Encyclopedia, Difference between revisions of "Thomas Wolfe" - New World
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{{for|the contemporary author and journalist|Tom Wolfe}} | {{for|the contemporary author and journalist|Tom Wolfe}} | ||
| − | '''Thomas Clayton Wolfe''' (October 3, 1900 – September 15, 1938) was | + | '''Thomas Clayton Wolfe''' (October 3, 1900 – September 15, 1938) was a 20th century [[America|American]] novelist and short story writer. He is known for his autobiographical fiction written in highly original, [[impressionism|impressionistic]] prose. His books, written during the [[Great Depression]], depict the variety and diversity of American culture. |
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| + | Considered one of the greatest writers of the century, his opulent language and unique literary style expanded the imaginations of a plethora of readers worldwide through his novels, essays, and short stories. | ||
==Biography== | ==Biography== | ||
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| − | The painful editing | + | Wolfe was born in [[Asheville, North Carolina]], a middle class mountain resort town, to a large family headed by Julia E. Wolfe, a succesful real estate speculator, and William Oliver Wolfe, a tombstone maker. Wolfe was the youngest of eight children, of whom only six survived into adulthood. During his childhood, the family member he felt closest to was his brother, Benjamin. Later in his work, Thomas would often portray members of his family with great spirit and good-humored satire. |
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| + | From the age of elevan, Wolfe attended a local private school from which he would graduate shortly before he turned 16. Next, he would go on to attend the [[University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill]], where he joined the [[Pi Kappa Phi]] fraternity and became editor of the school's newspaper. At Chapel Hill, Thomas developed an ambition for the theatre through his work with the UNC Dialectic Society as well as the Carolina Playmakers. | ||
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| + | When Wolfe graduated, at age twenty, he went to [[Harvard]] to study playwrighting under Professor [[George Pierce Baker]] in his renowned [[47 Workshop]]. He received his Master of Arts Degree in [[Literature]] in two years, but stayed one year extra to further hone his skills as a playwright. Wolfe would later satirize the pretentiousness of Harvard life, and the 47 Workshop in particular, in his piece, "Of Time and the River." | ||
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| + | Though Wolfe did not lack in talents, ultimately his personal style and temperament were not well suited to the theater, and he was unable to get his plays produced after graduating from Harvard. He then took work as an Eglish instructor at [[New York University]] in 1924. He would teach here off and on until 1930, initially departing from the school after his first year there to work on his personal writing overseas in [[Europe]]. On his return voyage in 1925, he met the married Aline Bernstein, a succesful set and costume designer in the New York theater,, who was twenty years his senior. Thus began their turbulent affair which would last the next five years. | ||
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| + | In June of 1926, Mrs. Bernstein and Wolfe vacationed in England, where Thomas began to writer what would become his breakthrough work, the novel: "Look Homeward, Angel." It would be another three years (October, 1929) before the book was completed and published by Scribner's, carrying a dedication to Mrs. Bernstein for her artistic, emotional, and financial support. "Look Homeward, Angel" was the start of Wolfe's relationship with [[Scribner's]] big shot [[Maxwell Perkins]], who was the most prominent book editor of the time. Perkins had also worked with [[Ernest Hemmingway]] and [[F. Scoot Fitzgerald]] and saw in Wolfe an equal potential. | ||
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| + | Around this time, Thomas' affair with Aline Bernstein had reached a breaking point. In March of 1930 the author was awarded a [[Guggenheim]] fellowship that allowed him to travel to Europe and stay there for the next year, and provided the opportunity to finally end his relationship with Mrs. Bernstein. When he returned to New York in February of 1931, he rented an apartment in Brooklyn and worked to complete his second book. | ||
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| + | Initially, Wolfe had been grateful for the extreme editing conditions he worked under with Perkins, who had become almost like a father to him. However, with his second offering, the multi-volum epic originally titled "The October Fair", Wolfe became disgruntled. Perkins cut the piece down dramatically to create a single, best-seller-sized volume, which would be called "Of Time and the River." The young author would stick out at Scribner's for two more of his publications, "From Death to Morning" (1935) and "The Story of a Novel" (1936). But the painful editing process, which began to take its toll on Wolfe with "Of Time and River", and his own fears that he was becoming too dependent on Perkins, caused him to abandon his relationship with Scribner's in 1937 and switch to [[Harper and Row]] under the editorship of [[Edward Aswell]]. | ||
