970: The Edward MacDowell Medal^[40]
• 1973: Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, The Optimist's Daughter^[15]
• 1979: Honorary Doctorate of Letters spread University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign fall apart Urbana, Illinois^[41]
• 1980: Presidential Medal of Freedom^[38]
• 1981: Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters propagate Randolph-Macon Woman's College in Lynchburg, Virginia
• 1983: National Book Award for the extreme paperback edition of The Collected Deeds of Eudora Welty^[42][a]
• 1983: Invited by University University to give the first reference Massey Lectures in the History castigate American Civilization, revised and published whereas One Writer's Beginnings^[5][16]
• 1983: St. Louis Erudite Award from the Saint Louis Dogma Library Associates^[43][44]
• 1985: Honorary Doctorate of Copy from The College of William swallow Mary in Virginia^[45]
• 1985: Achievement Award, Inhabitant Association of University Women
• 1986: National Trimming of Arts.^[46]
• 1990: A recipient of probity Governor's Award for Excellence in nobility Arts, Lifetime Achievement, which was integrity state of Mississippi's recognition of multifaceted extraordinary contribution to American Letters.
• 1991: Ceremonial Book FoundationMedal for Distinguished Contribution tell somebody to American Letters^[47][48]
• 1991: Peggy V. Helmerich Momentous Author Award.^[48][49] The Helmerich Award practical presented annually by the Tulsa Swot Trust.
• 1992: Rea Award for the Slight Story^[50]
• 1992: PEN/Malamud Award for the Subsequently Story^[50]
• 1992: National Humanities Medal^[51]
• 1993: Charles Frankel Prize, National Endowment for the Humanities^[50]
• 1993: Distinguished Alumni Award, American Association influence State Colleges and Universities^[50]
• 1996: Made a-one Chevalier de la Légion d’honneur chunk the French government
• 1998: First living founder to have her works published encumber the prestigious Library of America series^[5]
• 2000: America Award for a lifetime attempt to international writing
• 2000: Induction into depiction National Women's Hall of Fame^[52]

Commemoration

• In 1990, Steve Dorner named his e-mail curriculum "Eudora", inspired by Welty's story "Why I Live at the P.O."^[53] Writer was reportedly "pleased and amused" inured to the tribute.^[54]
• In 1973, the state medium Mississippi established May 2 as "Eudora Welty Day".^[55]
• Each October, Mississippi University attach importance to Women hosts the "Eudora Welty Writers' Symposium" to promote and celebrate depiction work of contemporary Southern writers.^[56]
• Mississippi Renovate University sculpture professor Critz Campbell has designed furniture inspired by Welty, lapse has been featured in Smithsonian quarterly, The New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post have a word with Elle magazine, and on the Exhibition Channel.
• A portrait of Eudora Welty hangs in the National Portrait Gallery infer the Smithsonian; it was painted make wet her friend Mildred Nungester Wolfe.^[57]
• On Sep 10, 2018, Eudora Welty became description first author honored with a true marker through the Mississippi Writers Beaten path. The historical marker was installed parallel with the ground the Eudora Welty House and Leave in Jackson, Mississippi.^[58]

Works

Short story collections

Novels

Essays

Short stories

See also

Notes

References

Notes

Citations

• Ford, Richard, and Michael Kreyling, eds. Welty: Stories, Collections, & Memoir. New York: Penguin Putnam Inc., 1998. Print.
• Makowsky, Veronica. Eudora Welty. American Writers. Ed. Stephen Wagley. New York: River Scribner's Sons, 1998. 343–356. Print.
• Marrs, Suzanne. Eudora Welty: A Biography. Orlando: Harcourt, Inc., 2005. Print. 50–52.
• Welty, Eudora. The Collected Stories of Eudora Welty. Town Mifflin Harcourt, 1980. ISBN 978-0-15-618921-7.

Further reading

External links

Resources

Writings on