Julian Lee Rayford

Image

Julian_Lee_Rayford.jpg

Brief Biography

Julian Lee Rayford was a native of Mobile, Alabama. He demonstrated artistic aptitude from an early age and devoted his life to artistic pursuits like creating sculptures and writing. Throughout his career, he engaged in diverse experiences, including studying at Duke University, apprenticing with the renowned sculptor Gutzon Borglum, and contributing to the war effort during World War II. Over the years, Rayford published collections of poetry and folklore, novels, and nonfiction books while working as a sculptor and reporter. He also played an active role in preserving and promoting Mobile's cultural heritage and created the Farragut-Buchanan sculpture located in Bienville Square. He died of cancer in 1980.

Publications

Ancient Doorways. New York; Teufelsdrockh Press, 1932.

The First Christmas Dinner. Alabama; Rapier House, 1947.

Child of the Snapping Turtle: Mike Fink. New York; Abelard Press, 1951.

Chasin' the Devil Round a Stump. Mobile; American Publishing Company, 1962.

Cottonmouth. New York; Scribner, 1941; Rpt. Alabama; University of Alabama Press, 1991.

Themes

Julian Lee Rayford wrote nonfiction, poetry, and novels. Themes in his works include Mobile, war, boyhood, and history.

Publisher

Alabama Authors of the 19th and 20th Centuries, edited by Beverley Park Rilett, http://AlabamaAuthors.org

Citation

Rayford, Julian Lee, “Julian Lee Rayford,” Alabama Authors of the 19th & 20th Centuries, accessed September 19, 2024, https://alabamaauthors.org/items/show/646.