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| + | Soon after, on a trip to the [[Western U.S.|West]], Wolfe came down with [[pneumonia]]. Complications continued from here forth, and in September of 1938 he was admitted to [[John Hopkins Hospital]] in [[Baltimore]], [[Maryland]]. There, Dr. Walter Dandy, the foremost brain surgeon in the country at that time, diagnosed Wolfe with [[tuberculosis]] of the brain. An attempt to operate on September 12th revealed that the entire right side of the patient's brain was overrun by the disease, and by this point it was too late for anything to be done. Three days later, on September 15th, 1938, never having regained consciousness, Thomas Wolfe died at the age of 37. He was interred at Riverside Cemetary in Asheville. | ||
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| + | Despite his disagreements with Perkins and Scribner's and Sons, Wolfe, on his deathbed, wrote a moving letter to his former editor. In the message, he acknowledged that Perkins had helped to realize his work and had made his labors possible. In closing he wrote, "Let's think of the day we walked over the Brooklyn Bridge together, and the book had been published, and the first reviews were coming in, and the world with all its glory and beauty lay before us, and we were happy. That's the way I think of you now. I've met the dark man, and I don't think I was too afraid of him. But I know I have to go and I wanted you to get this before that happened." | ||
| − | + | ==Legacy== | |
After his death, two further novels, ''The Web and the Rock'' and ''[[You Can't Go Home Again]]'' were published posthumously, editorially mined out of the ''October Fair'' manuscript by [[Edward Aswell]] of Harper and Row. He was buried in Asheville, NC beside another famous writer, [[O. Henry]]. | After his death, two further novels, ''The Web and the Rock'' and ''[[You Can't Go Home Again]]'' were published posthumously, editorially mined out of the ''October Fair'' manuscript by [[Edward Aswell]] of Harper and Row. He was buried in Asheville, NC beside another famous writer, [[O. Henry]]. | ||
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After Wolfe's death, [[William Faulkner]], considered by many to be the best writer of the [[Lost Generation]]-era, said that Wolfe was his generation's best writer; Faulkner listed himself as second. Wolfe's influence extends to the writings of famous Beat writer [[Jack Kerouac]], and he remains one of the most important writers in modern American literature. | After Wolfe's death, [[William Faulkner]], considered by many to be the best writer of the [[Lost Generation]]-era, said that Wolfe was his generation's best writer; Faulkner listed himself as second. Wolfe's influence extends to the writings of famous Beat writer [[Jack Kerouac]], and he remains one of the most important writers in modern American literature. | ||
| − | + | All of Wolfe's manuscripts are housed at Houghton Library, Harvard University. Wolfe scholars continue to use these manuscripts to produce such works as the complete edition of The Party at Jack's, published in 1995. | |
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==Bibliography== | ==Bibliography== | ||
Revision as of 00:03, 24 July 2007
Thomas Clayton Wolfe (October 3, 1900 – September 15, 1938) was a 20th century American novelist and short story writer. He is known for his autobiographical fiction written in highly original, impressionistic prose. His books, written during the Great Depression, depict the variety and diversity of American culture.
Considered one of the greatest writers of the century, his opulent language and unique literary style expanded the imaginations of a plethora of readers worldwide through his novels, essays, and short stories.
Biography
Wolfe was born in Asheville, North Carolina, a middle class mountain resort town, to a large family headed by Julia E. Wolfe, a succesful real estate speculator, and William Oliver Wolfe, a tombstone maker. Wolfe was the youngest of eight children, of whom only six survived into adulthood. During his childhood, the family member he felt closest to was his brother, Benjamin. Later in his work, Thomas would often portray members of his family with great spirit and good-humored satire.
From the age of elevan, Wolfe attended a local private school from which he would graduate shortly before he turned 16. Next, he would go on to attend the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he joined the Pi Kappa Phi fraternity and became editor of the school's newspaper. At Chapel Hill, Thomas developed an ambition for the theatre through his work with the UNC Dialectic Society as well as the Carolina Playmakers.
When Wolfe graduated, at age twenty, he went to Harvard to study playwrighting under Professor George Pierce Baker in his renowned 47 Workshop. He received his Master of Arts Degree in Literature in two years, but stayed one year extra to further hone his skills as a playwright. Wolfe would later satirize the pretentiousness of Harvard life, and the 47 Workshop in particular, in his piece, "Of Time and the River."
Though Wolfe did not lack in talents, ultimately his personal style and temperament were not well suited to the theater, and he was unable to get his plays produced after graduating from Harvard. He then took work as an Eglish instructor at New York University in 1924. He would teach here off and on until 1930, initially departing from the school after his first year there to work on his personal writing overseas in Europe. On his return voyage in 1925, he met the married Aline Bernstein, a succesful set and costume designer in the New York theater,, who was twenty years his senior. Thus began their turbulent affair which would last the next five years.
