Larry Brown (writer)

Larry Brown
Screenshot from The Rough South of Larry Brown (2002)
Screenshot from The Rough South of Larry Brown (2002)
BornWilliam Larry Brown[1]
(1951-07-09)July 9, 1951
Oxford, Mississippi, U.S.
DiedNovember 24, 2004(2004-11-24) (aged 53)
Tula, Mississippi, U.S.[1]
OccupationWriter
Period1984–2004
Genrenovel, short story, essay
SubjectSouthern literature
Literary movementGrit Lit
Notable works

William Larry Brown (July 9, 1951 – November 24, 2004) was an American novelist, non-fiction, and short story writer. He received numerous awards during his lifetime, including the Mississippi Institute of Arts and Letters award for fiction, the Lila Wallace-Reader's Digest Award, and Mississippi's Governor's Award For Excellence in the Arts. Brown was also the first two-time winner of the Southern Book Award for Fiction.[2][3]

His notable works include Dirty Work, Joe, Father and Son, and Big Bad Love. The last of these was adapted for a 2001 film of the same name, starring Debra Winger and Arliss Howard. In 2013 a film adaptation of Joe was released, featuring Nicolas Cage.[4]

Independent filmmaker Gary Hawkins, who wrote the screenplay for Joe, has directed an award-winning documentary of Brown's life and work in The Rough South of Larry Brown (2002).[5]

  1. ^ a b Watson, Jay (July 10, 2017). "Brown, Larry". Mississippi Encyclopedia. Retrieved October 26, 2023.
  2. ^ "The Backlist: Revisiting Larry Brown's "Father and Son" with Ace Atkins". CrimeReads. February 2, 2023.
  3. ^ "Larry Brown". January 9, 2023.
  4. ^ Minzesheimer, Bob (November 29, 2004). "Remembering Larry Brown". Usatoday.Com. Retrieved August 23, 2011.
  5. ^ Michelle (May 8, 2009). "Oxford Film Festival: The Rough South of Larry Brown". Oxfordfilmfest.blogspot.com. Retrieved August 28, 2011.