Friday, March 04, 2016
The Dictionary Feud: Faulkner versus Hemingway
The Dictionary Feud: Faulkner versus Hemingway: Dear Quote Investigator: Two major writers of the twentieth century disagreed sharply about the type of vocabulary that was advantageous in literary works. Apparently, Faulkner said that Hemingway had “no courage” because he tightly circumscribed his word choice. Hemingway punched back by stating that he did not need “ten-dollar words”. He also said that Faulkner’s writing had deteriorated because of his dependence on alcohol. Would you please examine this altercation?
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13 comments:
I have alot of respect for both these writers but I'd give the edge to Hemingway for the style and influence. But Faulkner was great also; they are just two different excellent writers with different styles.
Two of my favorites. I haven't read all their works, but I've sure read a lot of them.
Sure is a black kettle, ain't it, Ernie?
In crime fiction, it was Hammett and Chandler. In sf, Heinlein and Sturgeon. In horror and to some extent allied fantasy, Bloch and Leiber.
Nice comparisons, Todd.
That's the wonderful thing about Literature, Art, Movies and what-have-you: The best of them are wonderful in very different --perhaps even irreconcilable -- ways.
Hemingway claimed that SOMEONE ELSE'S writing deteriorated because of alcohol use? Pot, meet kettle.
I recommend Tom Dardis's THE THIRSTY MUSE: ALCOHOL AND THE AMERICAN WRITER, which focuses primarily on Faulkner, Hemingway, Fitzgerald, and ONeill. Dardis shows that only O'Neill (who stopped drinking in his thirties) continued to have significant, creative output into his later years. Fitzgerald was utterly destroyed physically and creatively by alcoholism in his early forties, while Faulkner and Hemingway (both alcoholics) only managed to keep producing "new" work into their later years because they both had a reserve of unpublished work from their younger days. A good book that will make you think twice about that second glass of wine.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6S4jarsCG7w&feature=share
Deb--Dadis also edited at Berkley Books, and edited the fine anthology from the fantasy-fiction magazine BEYOND...the only anthology from that source, insanely, and he didn't even put his name on the book.
Don, I agreed with you in advance, see above.
Thanks for the link, Todd.
Todd--I did not know that about Dardis--very interesting. THE THIRSTY MUSE completely debunks the romantic myth that alcohol fuels creativity and productivity.
One would think anyone's experience with alcohol, or heroin, would be enough, but dumb-[expletive] notions are pervasive...what alc does, apparently. is still the voices a Lot of writers hear in their minds, when they want to or not. (And, sorry for the typo on Dardis's name. That book is called simply BEYOND, btw.)
You're welcome, Bill...the only other one I've seen, with Jack Black as Beethoven, is a bit more broad, not quite as good, but worth the look.
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