These days, much-adored writers seem to enjoy the grind of publicity, embarking on endless interviews and fielding star-struck audiences. Tennessee-based author William Gay is not one of those. Despite having a few critically lauded books under his belt, one of which became a feature film starring Hal Holbrook, Gay seldom agrees to be photographed or filmed. We'd heard he lives in a cabin in secluded Hohenwald, Tennessee, and that he occasionally accepts visitors—so we couldn't resist stopping by to see for ourselves.
Needless to say, he let us in and even showed us around, and we discovered that his rustic homestead is charming in its straightforwardness—much like his stories. We learned about his tree house, his connection to Hohenwald, and how, one time, Bob Dylan managed to come between him and his girlfriend.
Here, have a rare glimpse into William Gay's world.
Producer / Director: Dave Anderson Photography
Editing and Postproduction: Jonathan Childs
Motion Graphics: TJ McCoy
Executive Producer: Warwick Sabin
SoLost is an Oxford American production.
(c) 2011 The Oxford American Literary Project
William Gay, the Hohenwald native who late in life earned a following as one of the most acclaimed Southern writers of recent years, was reportedly found dead last night from heart failure at his Lewis County home. He was 68.
A Vietnam veteran who served in the Navy, Gay had been writing since he was 15 years old, supporting himself with carpentry and drywall-hanging jobs as well as a stint on a television-tube assembly line. It wasn't until 1998, however, that he published his first short stories, followed by his prize-winning first novel, The Long Home, in 1999.
Its celebrated follow-up, Provinces of Night, made Gay's literary name as an heir to the tradition of Faulkner and Flannery O'Connor. Of his three published novels and collected short stories — with a fourth novel, The Lost Country (excerpted here at Chapter16.org), as yet unpublished — Gay's works were twice filmed.
Gay's hard-living reputation only enhanced his literary mystique. He traveled often, however, and was scheduled to do a reading Monday at Lincoln Memorial University with fellow writer Sonny Brewer.
More details will be posted as they become available. In the meantime, read Serenity Gerbman's remembrance at Chapter16.org.
