Forum / Too Soon

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  See ya

  Feb 27, 11:43pm

  William Gay died. Good lord.

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  Dolemite

  Feb 27, 11:50pm

  I read a long interview with him a while back but haven't read anything he's written.

  What would you recommend?

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  Robert Vaughan

  Feb 28, 12:35am

  His short stories are fantastic, a collection came out in the early 1990s, name is eluding me.

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  Robert Vaughan

  Feb 28, 12:37am

  Matt, I just found it! It's called I Hate to see the Evening Sun Go Down.

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  Dolemite

  Feb 28, 12:42am

  Good deal. Thanks, Robert.

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  Dolemite

  Feb 28, 01:03am

  (just ordered!)

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  Sam Rasnake

  Feb 28, 02:55am

  Great writer, major loss.

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  See ya

  Feb 28, 10:42am

  I Hate To See That Evening Sun Go Down was the exact right answer, the one I would have suggested as well for sure. One of the most powerful collections to come out of the South.

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  Dolemite

  Mar 04, 03:21pm

  My book hasn't arrived yet, but I just saw this:

  "Gay was born in Hohenwald, Tennessee in 1941. After high school, Gay joined the United States Navy and served during the Vietnam War. After returning to the States, he lived in both New York City and Chicago before returning to Lewis County, Tennessee, where he lived from 1978 until his death.

  Even though he has written since the age of fifteen, Gay DID NOT PUBLISH ANYTHING until 1998, when two of his short stories were accepted by literary magazines. Before then, Gay made his living as a carpenter, drywall-hanger and house painter."

  (my caps)

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  James Lloyd Davis

  Mar 04, 05:09pm

  William Gay was 57 years old when he first published. Up until that time, he was mostly a guy who worked construction, feeding his family, hiding out, biding time, living in the school that forges a profound depth of human understanding. You can't get that in an MFA program.

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  James Lloyd Davis

  Mar 04, 05:11pm

  Here is an excellent interview with Wm Gay:

  http://www.oxfordamerican.org/interviews/2009/nov/04/featured-writer-month/

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  Christopher Allen

  Mar 05, 02:39pm

  Thanks for posting this, Shel.

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  Dolemite

  Mar 05, 11:37pm

  Holy Schmokes!

  From JlD's interview link:

  "So I wrote a scene where he was waiting on the mailman, and I got so taken with this kid, that it turned into a book about Fleming Bloodworth."

  Turns out I watched "Bloodworth" a couple of days ago, knowing nothing about it. Thought it was pretty good, seemed like it was from a short story...

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  Dolemite

  Mar 15, 06:01am

  Sheldon--

  If you come back and see this, I'm two stories into the collection and honestly think you're as good a writer as he is.

  Hope you're working on stuff.

• 
  See ya

  Mar 15, 09:44am

  Wow, that's a huge compliment...means a lot, Matt. Thanks, man. Yep, I'm pecking away like all the rest. Easier this morning with words of encouragement like this. Thanks again, and keep reading Gay, brother. You can't go wrong.

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  Meg Tuite

  Mar 19, 06:34pm

  I'm looking forward to reading this collection. I had heard his name before, but don't think I've read any of his stories.
  Thanks for putting this out there, Sheldon!!

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  Mark Reep

  Mar 20, 04:51pm

  Hadn't heard about Gay's death, sad news. My favorite of his short stories is 'The Iceman'.
  Here's a link:

  http://www.0800phantom.co.nz/blog/06-05-2010/iceman-short-story-william-gay

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  Caleb J. Ross

  Mar 21, 08:45pm

  To mark the occasion, I resurrect an old Author Photo Comic:

  http://www.calebjross.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/authorphotocomics_gay.png

  May an unpublished tome find it's way to light some day.

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