James T. Farrell facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
James T. Farrell
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James T. Farrell in the 1950s
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| Born | James Thomas Farrell February 27, 1904 Chicago, Illinois |
| Died | August 22, 1979 (aged 75) New York City |
| Notable works | Studs Lonigan |
| Notable awards | Emerson-Thoreau Medal (1979) |
James Thomas Farrell (February 27, 1904 – August 22, 1979) was an American novelist, short-story writer, and poet. He is most remembered for his famous series of books called the Studs Lonigan trilogy. This popular series was made into a film in 1960 and a television show in 1979.
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About James T. Farrell
Farrell was born in Chicago, Illinois. He grew up in a large Irish-American family. His family included his siblings Earl, Joseph, Helen, John, and Mary. Sadly, some other siblings died young, including one during the 1918 flu pandemic.
His Early Life and Education
Farrell's father was a teamster, and his mother worked as a domestic servant. His parents were very poor. When James was three years old, he went to live with his grandparents.
He attended Mt. Carmel High School, which was then called St. Cyril. Later, he went to the University of Chicago. Farrell began writing when he was 21 years old.
His Writing Style
James T. Farrell was known for his realistic writing. He often described the lives of working-class people from the South Side Irish community in Chicago. He especially focused on this in his novels about the character Studs Lonigan.
Farrell based his stories on his own experiences. Many of these personal experiences were included in his well-known "Danny O'Neill Pentalogy," a series of five novels.
Farrell's Political Views
Farrell was also interested in politics. He was involved with a political idea called Trotskyism, which is a type of communism. He joined a group called the Socialist Workers Party (SWP).
Changing Political Ideas
Over time, Farrell started to disagree with some of the SWP's ideas. In 1946, he left the group and joined another one called the Workers' Party.
Within the Workers' Party, he continued to develop his own political thoughts. By 1948, he believed that only a capitalist system could defeat Stalinism, which was a harsh form of communism. Because of this, he left the Workers' Party to join the Socialist Party of America.
In the late 1960s, Farrell became interested again in the Socialist Workers Party. He was impressed by their involvement in the Civil Rights movement and protests against the Vietnam War. He attended some of their events but never officially rejoined the group.
In 1976, he helped start a group called the Committee on the Present Danger. This group focused on national security issues.
His Marriages
Farrell was married three times to two different women. He first married Dorothy Butler in 1931.
After they divorced, he married stage actress Hortense Alden in 1941. They had two sons, Kevin and John. They divorced in 1955. Later that same year, he remarried Dorothy Farrell. They separated again in 1958 but remained legally married until he passed away. Dorothy died in 2005.
Farrell's Legacy and Impact
James T. Farrell is remembered for his detailed descriptions of American society. He wrote about the Irish Catholic neighborhood of Chicago's South Side. He showed the struggles and challenges people faced in their lives.
Farrell's writing was very realistic. He showed human frustration, ignorance, and even cruelty with honesty. Even though he had some Marxist political leanings, his stories were not about changing society. Instead, they were honest pictures of life as he saw it.
Famous Works and Awards
His Studs Lonigan trilogy is considered very important in American literature. It was voted number 29 on the Modern Library's list of the 100 best novels of the 20th century.
In 1973, Farrell received the St. Louis Literary Award. In 2012, he was honored by being inducted into the Chicago Literary Hall of Fame.
Interestingly, the Chicago historian Studs Terkel took his first name "Studs" from Farrell's famous character, Studs Lonigan.
