Wirt Williams
Wirt Alfred Williams, Jr. was an influential American author and educator born on August 21, 1921, in Goodman, Mississippi. Raised in Cleveland, he showcased his academic prowess by graduating high school at just fifteen and later earning a bachelor's degree in English and American literature from Delta State University by eighteen. His educational journey continued with a master’s degree from Louisiana State University and a Ph.D. from the State University of Iowa. Williams served in the U.S. Navy during World War II and later transitioned from journalism to academia, spending thirty-three years at California State University, where he taught creative writing and conducted seminars.
Williams's literary career began with the publication of his first novel, *The Enemy*, which drew from his military experiences and garnered praise from noted author Ernest Hemingway. His subsequent works include *Love in a Windy Space* and *Ada Dallas*, the latter achieving bestseller status and adaptation into a film. Williams received three Pulitzer Prize nominations throughout his career, reflecting his significant contributions to American literature. He passed away on June 29, 1986, in Los Angeles, leaving behind a legacy of impactful writing and education.
On this Page
Subject Terms
Wirt Williams
Writer
- Born: August 21, 1921
- Birthplace: Goodman, Mississippi
- Died: June 29, 1986
- Place of death: Los Angeles, California
Biography
Wirt Alfred Williams, Jr., was born in Goodman, Mississippi, on August 21, 1921. He was raised in Cleveland, Mississippi, and he graduated from Cleveland High School at the age of fifteen. After high school, he attended Delta State University, where his father was the head of the social studies department. He received a bachelor’s degree in English and American literature in 1940, when he was just eighteen. Williams later received a master’s degree from Louisiana State University, where he studied under writers Robert Penn Warren and Cleanth Brooks.
Williams served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. Between 1942 and 1944, he was stationed on a destroyer and between 1944 and 1946, he served aboard a landing ship. He remained active in the naval reserves and achieved the rank of lieutenant commander. Following his military service, he attended the State University of Iowa, where he earned a Ph.D. in 1953.
Williams began his writing career by working for the Shreveport Times in Shreveport, Louisiana. He worked for the newspaper between 1941 and 1942, and again in 1946, after he returned from the military. Between 1946 and 1949, he worked at the New Orleans Item as a reporter, special writer, and city editor. Although he was a successful journalist, Williams turned to academia after receiving his Ph.D. For thirty-three years he was on the faculty at California State University. During his tenure at the university, he taught classes in creative writing and seminars on tragedy and Ernest Hemingway.
Williams credited his interest in Hemingway as the catalyst for his own fiction-writing career. He first read Hemingway’s collection of short stories In Our Time at the age of eighteen, which fueled his own desire to become a writer. In 1951, Williams published his first novel, The Enemy, based on his war experiences. Hemingway listed the novel as one of his favorite books in 1952, and the novel was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize.
Williams had difficulty finding a publisher for his second novel, Love in a Windy Space (1957), because it was not considered commercial enough to prove profitable. However, his third novel, Ada Dallas (1959), proved to be one of his most successful books. It was a best-selling book for three months, and at the time it was praised as one of the best books written about politics. The novel was adapted into a film called Ada, starring Susan Hayward and released in 1961. Ada Dallas also was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize. In total, Williams received three Pulitzer Prize nominations for his writing, with the third nomination for his last novel, The Far Side, published in 1972. He died in Los Angeles on June 29, 1986.