Paul Hemphill
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Brief Biography
Paul Hemphill was a native of Birmingham, Alabama. Initially aspiring to become a professional baseball player, he later discovered his talent for writing during his time at Alabama Polytechnic Institute (now Auburn University). He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in 1959 and pursued a career in journalism, working for a variety newspapers and magazines over his lifetime, such as The Atlanta Journal. He won a Neiman fellowship in 1968 and spent a year at Harvard, where he began writing a book about country music. That book, The Nashville Sound, was published in 1970. Hemphill continued authoring fiction and nonfiction books, including his notable baseball novel, Long Gone. Hemphill's memoir, Leaving Birmingham, reflects on his personal experiences. He continued writing until his death in 2009.
Publications
The Nashville Sound: Bright Lights and Country Music. New York; Simon & Schuster, 1970.
The Good Old Boys. New York; Simon & Schuster, 1974.
Long Gone: a Novel. New York; Viking Press, 1979.
Too Old to Cry. New York; Viking, 1981.
The Sixkiller Chronicles. New York; Macmillan, 1985.
Lovesick Blues: The Life of Hank Williams. New York; Macmillan, 1986.
Me and the Boy. New York; Macmillan, 1986.
King of the Road. Boston; Houghton Mifflin Co., 1989.
Leaving Birmingham: Notes of a Native Son. New York; Viking, 1993.
The Heart of the Game: The Education of a Minor League Ballplayer. New York; Simon & Schuster, 1996.
Wheels: A Season on NASCAR Winston Cup Circuit. New York; Simon & Schuster, 1997.
The Ballad of Little River: A Tale of Race and Restless Youth in the Rural South. New York; Free Press, 2000.
Nobody's Hero. Montgomery, Ala.; River City Press, 2002.
Lost in the Lights: Sports, Dreams, and Life. Tuscaloosa; University Alabama Press, 2003.
A Tiger Walk through History: The Complete Story of Auburn Football from 1892 to the Tuberville Era. Pebble Hill Books, 2008.
Joint Publications:
Mayor: Notes on the Sixties. New York; Simon & Schuster, 1971.
Climbing Jacob's Ladder: A Trial Lawyer's Journey on Behalf of 'the Least of These'. Montgomery; NewSouth Books, 2002.
The Good Old Boys. New York; Simon & Schuster, 1974.
Long Gone: a Novel. New York; Viking Press, 1979.
Too Old to Cry. New York; Viking, 1981.
The Sixkiller Chronicles. New York; Macmillan, 1985.
Lovesick Blues: The Life of Hank Williams. New York; Macmillan, 1986.
Me and the Boy. New York; Macmillan, 1986.
King of the Road. Boston; Houghton Mifflin Co., 1989.
Leaving Birmingham: Notes of a Native Son. New York; Viking, 1993.
The Heart of the Game: The Education of a Minor League Ballplayer. New York; Simon & Schuster, 1996.
Wheels: A Season on NASCAR Winston Cup Circuit. New York; Simon & Schuster, 1997.
The Ballad of Little River: A Tale of Race and Restless Youth in the Rural South. New York; Free Press, 2000.
Nobody's Hero. Montgomery, Ala.; River City Press, 2002.
Lost in the Lights: Sports, Dreams, and Life. Tuscaloosa; University Alabama Press, 2003.
A Tiger Walk through History: The Complete Story of Auburn Football from 1892 to the Tuberville Era. Pebble Hill Books, 2008.
Joint Publications:
Mayor: Notes on the Sixties. New York; Simon & Schuster, 1971.
Climbing Jacob's Ladder: A Trial Lawyer's Journey on Behalf of 'the Least of These'. Montgomery; NewSouth Books, 2002.
Themes
Paul Hemphill wrote fiction and nonfiction on a wide range of topics, including the South, sports, country music, and his personal life. His work was often blunt in its observations about the subject.
Publisher
Alabama Authors of the 19th and 20th Centuries, edited by Beverley Park Rilett, http://AlabamaAuthors.org
Collection
Citation
Hemphill, Paul, “Paul Hemphill,” Alabama Authors of the 19th & 20th Centuries, accessed September 19, 2024, https://alabamaauthors.org/items/show/603.