John Edward Williams facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
John Williams
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| Born | August 29, 1922 Clarksville, Texas, US |
| Died | March 3, 1994 (aged 71) Fayetteville, Arkansas |
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| Genre | Novel |
| Notable works | Butcher's Crossing (1960) Stoner (1965) Augustus (1972) |
| Notable awards | National Book Award 1973 Augustus |
John Edward Williams (born August 29, 1922 – died March 3, 1994) was an American author, editor, and university professor. He is best known for his important novels: Butcher's Crossing (1960), Stoner (1965), and Augustus (1972). His novel Augustus won a major award called the National Book Award in the U.S.
Contents
John Williams' Early Life and Education
John Williams was born in Clarksville, Texas. Soon after his birth, his family moved to Wichita Falls, Texas. They moved there because of the exciting Texas oil boom, which created many jobs. His grandparents were farmers, and his father worked in a store that sold animal feed.
When John was two years old, his father disappeared. His mother then married George Williams, who worked shifts in Wichita Falls. John Williams went to a local junior college for one year. However, he left college after having trouble with his English class.
Joining the Military and First Novel
After leaving college, John Williams worked in media for a while. In early 1942, he joined the war effort by signing up for the United States Army Air Force. He served as a sergeant for two and a half years. During this time, he was stationed in places like India, China, and Burma.
While he was in Calcutta, he started writing a novel. This novel was later published in 1948 and was called Nothing But the Night.
University Studies and Becoming a Professor
After World War II ended, Williams moved to Denver, Colorado. He enrolled at the University of Denver. There, he earned two degrees: a Bachelor of Arts in 1949 and a Master of Arts in 1950. While studying in Denver, his first two books came out. These were Nothing But the Night (1948), a novel, and The Broken Landscape (1949), a collection of his poems.
After getting his master's degree, Williams went to the University of Missouri. He taught there and worked on his Ph.D. in English literature. He finished his Ph.D. in 1954. In 1955, Williams returned to the University of Denver. He became an assistant professor and later directed the creative writing program.
John Williams' Famous Books
John Williams wrote several important novels that are still read today.
Butcher's Crossing (1960)
His second novel, Butcher's Crossing, was published in 1960. This book tells a story about life on the frontier in 1870s Kansas. It shows what life was like in the American West during that time.
Stoner (1965)
Williams' third novel, Stoner, came out in 1965. This book is about the life of an English professor at a university. It became very popular many years after it was first published. In 2005, it was reissued and received great reviews. After 2011, it became a bestseller in many European countries, including France, the Netherlands, Italy, and the UK.
Augustus (1972)
His fourth novel, Augustus, was published in 1972. This book tells the story of Augustus Caesar and the exciting, sometimes violent, times in ancient Rome. In the year it was released, Augustus won the National Book Award for Fiction. It shared the award with another novel, which was the first time the award was split between two books.
Later Life and Legacy
John Williams retired from the University of Denver in 1985. He passed away in 1994 at his home in Fayetteville, Arkansas. He loved studying literature very much. In an interview in 1986, he was asked if literature should be entertaining. He strongly replied, "Absolutely. My God, to read without joy is stupid." This shows how much he believed reading should be fun and enjoyable.
He was working on a fifth novel called The Sleep of Reason when he died. Parts of this unfinished novel were published in literary magazines in 1981 and 1986.
Translations of Stoner
The novel Stoner has been translated into many different languages. Some of these include Croatian, Dutch, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Korean, Portuguese, and Spanish. A well-known novelist named Anna Gavalda translated Stoner into French. Her translation helped the book become very popular and loved by French readers.
Works by John Williams
Here are some of the books John Williams wrote:
- Novels
- Nothing But the Night (1948)
- Butcher's Crossing (1960)
- Stoner (1965)
- Augustus (1972) — shared the National Book Award
- Poetry
- The Broken Landscape: Poems (1949)
- The Necessary Lie (1965)
- Edited Anthology
- English Renaissance Poetry: A Collection of Shorter Poems from Skelton to Jonson (1963)
