William Faulkner

format_quote All of us failed to match our dreams of perfection. So I rate us on the basis of our splendid failure to do the impossible.

stars  Pictured on a 22¢ US commemorative postage stamp in the Literary Arts series, issued 3 August 1987.

stars  A short story by Faulkner, "Two Soldiers", which was originally published in The Saturday Evening Post (1942), was made into a short film directed by Aaron Schneider. The film went on to win a 2004 Oscar for Best Short Film, (Live Action). It is a poignant tale of brotherhood and the sacrifices of family ties American Soldiers must make for war.

stars  A legendary, but possibly apocryphal, story about Faulkner relates how, after he had been hired by 20th Century-Fox as a screenwriter, he had been sitting around the Fox writers building for a few weeks without having done anything. A producer who had seen him wandering around the building asked what he was doing, and Faulkner replied that he had nothing to do. The producer asked if he had any ideas for a story. Faulkner replied that he had, but he would be better able to write it at home rather than in the Writers Building. The producer told him it was OK to go home, assuming that Faulkner meant the home in Hollywood that the studio was renting for him. A few days later the producer got a call from Faulkner, who had indeed gone home--to Oxford, Mississippi.

stars  While working in Hollywood, was friends with screenwriter A.I. Bezzerides and actor Humphrey Bogart.

stars  Frequently worked with Howard Hawks.