James Howell Street
James Howell Street was an American author and journalist born on October 15, 1903, in Lumberton, Mississippi. He began his career in journalism at a young age, working for the Laurel Daily Leader, and later moved to Hattiesburg to continue as a reporter. Street initially followed a religious path, becoming a Baptist minister after converting from Catholicism, but he eventually left the ministry to return to newspaper writing. He gained recognition for his literary work, particularly with his first novel, "Oh, Promised Land," which was part of a series of historical novels centered on the fictional Dabney family in Mississippi.
In addition to his novels, Street's short story "The Biscuit Eater" was adapted into a notable film, recognized as one of the first talking pictures filmed entirely on location. He also authored other significant works, including "The Gauntlet," an autobiographical novel, and "Good-bye, My Lady," published shortly before his death in 1954. Street's life story reflects a journey through journalism, ministry, and fiction writing, showcasing his contributions to American literature and the evolving themes of race and friendship in his works.
On this Page
Subject Terms
James Howell Street
Author
- Born: October 15, 1903
- Birthplace: Lumberton, Mississippi
- Died: September 28, 1954
- Place of death: Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Biography
James Howell Street was born on October 15, 1903, in Lumberton, Mississippi. His father, John Camillus Street, was a lawyer. His mother had the oddly masculine name of William Thompson Scott Street, in spite of being very much a woman. While James was still young his family moved several times before finally settling in Laurel, Mississippi. There James began working at the local newspaper, the Laurel Daily Leader, while a mere fourteen years old.
After this apprenticeship he moved to Hattiesburg at the age of nineteen to become a full-time reporter. While he was living there, he met and married Lucy Nash O’Briant, daughter of a Baptist minister. Although Street’s family had always been devoutly Catholic, he decided to leave the Catholic Church behind to become a Baptist minister, and enrolled in the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth. After completing his course of study, he became minister of a church in St. Charles, Missouri. He would subsequently serve at churches in Lucedale, Mississippi, and Bayles, Alabama.
During his years as a minister, Street’s wife bore him three children, James, Jr.; John; and Ann. However, by the time the last of his three children was born, he had become convinced that preaching was not for him. In 1926, he left the ministry and returned to his old profession, newspaper writing. After a stint at a local paper, Street was hired by the Associated Press and sent to New York, where he published Look Away! A Dixie Notebook, a book-length collection of sketches about life in Mississippi.
After Street had reestablished himself as a reporter and had a steady income, he also set his hand to writing fiction. His first novel, Oh, Promised Land, appeared in 1940. It was the first of a series of five historical novels telling the story of the fictional Dabney family and their lives in Lebanon, Mississippi, over a century. With the success of his novel and several more in the works, he was able to quit his newspaper work and move to Natchez, Mississippi.
In that same year, his short story “The Biscuit Eater,” which had been published in The Saturday Evening Post, was made into a successful movie. It was said to be the first talking motion picture filmed entirely on location. It dealt with two boys, one black and the other white, who train a dog to hunt in spite of their fathers’ objections to their friendship. In addition to his historical novels, Street wrote The Gauntlet, a heavily autobiographical novel about a Baptist minister. His last work was Good-bye, My Lady, the story of an orphaned boy who meets a dog that is almost human in its abilities. This book came out in 1954, the same year that Street died on September 28 of a heart attack, cutting short what might have been a long and productive career.