William Faulkner

One of the great literary voices of the American South, Faulkner was born and raised in Mississipi, calling it home for most of his life. Although he excelled in elementary school, Faulkner’s educational performance fell off over the years and he never graduated from high school. He was largely raised by a black woman, Caroline Barr, and her influence can be seen in all his work. As a writer, he was largely unknown before winning the Nobel Prize, although he personally had no interest in prizes of any kind. Faulkner died of a heart attack in 1962.