John Dos Passos Prize
1 appearances
-
Edition 9 (1988) Winner
Shelby Foote
シェルビー・フート
Shelby Foote
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1916-11-17 （Greenville, Mississippi, U.S.）
- Died
- 2005-06-27 （Memphis, Tennessee, U.S.） age 88
- Nationality
- American
- Languages
- English
- Religion
- Episcopal Church
- Residence History
- Greenville, Mississippi → Memphis, Tennessee → Jackson, Mississippi → Vicksburg, Mississippi
Career
- Occupations
- Novelist, Historian, Journalist, Writer
- Active Years
- 1946-2005
- Affiliations
- Fellowship of Southern Writers, American Academy of Arts and Letters, Modern Library (editorial board), Naval Academy Advisory Board
- Memberships
- Fellowship of Southern Writers, American Academy of Arts and Letters
- Influenced By
- Tacitus, Thucydides, Edward Gibbon, Marcel Proust, Walker Percy (friend and influence)
- Influenced
- Ken Burns (documentarian; collaborator/featured commentator), Public memory and popular military-historians
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | — | — | — | 1935–1937 | United States |
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Period:
1935–1937
Country:
United States
Contributed to Carolina Magazine; admission gained via entrance tests.
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1955 | Guggenheim Fellowship | — | — | John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation | 受給 |
| 1992 | St. Louis Literary Award | — | — | Saint Louis University Library Associates | 受賞 |
| 1999 | Golden Plate Award | — | — | American Academy of Achievement | 受賞 |
| 1999 | Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters | — | — | College of William & Mary | 授与 |
| 2003 | Peggy V. Helmerich Distinguished Author Award | — | — | Tulsa Library Trust | 受賞 |
| 1994 | Elected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters | — | — | American Academy of Arts and Letters | 選出 |
| 1992 | Honorary Doctorate | — | — | University of North Carolina | 授与 |
Guggenheim Fellowship
1955
Organization:
John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation
Result:
受給
St. Louis Literary Award
1992
Organization:
Saint Louis University Library Associates
Result:
受賞
Golden Plate Award
1999
Organization:
American Academy of Achievement
Result:
受賞
Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters
1999
Organization:
College of William & Mary
Result:
授与
Peggy V. Helmerich Distinguished Author Award
2003
Organization:
Tulsa Library Trust
Result:
受賞
Elected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters
1994
Organization:
American Academy of Arts and Letters
Result:
選出
Honorary Doctorate
1992
Organization:
University of North Carolina
Result:
授与
Awards & Nominations
St. Louis Literary Award
1 appearances
-
Edition 25 (1992) Winner
Peggy V. Helmerich Distinguished Author Award
1 appearances
-
Edition 19 (2003) Winner
Works
Major Works
Tournament
1949 Novel 240 pagesFoote's first novel, inspired by his planter grandfather; a family and regional story.
Southern societyFamilyMemory
Shiloh
1952 Historical novel 300 pagesA multi-perspective novel centered on the Battle of Shiloh, depicting soldiers' experiences and human drama.
WarIndividual perspectivesSouthern honor and contradictions
Jordan County: A Landscape in Narrative
1954 Novellas / Short stories 220 pagesA collection of novellas and short stories set in the fictional Jordan County, portraying Southern landscape and characters.
LocalityLandscapeCharacter study
The Civil War: A Narrative (3 volumes)
1958 Narrative history 3000 pagesA three-volume, roughly 3,000-page narrative history of the American Civil War, written in a novelistic style and influential with a broad readership.
Military historyBattle descriptionMemory and narrative
Adaptations
- [Audio (audiobook/readings)] The Civil War: A Narrative (audiobook / readings)
September, September
1978 Novel 280 pagesA novel set in Memphis about the kidnapping of a wealthy African American's son, exploring race and class tensions.
RaceClassSouthern society
Bibliography
- Tournament (1949)
- Follow Me Down (1950)
- Love in a Dry Season (1951)
- Shiloh (1952)
- Jordan County: A Landscape in Narrative (1954)
- The Civil War: A Narrative, Vol. 1–3 (1958, 1963, 1974)
- September, September (1978)
Adaptations
- Appearance as commentator in Ken Burns's documentary 'The Civil War' (1990)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- Novelistic narrative historyDetailed battlefield descriptionStory-driven, accessible prose
- Recurring Motifs
- Southern memory and nostalgiaHonor and martial valorLandscape and family
Health
-
Pulmonary embolism (and heart attack)2005Suffered a pulmonary embolism followed by a heart attack in 2005, which caused his death.
Legacy
Though he saw himself as a novelist, Foote became widely known for his three-volume 'The Civil War: A Narrative', bringing Civil War history to general readers with narrative flair. He is praised as a storyteller but criticized by academics for lack of citations and for perceived Lost Cause sympathies. His prominence rose after appearing in Ken Burns's documentary.
Academic Societies
- Fellowship of Southern Writers
- American Academy of Arts and Letters
Archives
- Shelby Foote Collection (Rhodes College, Memphis)
- Shelby Foote Papers (Southern Historical Collection, UNC-Chapel Hill)
- Shelby Foote Collection (University of Mississippi archives)
In Popular Culture
- Prominent appearance in Ken Burns's documentary 'The Civil War' (1990), boosting public recognition
- Reportedly inspired Daniel Craig's accent in the film 'Knives Out' (2019)
Quotes
-
The Civil War is central to all our lives.
Source: Ken Burns's 'The Civil War' (documentary/interview) (1990) -
No soldier on either side gave a damn about the slaves.
Source: Interviews / statements in his writings (paraphrase)
Trivia
- He wrote all his work by hand with a nib pen and later transcribed it into type.
- Interred in Elmwood Cemetery in Memphis, beside the family plot of General Forrest.
- Was court-martialed and dismissed from service during World War II era.
- Became widely known after appearing in Ken Burns's documentary.