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Roark Bradford

ロアーク・ブラッドフォード

Roark Bradford

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1896-08-21 （Lauderdale County, Tennessee）
Died
1948-11-13 （New Orleans, Louisiana） age 52
Nationality
United States
Languages
English
Residence History
Tennessee (childhood) → University of California, Berkeley (study) → New Orleans, Louisiana (residence/work) → French West Africa (stationed)

Career

Occupations
writer, novelist, short story writer, newspaper editor (night city editor), lecturer
Active Years
1920-1948
Affiliations
Times-Picayune (New Orleans), Tulane University, English Department (visiting lecturer), U.S. Naval Reserve (Bureau of Aeronautics Training)
Memberships
American Academy of Arts and Letters (member)
Influenced By
Southern folklore / African American folklore
Influenced
Marc Connelly (adapted work for the stage), Richard Bradford (son, novelist)

Education

University of California, Berkeley
Country: United States

Awards

O. Henry Award
1927
Organization: O. Henry Awards
Result: 受賞

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Ol' Man Adam an' His Chillun

1928 Short stories / folkloric fiction

A collection of short stories drawing on African American folk narratives, reworked from the perspective of a white author. Popular at publication but later criticized for stereotypical portrayals.

folklorerace and classreligious imagery
Adaptations
  • [stage] The Green Pastures / Marc Connelly (1930)

This Side of Jordan

1929 Novel / stories

Stories and short novels set against Southern society and faith, strongly featuring religious imagery and folkloric elements.

Southern lifefaithrace relations

John Henry

1931 Novel / folklore

Work based on the American folk figure John Henry. It was adapted for the stage and performed in New York.

legendlabor and heroismpopular culture
Adaptations
  • [stage] John Henry (1940)

How Come Christmas

1930 Children's stories / short fiction

A collection of stories and folkloric vignettes related to Christmas.

festivityfolklorefamily

Ol' King David an' the Philistine Boys

1930 Folkloric short fiction

Short stories blending Biblical motifs with folkloric narration.

biblical motifshumorfolklore

Kingdom Coming

1933 Short stories

Collection of short stories set in the American South.

the Southsocial depiction

Let the Band Play Dixie

1934 Short stories / regional fiction

Stories featuring Southern customs and music.

musicregionalismtradition

The Three-Headed Angel

1937 Novel

A narrative mixing religious and folkloric elements; detailed information is limited.

religionsymbolism

The Green Room

1949 Novel / posthumous

Published in 1949; a work released posthumously.

backstageliterary reflection

Bibliography

  • Ol' Man Adam an' His Chillun (1928)
  • This Side of Jordan (1929)
  • How Come Christmas (1930)
  • Ol' King David an' the Philistine Boys (1930)
  • John Henry (1931)
  • Kingdom Coming (1933)
  • Let the Band Play Dixie (1934)
  • The Three-Headed Angel (1937)
  • The Green Room (1949)

Adaptations

  • Stage adaptation of Ol' Man Adam an' His Chillun as 'The Green Pastures' (adapted by Marc Connelly; won Pulitzer Prize)
  • Stage adaptation of 'John Henry' (performed in New York, 1940)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
dialectal narrationSouthern regionalismfolkloric and allegorical expression
Recurring Motifs
African American folk and religious imagerymusic and rituallabor and legend (e.g., John Henry)

Health

  • Amoebiasis (amoebic dysentery)
    1943-1948
    Believed to have been contracted while stationed in French West Africa in 1943; complications led to his death in 1948.

Legacy

Popular during his lifetime, Bradford's work has been re-evaluated since the 1940s and more recently criticized for patronizing and demeaning portrayals of Black characters. Some of his works were successfully adapted for the stage.

Academic Societies

  • American Academy of Arts and Letters

Archives

  • Library of Congress holdings

In Popular Culture

  • The stage play 'The Green Pastures' won a Pulitzer Prize, bringing wider theatrical attention to Bradford's work.

Trivia

  • His cremated remains were scattered over the waters of the Mississippi River.
  • Served as a first lieutenant in the Coast Artillery during World War I.
  • Served in the U.S. Naval Reserve Bureau of Aeronautics Training during World War II.
  • His son, Richard Bradford, became a novelist.