Faulkner's hometown marks the 50th anniversary of his death

William Faulkner, author of The Sound and the Fury, Absalom, Absalom!, and other books, died 50 years ago, but Oxford, Misssissippi, the town where he lived, is celebrating his life and marking the anniversary of his death on Friday.

Faulkner’s home in Oxford is now owned by the University of Mississippi. He is one of the few authors whose home has been preserved and opened to the public – think of the Hemingway House in Key West, Thomas Wolfe in Asheville, N.C., Margaret Mitchell in Atlanta, Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings in Cross Creek, Fla., Louisa May Alcott in Concord, Mass. That’s not a complete list, but it’s a big part of it.

Scholars and fans will commemorate Faulkner with a day of events, beginning at dawn with a marathon reading of his novel, The Reivers, and ending with a twilight ceremony at the Faulkner gravesite. Read the full story here.

Photo: A statue of William Faulkner sits in front of the Oxford, Miss., City Hall. Credit: Rogelio V. Solis/Associated Press

Comments

[Steven]

One of this country's National Treasures. William Faulkner, while working in Hollywood as a screenwriter to pay off debts, met Clark Gable on a fishing trip with Howard Hawks, the film director. Gable shook hands with Faulkner and inquired, "So what do you really do, sir?" Faulkner looked Gable in the eyes. "I write, sir. What do you do?"