Walker Percy
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Brief Biography
Walker Percy was a native of Birmingham, Alabama. Despite initially pursuing a career in medicine, Percy's battle with tuberculosis led him to explore his interests in literature and philosophy. Settling in Covington, Louisiana, he wrote essays on philosophy and semiotics, but it was his first published novel, The Moviegoer, set in New Orleans, that garnered critical acclaim and won the National Book Award in 1962. Percy continued to write and publish novels and nonfiction, receiving accolades such as the T. S. Eliot Award for Creative Writing in 1988. His literary contributions earned him membership in esteemed institutions like the National Institute of Arts and Letters before his death in 1990.
Publications
The Moviegoer. New York; Knopf, 1961.
The Last Gentleman. New York; Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1966.
Love in the Ruins. New York; Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1971.
The Message in the Bottle. New York; Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1975.
Lancelot. New York; Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1977.
Bourbon. Winston-Salem, N.C.; Palaemon Press, 1979.
Questions They Never Asked Me. Northridge, Calif.; Lord John Press, 1979.
The Second Coming. New York; Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1980.
Lost in the Cosmos; the Last Self-help Book. New York; Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1983.
Diagnosing the Northern Malaise. New Orleans, La.; Forest Pub., 1985.
The State of the Novel; Dying Art or New Science. New Orleans, La.; Faust, 1987.
The Thanatos Syndrome. New York; Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1987.
Signposts in a Savage Land. New York; Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1991.
The Last Gentleman. New York; Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1966.
Love in the Ruins. New York; Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1971.
The Message in the Bottle. New York; Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1975.
Lancelot. New York; Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1977.
Bourbon. Winston-Salem, N.C.; Palaemon Press, 1979.
Questions They Never Asked Me. Northridge, Calif.; Lord John Press, 1979.
The Second Coming. New York; Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1980.
Lost in the Cosmos; the Last Self-help Book. New York; Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1983.
Diagnosing the Northern Malaise. New Orleans, La.; Forest Pub., 1985.
The State of the Novel; Dying Art or New Science. New Orleans, La.; Faust, 1987.
The Thanatos Syndrome. New York; Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1987.
Signposts in a Savage Land. New York; Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1991.
Themes
Walker Percy wrote nonfiction and novels. All of his novels are set in the South. His works are heavily influenced by his philosophical and religious beliefs and portray people in the disordered 20th century.
Publisher
Alabama Authors of the 19th and 20th Centuries, edited by Beverley Park Rilett, http://AlabamaAuthors.org
Collection
Citation
Percy, Walker, “Walker Percy,” Alabama Authors of the 19th & 20th Centuries, accessed September 19, 2024, https://alabamaauthors.org/items/show/644.