Noted writer Flannery O’Connor was born in Savannah in 1925 and lived there until she was 13 years old. Her family moved to Atlanta and then later to the small Georgia town of Milledgeville near Macon. She studied in Iowa and lived in New York and Connecticut, but returned to the family farm near Milledgeville when she was diagnosed with lupus in her mid 20’s. She lived in Milledgeville until her death at age 39, focusing on her writing and raising hens, ducks, geese, peacocks and other birds. She especially loved peacocks, and peacocks appear in several of her works.
Today Flannery O’Connor is considered one of America’s greatest fiction writers, best known for her short stories. She wrote two novels and 31 short stories, and her letters, lectures and commentaries have also been published. Her two best known short story collections are “A Good Man is Hard to Find” and “Everything that Rises Must Converge.” Although she is often grouped with other noted southern writers (such William Faulkner, Erskine Caldwell, and Katherine Anne Porter), O’Connor’s work was distinctly original, described as “Southern Gothic.” Her books and stories focused on Southern settings and characters, using humor and sometimes violence. A devout Roman Catholic, her religious beliefs also influenced her work. Several of her short stories as well as her novel Wise Blood have been made into films.
Flannery O’Connor’s childhood home on Lafayette Square in Savannah is now a museum dedicated to her life as well as a literary center for Savannah. The museum is currently closed for renovations, but will be re-opened this fall.
I was an undergraduate English and History major, and I remember reading Flannery O’Connor stories back then. I had no idea what an interesting woman she was. I’ll definitely be reading some Flannery O’Connor before our Gathering in Savannah.
Slow Travel Talk 
