William Faulkner (1897–1962) is considered one of the finest American writers of the twentieth century. Born in New Albany, Mississippi, Faulkner grew bored with education in his early teens, joining first the Canadian and then the British Royal Air Force during the First World War. While living in New Orleans, Faulkner wrote his first novel, Soldier’s Pay (1926). Over the next three years, he published Mosquitoes (1927) and The Sound and the Fury (1929), which established his reputation. The following decade saw Faulkner at his most prolific. As I Lay Dying (1930), Sanctuary (1931), and Light in August (1932), together with collections of poems and short stories, preceded publication of Absalom, Absalom! in 1936. During spells in Hollywood, he also established himself as a masterful screenwriter. In 1949, he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature.

Barn Burning

Published in Harper’s magazine in June 1939, “Barn Burning” is one of Faulkner’s most popular stories. Members of the Snopes family appear in several other works by Faulkner, all of which are set in the fictional Yoknapatawpha County in Mississippi.

This selection has been omitted intentionally in this electronic version due to digital permissions/copyright issues. Regrettably, we cannot make this piece available to you in a digital format.