O. Henry Award
1 appearances
-
Edition 18 (1936) Winner
James Gould Cozzens
ジェームズ・グールド・コッツェンズ
James Gould Cozzens
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1903-08-19 （Chicago, Illinois, U.S.）
- Died
- 1978-08-09 （Stuart, Florida, U.S.） age 74
- Nationality
- United States
- Languages
- English
- Religion
- Episcopalian
- Residence History
- Staten Island (grew up) → Lambertville, New Jersey (long-term residence) → Williamstown, Massachusetts (from 1958) → Rio / Stuart, Martin County, Florida (later life)
Career
- Occupations
- Writer, Novelist
- Active Years
- 1924-1968
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kent School | — | — | — | 1916–1922 | United States |
| Harvard University | — | — | — | 1922–1924（中退） | United States |
Kent School
Period:
1916–1922
Year of Graduation:
1922
Country:
United States
Harvard University
Period:
1922–1924（中退）
Country:
United States
Withdrew after a few months due to illness and debts
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1949 | Pulitzer Prize (Fiction) | Guard of Honor | — | Pulitzer Prize Board | 受賞 |
| 1957 | Pulitzer Prize (Fiction) | By Love Possessed | — | Pulitzer Prize Board | ノミネート |
| 1931 | Scribner's Prize | S.S. San Pedro | — | Scribner's | 受賞 |
| 1931 | O. Henry Award | A Farewell to Cuba | — | O. Henry Award Committee | 受賞 |
| 1936 | O. Henry Award | Total Stranger | — | O. Henry Award Committee | 受賞 |
| 1960 | William Dean Howells Medal | By Love Possessed | — | American literary organizations (award) | 受賞 |
| 1958 | National Book Award (Finalist) | By Love Possessed | — | National Book Award | 最終候補 |
Pulitzer Prize (Fiction)
1949
Work:
Guard of Honor
Organization:
Pulitzer Prize Board
Result:
受賞
Pulitzer Prize (Fiction)
1957
Work:
By Love Possessed
Organization:
Pulitzer Prize Board
Result:
ノミネート
Scribner's Prize
1931
Work:
S.S. San Pedro
Organization:
Scribner's
Result:
受賞
O. Henry Award
1931
Work:
A Farewell to Cuba
Organization:
O. Henry Award Committee
Result:
受賞
O. Henry Award
1936
Work:
Total Stranger
Organization:
O. Henry Award Committee
Result:
受賞
William Dean Howells Medal
1960
Work:
By Love Possessed
Organization:
American literary organizations (award)
Result:
受賞
National Book Award (Finalist)
1958
Work:
By Love Possessed
Organization:
National Book Award
Result:
最終候補
Awards & Nominations
Pulitzer Prize for Fiction
1 appearances
-
Edition 1 (1949) Winner
Works
Major Works
Guard of Honor
1948 Realism / War novelA multi-character novel set during World War II exploring military life, race issues, and duty; informed by Cozzens's Air Forces experience.
dutyracial sensitivitiesmilitary bureaucracy
By Love Possessed
1957 Realism / Social novelA novel about middle-class professional characters confronting love, duty, and ethical compromises; a bestseller that provoked controversy.
professional ethicsmoral conflictmiddle class life
Adaptations
- [Film (loosely adapted)] By Love Possessed (film) (1961)
The Just and the Unjust
1942 RealismFocusing on legal professionals, the novel compresses questions of law and ethics into a brief time span.
law and ethicsprofessional conflict
Morning, Noon, and Night
1968 RealismCozzens's late novel, criticized for difficult prose and unengaging protagonist; it sold poorly.
stylistic experimentationchallenging character portrayal
Bibliography
- Confusion (1924)
- Michael Scarlett (1925)
- Cock Pit (1928)
- The Son of Perdition (1929)
- S.S. San Pedro (1931)
- The Last Adam (1933)
- Castaway (1934)
- Men and Brethren (1936)
- Ask Me Tomorrow (1940)
- The Just and the Unjust (1942)
- Guard of Honor (1948)
- By Love Possessed (1957)
- Children and Others (short stories, 1964)
- Morning, Noon, and Night (1968)
Adaptations
- By Love Possessed (1961 film, loosely adapted)
- Castaway (Sam Peckinpah screenplay project, unproduced/optioned at times)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- philosophical, meticulously crafted proseobjective, clinical tone with subtle dry humoruse of archaic or uncommon vocabulary
- Recurring Motifs
- conflict between duty and personal feelingprofessional ethicsmiddle-class life and values
Health
-
spinal cancer and pneumonia (complications)1978（晩年）Health deteriorated rapidly in 1978 and contributed to his death.
Legacy
He enjoyed both popular and critical success through the mid-20th century, but his reputation suffered after controversies in 1957; recent decades have seen efforts by critics and scholars to reassess his work.
Academic Societies
- Harvard Board of Overseers Visiting Committee for the English Department
Archives
- Princeton University Library Special Collections (James Gould Cozzens Papers)
In Popular Culture
- Intermittent interest in film adaptations (By Love Possessed 1961; screenplay projects such as Sam Peckinpah's Castaway)
Quotes
-
I have no theme except that people get a very raw deal from life.
Source: Writings / interviews (specific source unclear)
Trivia
- After the publication of By Love Possessed (1957) and a controversial interview, he faced intense backlash that damaged his reputation.
- He publicly stated he would refuse a Nobel Prize if it were offered.
- He was married to literary agent Sylvia (Bernice) Baumgarten; the couple had no children.
- Posthumous reassessments and occasional interest in adaptation projects (including an unproduced Sam Peckinpah screenplay) have kept attention on his work.