Josephine Pinckney
Josephine Pinckney was an American author born in Charleston, South Carolina, in 1895, who began her literary career in her forties after establishing herself as a poet. Her works are characterized by a chiseled writing style and a deep understanding of human motivation, with a particular focus on life in the South and the interplay of fate and free will. Raised on a plantation and steeped in Southern heritage, Pinckney's upbringing influenced her literary themes. She attended several prestigious institutions, including the College of Charleston and Columbia University, and published her only poetry collection, *Sea-Drinking Cities*, in 1927, which reflects her interest in Carolina folklore.
Pinckney's novels garnered more acclaim, particularly *Three o'Clock Dinner* (1945), which explores the dynamics of a Charleston family amidst shifting societal values. Her debut novel, *Hilton Head* (1941), is an historical narrative that presents the resilient character of Henry Woodward, symbolizing American pioneering spirit. Throughout her career, Pinckney crafted complex characters and plots that often embraced ambiguity and irony, compelling readers to engage critically with her work. Her later novels, including *Great Mischief* (1948) and *My Son and Foe* (1952), showcase her ability to blend elements of fantasy with realism while maintaining a meticulous attention to detail. Pinckney's contributions to literature remain significant for their thematic depth and narrative sophistication.
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Subject Terms
Josephine Pinckney
Writer
- Born: January 25, 1895
- Birthplace: Charleston, South Carolina
- Died: October 4, 1957
Biography
Josephine Pinckney began writing novels in her forties after she had been a poet for more than fifteen years. Known for her chiseled style, her mature understanding of human motivation, and her superior craftsmanship, Pinckney created novels that examined life in the South and the interaction of fate and free will in human destiny.
Pinckney was born in Charleston, South Carolina, in 1895, the daughter of Thomas and Camilla (Scott) Pinckney. She was raised on a plantation and well aware of her Charleston ancestry, an ancestry that bequeathed a tradition of Southern values and American pride. Pinckney attended Ashley Hall, a private girls’ school in Charleston, where she involved herself in drama and literature, founding a student literary magazine and writing most of its poetry. She later studied English at the College of Charleston, Columbia University, and Radcliffe College.
In 1927 her only collection of poems, Sea-Drinking Cities, was published. These poems demonstrated her knowledge of the folklore and songs of the Carolina low country and indicate Pinckney’s lifelong interest in local history and traditions. She also founded the Society for the Preservation of Spirituals.
Pinckney enjoyed greater success with her novels. Three o’Clock Dinner (1945) sold a record number of copies and became her most popular novel. Set in Charleston before World War II, the novel tells the complicated story of a family and the collision between traditional patrician values and middle-class concerns. Its themes of the necessity of family solidarity and adaptability during changing times raises the book above the run- of-the-mill family drama or historical novel. Pinckney’s first novel, Hilton Head (1941), is an historical novel displaying the author’s astute reading of human nature, ironic view of life, and terse writing style, often attributed to her years of writing poetry. The hero of Hilton Head is Henry Woodward, the courageous and pioneering first English settler of Carolina, who embodies the American spirit and values of survival, adaptability, and flexibility in the face of adversity. In both novels, Pinckney exhibits powerful strengths as a writer, including the ability to avoid simplified, hackneyed characters and plot resolutions. She builds her plots not only on character but on ambiguity, paradox, and irony, forcing the reader to make their own judgments.
In another of her novels, Great Mischief (1948), a Book of the Month Club selection, Pinckney shifts from historical fiction and family sagas to fantasy steeped in realism so that the two mischiefs—the 1886 Charleston earthquake and the protagonist’s involvement in witchcraft—merge. The novel integrates African American folklore and medieval legend to create a supernatural story abounding in symbolism. Pinckney’s next two novels, My Son and Foe (1952) and Splendid in Ashes (1958), came slowly and painstakingly and her meticulous detail to her craft is evident in both. My Son and Foe is recognized today as her most distinguished and darkest novel, a complex, deep, and thought-provoking work.