Frank Yerby facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Frank Yerby
Born	Frank Garvin Yerby (1916-09-05)September 5, 1916 Augusta, Georgia, United States
Died	November 29, 1991(1991-11-29) (aged 75) Madrid, Spain
Occupation	Historical novelist
Nationality	American
Spouse	Flora Williams; Blanca Calle Perez
Children	Jacques Yerby, Nikki Yerby, Faune Yerby, Jan Yerby
Relatives	Alonzo Yerby (brother)

Frank Garvin Yerby (born September 5, 1916 – died November 29, 1991) was an American writer. He is best known for his 1946 historical novel The Foxes of Harrow. This book became a huge bestseller.

Frank Yerby: A Storyteller's Life

Early Years and Education

Frank Yerby was born in Augusta, Georgia, on September 5, 1916. He was the second of four children. His father, Rufus, worked as a hotel doorman. His mother, Wilhelmina, was a teacher. Frank had a mix of Black, White, and Native American ancestors. He once said his family history was like a "mini-United Nations." His brother, Alonzo Smythe Yerby, became a well-known public health expert.

As a child, Frank went to Haines Institute in Augusta. This was a private school for African Americans. He graduated in 1933. Later, he earned a B.A. in English from Paine College in 1937. He then got his M.A. in Dramatic Arts from Fisk University in 1938.

In 1938, he started working towards a doctorate in English. This was at the University of Chicago. However, he had to leave in 1939 because of money problems. He taught English at Florida A&M University from 1939 to 1940. Then he taught at Southern University in Louisiana from 1940 to 1941. After that, he moved to Detroit and New York. There, he worked in factories that made things for the war.

First Steps in Writing

Frank Yerby started writing poetry while he was a student at Paine College. His first poems, "Miracles" and "Brevity," were published in 1934. His first short story, "Salute to the Flag," came out in 1936. He kept publishing poems and stories during his college years. While at the University of Chicago, he worked for the Federal Writers Project. He wrote about religious groups in Chicago. This work was part of a social history project.

Yerby continued to write short stories. He also wrote a novel called "This is My Own." It was about a Black steel worker who became a boxer. This book was rejected by publishers. But an editor named Muriel Fuller encouraged him to send something else. He sent her a short story called "Health Card." She thought it was not right for her magazine. So, she sent it to Harper's, which published it in 1944. "Health Card" won the famous O. Henry Award for best short story. This success helped Yerby get a book contract. After his first novel was rejected, he decided to write historical fiction instead.

Becoming a Famous Novelist

Yerby became famous for writing romance novels. Many of these were set in the old American South before the Civil War. Later, he wrote many bestselling historical novels. These stories took place all over the world. They ranged from ancient Athens to Europe in the Middle Ages. Yerby did a lot of research for his books. He often added notes to explain his historical facts. In total, he wrote 33 novels.

His Most Famous Books

In 1946, he published The Foxes of Harrow. This book was a historical romance set in the South. It was the first novel by an African American to sell over a million copies. In this book, Yerby used many common features of romance novels. But he showed African-American characters differently. They were not like the "happy darkies" often seen in books like Gone With the Wind. In the same year, his book was bought by a Hollywood studio. This was the first time a book by an African American was chosen for a movie. The Foxes of Harrow became a 1947 Oscar-nominated film. It starred Rex Harrison and Maureen O'Hara.

Some people think Yerby's best work is The Dahomean (1971). This novel is about an enslaved African chief's son. He is brought to America. This book was a big step for Yerby. It showed his efforts to include racial themes in his stories. Before this, some Black readers criticized Yerby. They felt his books did not focus enough on African-American characters.

In 2012, a writer for The New York Times, Nicholas Kristof, wrote about Yerby. He told a story about a child whose life changed after reading Yerby's books. A teacher secretly gave the books to the child.

Life Away from Home

Frank Yerby married Flora Helen Claire Williams in 1941. They had four children together. They separated in 1955 and divorced in 1956.

In 1952, Yerby left the United States. He did this to protest against racial discrimination. He moved to Nice, France, and lived there for three years. In 1955, he moved to Madrid, Spain. He lived in Madrid for the rest of his life. Yerby married Blanca Calle-Perez in 1956.

Frank Yerby died from liver cancer in Madrid. He was buried there in the Cementerio de la Almudena. This is the biggest cemetery in Spain.

Honoring His Legacy

In 2006, Frank Yerby was honored after his death. He was added to the Georgia Writers Hall of Fame.

In 2013, the Augusta Literary Festival created an award in his honor. This award is given to three fiction authors each year.

Frank Yerby in Pop Culture

A character named Uncle Percy in Thomas Mullen's book Darktown is partly based on Frank Yerby.

The famous author George R. R. Martin has said that Frank Yerby influenced his own writing.

Books by Frank Yerby

Short Stories by Frank Yerby

• "Salute to the Flag" (1936)
• "Love Story" (1937)
• "A Date with Vera" (1937)
• "Young Man Afraid" (1937)
• "The Thunder of God" (1939)
• "Health Card" (1944)
• "White Magnolias" (1944)
• "Roads Going Down" (1945)
• "My Brother Went to College" (1946)
• "The Homecoming" (1946)

Veronica T. Watson published a collection of Frank Yerby's short stories in 2020. It includes some stories that had never been published before.

Poems by Frank Yerby

• "Miracles" (1934)
• "Brevity" (1934)
• "To a Seagull" (1935)
• "Three Sonnets" (1936)
• "Weltschmerz" (1936)
• "Wisdom" (1937)
• "Calm After Storm" (1936)
• "All I Have Known" (1937)
• "You Are a Part of Me" (1937)
• "Bitter Lotus" (1937)
• "The Fishes and the Poet's Hands" (1938)

Articles by Frank Yerby

• "How and Why I Write the Costume Novel" (1959)
• "A Brief Historical Sketch of the Little Theater in the Negro College" (1940)
• "Problems Confronting the Little Theater in the Negro College" (1941)

Movies Based on His Books

• The Foxes of Harrow (1947)
• The Golden Hawk (1952)
• The Saracen Blade (1954)

See also

In Spanish: Frank Yerby para niños