Jesse Hill Ford
Image
Brief Biography
Jesse Hill Ford was born in Troy, Alabama, but spent time in Jasper, Alabama, and Nashville, Tennessee during his childhood. After graduating from Vanderbilt University in 1951, Ford entered the United States Navy. Ford returned to higher education afterwards, obtaining his master’s degree from the University of Florida in 1955. After briefly working in public relations, Ford moved to Humbolt, Tennessee, and began writing full-time. Ford sold his first short story to Atlanta Monthly in 1959 and published his first novel in 1961. In 1965, Ford published the novel The Liberation of Lord Byron Jones, which is about the murder of a local man. He continued writing short stories and novels. After The Liberation of Lord Byron Jones was adapted into a movie in 1970, Ford and his family experienced vandalism and harassment. Late in 1970, Ford shot and killed a Black man that was trespassing on his property. Ford was acquitted of murder charges, but his life and career were damaged. He continued writing editorials and screenplays before committing suicide in 1996.
Publications
Mountains of Gilead. Boston; Little, Brown, 1961.
The Conversion of Buster Drumwright. Nashville; Vanderbilt University Press, 1964.
Fishes, Birds and Sons of Men. Boston; Little, Brown, 1967.
The Feast of St. Barnabas. Boston; Little, Brown, 1969.
The Jail. New York; Glen Ober Associates, 1970.
The Raider. Boston; Little, Brown, 1975.
Mr. Potter and His Bank: The Life of Edward Potter, Jr. Nashville, Tenn.; Commerce Union Bank, 1977.
The Liberation of Lord Byron Jones. Boston; Little, Brown, 1965; rpt. Athens; University of Georgia Press, 1993.
The Conversion of Buster Drumwright. Nashville; Vanderbilt University Press, 1964.
Fishes, Birds and Sons of Men. Boston; Little, Brown, 1967.
The Feast of St. Barnabas. Boston; Little, Brown, 1969.
The Jail. New York; Glen Ober Associates, 1970.
The Raider. Boston; Little, Brown, 1975.
Mr. Potter and His Bank: The Life of Edward Potter, Jr. Nashville, Tenn.; Commerce Union Bank, 1977.
The Liberation of Lord Byron Jones. Boston; Little, Brown, 1965; rpt. Athens; University of Georgia Press, 1993.
Themes
Jesse Hill Ford wrote short stories, novels, and screenplays that were frequently set in the South. Themes in his works include race, violence, and honor.
Publisher
Alabama Authors of the 19th and 20th Centuries, edited by Beverley Park Rilett, http://AlabamaAuthors.org
Collection
Citation
Ford, Jesse Hill, “Jesse Hill Ford,” Alabama Authors of the 19th & 20th Centuries, accessed September 19, 2024, https://alabamaauthors.org/items/show/579.