Background
William Humphrey was born on June 18, 1924, in Clarksville, Texas, United States. He was a son of Clarence Humphrey, an owner of the auto repair shop, and Nell Humphrey (maiden name Varley).
Dallas, Texas 75205, United States
Dallas Hall of the Southern Methodist University where William Humphrey did his studies briefly.
Austin, Texas 78712, United States
The University of Texas at Austin campus which William Humphrey attended.
(A masterful blend of comedy, tragedy, and history, the bo...)
A masterful blend of comedy, tragedy, and history, the book is great American fiction in the tradition of William Faulkner and Mark Twain
https://www.amazon.com/Ordways-Novel-William-Humphrey-ebook/dp/B00RWJPQH4/?tag=2022091-20
1965
(William Humphrey’s acclaimed memoir is a richly detailed ...)
William Humphrey’s acclaimed memoir is a richly detailed portrait of small-town Texas and a poignant account of the tragedy that shaped the author’s life
https://www.amazon.com/Farther-Off-Heaven-William-Humphrey-ebook/dp/B00RWJPQHE/?tag=2022091-20
1977
(A Scottish-Cherokee boy accompanies his grandparents on t...)
A Scottish-Cherokee boy accompanies his grandparents on the Trail of Tears in this 'superb' novel by the New York Times bestselling author of 'The Ordways'
https://www.amazon.com/No-Resting-Place-William-Humphrey-ebook/dp/B00RWJPQ5Q/?tag=2022091-20
1989
(A masterful collection of bittersweet tales about the aut...)
A masterful collection of bittersweet tales about the autumn of life from one of America’s most acclaimed authors
https://www.amazon.com/September-Song-Stories-William-Humphrey-ebook/dp/B00RWJPPZM/?tag=2022091-20
1992
educator novelist writer author
William Humphrey was born on June 18, 1924, in Clarksville, Texas, United States. He was a son of Clarence Humphrey, an owner of the auto repair shop, and Nell Humphrey (maiden name Varley).
William Humphrey was raised in a poor family. His parents didn't have enough money to pay the rent and were obliged to move from house to house.
A youngster, Humphrey enjoyed writing and dreaming about to become famous for his literary achievements.
At the age of thirteen, he had moved with his mother from Clarksville to Dallas after the death of his father searching for job opportunities. Humphrey studied at Southern Methodist University and at the University of Texas (most likely at the Austin campus) but never received his diploma.
The start of William Humphrey’s career can be counted from his relocation to New York City about 1945 where he settled down in the upstate area. The play ‘Ambassador Ben’ he brought with him with an intention to become a dramatist was never performed and published. So, he had to work at various jobs to support himself, including a stint as a goat herder on the farm of Donald Peterson who produced and directed The Ave Maria Hour on WMCA radio.
However, Humphrey didn’t drop his dream and applied his talent writing stories for magazines such as Sewanee Review and the New Yorker. Soon, he relocated to Brewster, New York. In 1949, he joined the staff of Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York as a teacher.
His first book, a collection of stories titled ‘The Last Husband and Other Stories’ was published in 1953. Five years later he issued ‘Home From the Hill’, a work that established him as a novelist and earned him critical acclaim. The publication provided the author with enough money, so he left teaching and devoted himself to writing full-time.
William Humphrey followed with ‘The Ordways’, ‘A Time and a Place: Stories’, ‘The Spawning Run: A Fable’, ‘Proud Flesh’, and ‘Ah, Wilderness: The Frontier in American Literature’. He also issued several books of memoirs, 1977’s ‘Farther Off From Heaven’ and 1978’s ‘My Moby Dick’. His other works included ‘Hostages of Fortune’, ‘The Collected Stories of William Humphrey’, ‘No Resting Place’, ‘September Song’, and ‘Open Season: Sporting Adventures’.
(A Scottish-Cherokee boy accompanies his grandparents on t...)
1989(William Humphrey’s acclaimed memoir is a richly detailed ...)
1977(A masterful blend of comedy, tragedy, and history, the bo...)
1965(A masterful collection of bittersweet tales about the aut...)
1992(One of William Humphrey’s finest and unforgettable storie...)
1973(A father bravely confronts an unthinkable tragedy in Will...)
1984(A charming and erudite account of what happens when the f...)
1978(The mesmerizing saga of a Texas family torn apart by pass...)
1958(The essential anthology of early short fiction by an Amer...)
1986Quotations: "I am a destroyer of myths. My whole work has shown the danger and falseness of myths ... [especially] the myth of the South."
Quotes from others about the person
"Minor, but interesting and admirable. It has been a long time since Humphrey has enjoyed a commercial success, but he has dedicated his life to his writing with a fidelity all too rare in a culture that encourages facile success and empty honor."
William Humphrey married a talented painter Dorothy Feinman Cantine in 1949. She had a daughter named Antonia from a previous marriage.