Fun Facts Friday: John Hawkes

John Hawkes (17 August, 1925 – 15 May, 1998) and an American novelist. He is known for his novels The Lime Twig (1961) and The Beetle Leg (1951) among others.

Books by John Hawkes*

1. Mr. Hawkes was born in Stamford, CT. He raised in New York City and in Juneau, AK.
2. During World War II, Mr. Hawkes left Harvard University to drive an ambulance for the American Field Service in Italy and Germany from 1944 – 1945.
3. After his service, Mr. Hawkes went back to Harvard and graduated in 1949
4. At age 22 the author married Sophie Tazewell and “began life” as he often said.
5. The Beetle Leg (1951), a surrealistic Western, is considered to be one of the landmark novels of 20th-century American literature.
6. Hawkes took his inspiration from the Russian author Vladimir Nabokov.
7. Most of his career, Mr. Hawkes taught English and create writing both at Harvard and Brown University.
8. Honors Mr. Hawkes received included a $35,000 Lannan Foundation award, Ford Foundation and Guggenheim fellowships and grants from the National Institute of Arts and Letters and the Rockefeller Foundation. He was also a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters.
9. A film of his story The Blood Oranges was made, but never released.
10. Mr. Hawkes passed away in Providence, RI from a stroke he had during heart bypass surgery.

Books by John Hawkes*

Zohar — Man of la Book
*Ama­zon links point to an affil­i­ate account

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