Larry Brown (author)

Note: For other people of the same name, see Larry Brown (disambiguation).

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Larry Brown (July 9, 1951 - November 24, 2004) was an American writer who was born and lived in Oxford, Mississippi. Brown wrote non-fiction and fiction. He briefly attended the University of Mississippi, but did not graduate. Brown served in the United States Marine Corps from 1970 - 1972.

Related Topics:
July 9 - 1951 - November 24 - 2004 - American - Oxford, Mississippi - University of Mississippi - United States Marine Corps - 1970 - 1972

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An avid reader, in 1980 Brown began writing in his spare time while he worked as a fire-fighter in Oxford. His first published work was a short story which he sold to Easy Rider magazine. He received his first success with the publication of two collections of short stories: Facing the Music (1988) and Big Bad Love (1990). After 1990, Brown turned to writing full time and increasingly turned to the novel as his primary form. Brown's novels include Dirty Work (1989), Father and Son (1996), Joe (1991), Fay (2000), and The Rabbit Factory (2003).

Related Topics:
1980 - Easy Rider - Facing the Music - Big Bad Love - 1990 - Dirty Work - 1989 - Father and Son - Joe - Fay - 2000 - The Rabbit Factory

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Brown's non-fiction includes On Fire (1995), on the 17 years (1973-1990) he spent as a firefighter. Other non-fiction includes Billy Ray's Farm (2001).

Related Topics:
On Fire - Billy Ray's Farm

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Brown was the first two-time winner of the Southern Book Award for Fiction, which he won in 1992 for his novel, Joe, and again in 1997 for his novel Father and Son. In 1998, he was the recipient of a Lila Wallace-Readers Digest Award, which granted him $35,000 per year for three years to write. In 2000, the State of Mississippi granted him a Governor's Award For Excellence in the Arts.

Related Topics:
Southern Book Award for Fiction - 1992 - Joe - 1997 - 1998 - Lila Wallace-Readers Digest Award - 2000 - Mississippi

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Brown taught as a writer-in-residence in the creative writing program at the University of Mississippi, taking over the position held by his friend Barry Hannah. He has been compared to other southern writers, including Cormac McCarthy, William Faulkner, and Harry Crews. In interviews, Brown cites these along with Flannery O'Connor, Raymond Carver, and Charles Bukowski as influences.

Related Topics:
Creative writing - Barry Hannah - Cormac McCarthy - William Faulkner - Harry Crews - Flannery O'Connor - Raymond Carver - Charles Bukowski

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A film based on Big Bad Love was released in 2001. Independent filmmaker Gary Hawkins directed a documentary of Brown's life and works in The Rough South of Larry Brown (2002).

Related Topics:
2001 - Gary Hawkins

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Brown died of an apparent heart attack at his home in the Tula community, near Oxford. Brown was also a member of the Fellowship of Southern Writers, though he died before he was able to take his seat.

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