Architecture and the Tangible Past: The Built Environment of Faulkner's Yohnapatawpha

Architecture and the Tangible Past: The Built Environment of Faulkner's Yoknapatawpha Thomas Hines In 1982, somewhat ex- hausted from years of work on a book and museum show on the modernist architect Richard Neutra, I began to think about what 1 might do just for fun as a respite from my steady trade of architectural history. The diversion I wound up choosing was a systematic, though casual, re-reading of all of the work of William Faulkner, whom I had known as I was growing up in Oxford, Mississippi. I had read him then—because he was there —with great pleasure but with less than total comprehension. Now, in mature middle age, I would treat myself to a richer and more resonant reading of the work. But, as I began to read, I soon realized that as a son of the Calvinist work ethic, I could never do anything that vast just for fun. Almost furtively at first and then unabashedly, I found myself underlining the architecture passages. I was amazed at the extent of Faulkner's treatment of architecture, and I began to have hazy, academic thoughts of getting a nice little article out of it to assuage my guilt for hav- ing so much fun. The result was a lecture at the annual Faulkner conference in Ox- ford and this essay on Faulk- ner's literary architecture. 1 dedicate this effort to my sunny California chil- dren, Tracy and Taylor, in the hope that it will help to remind them that they are also children of Yoknapatawpha. a,acekorse4 ikclasz jrvLf ment of which Jasan w SQQ in order t& become fret. 7 I,' ..M~J rid ^ } ' J, P4TAWPHA NT Y SPOTTED\ HOUSES ssibbi , vomers Cmssmus THE HAMLET OW Frenchman Vlact,-jwkere Vopcyemultimi Tiv.n\ y» m vf.' i OLD Tiere was born the convict 4 cfrtw a man A smefd. 4 » o transported p tiiL r «f ofy.i It fe to pay fir it t ° t . ' . t : - vafrnrclfcr ih ts ~ 'oivmehi J f I Yoknapatawpha, from The Portable Faulkner (Viking, i 946). Photographs by Thomas Hines except where noted Places / Volume 5, Number 4