In June of 1926, Mrs. Bernstein and Wolfe vacationed in England, where Thomas began to writer what would become his breakthrough work, the novel: "Look Homeward, Angel." It would be another three years (October, 1929) before the book was completed and published by Scribner's, carrying a dedication to Mrs. Bernstein for her artistic, emotional, and financial support. "Look Homeward, Angel" was the start of Wolfe's relationship with Scribner's big shot Maxwell Perkins, who was the most prominent book editor of the time. Perkins had also worked with Ernest Hemmingway and F. Scoot Fitzgerald and saw in Wolfe an equal potential.
Around this time, Thomas' affair with Aline Bernstein had reached a breaking point. In March of 1930 the author was awarded a Guggenheim fellowship that allowed him to travel to Europe and stay there for the next year, and provided the opportunity to finally end his relationship with Mrs. Bernstein. When he returned to New York in February of 1931, he rented an apartment in Brooklyn and worked to complete his second book.
Initially, Wolfe had been grateful for the extreme editing conditions he worked under with Perkins, who had become almost like a father to him. However, with his second offering, the multi-volum epic originally titled "The October Fair", Wolfe became disgruntled. Perkins cut the piece down dramatically to create a single, best-seller-sized volume, which would be called "Of Time and the River." The young author would stick out at Scribner's for two more of his publications, "From Death to Morning" (1935) and "The Story of a Novel" (1936). But the painful editing process, which began to take its toll on Wolfe with "Of Time and River", and his own fears that he was becoming too dependent on Perkins, caused him to abandon his relationship with Scribner's in 1937 and switch to Harper and Row under the editorship of Edward Aswell.
Soon after, on a trip to the West, Wolfe came down with pneumonia. Complications continued from here forth, and in September of 1938 he was admitted to John Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland. There, Dr. Walter Dandy, the foremost brain surgeon in the country at that time, diagnosed Wolfe with tuberculosis of the brain. An attempt to operate on September 12th revealed that the entire right side of the patient's brain was overrun by the disease, and by this point it was too late for anything to be done. Three days later, on September 15th, 1938, never having regained consciousness, Thomas Wolfe died at the age of 37. He was interred at Riverside Cemetary in Asheville.
Despite his disagreements with Perkins and Scribner's and Sons, Wolfe, on his deathbed, wrote a moving letter to his former editor. In the message, he acknowledged that Perkins had helped to realize his work and had made his labors possible. In closing he wrote, "Let's think of the day we walked over the Brooklyn Bridge together, and the book had been published, and the first reviews were coming in, and the world with all its glory and beauty lay before us, and we were happy. That's the way I think of you now. I've met the dark man, and I don't think I was too afraid of him. But I know I have to go and I wanted you to get this before that happened."
Legacy
After his death, two further novels, The Web and the Rock and You Can't Go Home Again were published posthumously, editorially mined out of the October Fair manuscript by Edward Aswell of Harper and Row. He was buried in Asheville, NC beside another famous writer, O. Henry.
Recently, O Lost, the original "author's cut" of Look Homeward, Angel, has been reconstructed by Matthew Bruccoli and published. Unfortunately, the October Fair manuscript was so scattered among editors during their various operations upon it, that it cannot be reconstructed, and readers will never know what Wolfe intended for that immense work.
After Wolfe's death, William Faulkner, considered by many to be the best writer of the Lost Generation-era, said that Wolfe was his generation's best writer; Faulkner listed himself as second. Wolfe's influence extends to the writings of famous Beat writer Jack Kerouac, and he remains one of the most important writers in modern American literature.
All of Wolfe's manuscripts are housed at Houghton Library, Harvard University. Wolfe scholars continue to use these manuscripts to produce such works as the complete edition of The Party at Jack's, published in 1995.
Bibliography
- Look Homeward, Angel (1929)
- Of Time and the River (1935)
- From Death to Morning (1935)
- The Story of a Novel (1936)
- The Web and the Rock (1939)
- You Can't Go Home Again (1940)
- The Hills Beyond (1941)
- A Western Journal: A Daily Log of the Great Parks Trip, June 20-July 2, 1938 (1951)
- Letters (1956)
- The Mountains: A Play in One Act; The Mountains: A Drama in Three Acts and a Prologue (1970)
- Welcome to our City: A Play in Ten Scenes (1983)
- Mannerhouse: A Play in a Prologue and Four Acts (1985)
- The Collected Stories (Francis E. Skipp, ed.) (1987)
External links
- "Home Page", The Thomas Wolfe Website, Retrieved July 15, 2007.
- "Home Page", Thomas Wolfe Memorial, Retrieved July 15, 2007.
- "The Thomas Wolfe Collection", UNC University Libraries, Retrieved July 15, 2007.
- "Audio Interview with Duane Schneider about Thomas Wolfe", Wired for Books, Retrieved July 15, 2007.
- "Thomas Wolfe's Gravesite", Find A Grave, Retrieved July 15, 2007.
- "Home Page", The Original Thomas Wolfe Website, Retrieved July 15, 2007.
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