Conversations with Andre Dubus

by Olivia Carr Edenfield (Editor)

Overview

Over three decades, celebrated fiction writer Andre Dubus (1936-1999) published seven collections of short stories, two collections of essays, two collections of previously published stories, two novels, and a novella. While this is an impressive publishing record for any writer, for Dubus, who suffered a near-fatal accident mid-career, it is near miraculous. Just after midnight on July 23, 1986, after stopping to assist two stranded motorists, Dubus was struck by a car. His right leg was crushed and his left leg had to be amputated above the knee. After months of hospital stays and surgeries, he would suffer chronic pain for the rest of his life. However, when he gave his first interview after the accident, his deepest fear was that he would never write again. This collection of interviews traces his career beginning in 1967 with the publication of his novel The Lieutenant, to his final interview given right before his death on February 24, 1999. In between are conversations that focus on his shift to essay writing during his long recovery period as well as those that celebrate his return to fiction with the publication of "The Colonel's Wife," in 1993. Dubus would share as well stories surrounding his Louisiana childhood, his three marriages, the writers who influenced him, and his deep Catholic faith. Olivia Carr Edenfield, Portal, Georgia, is an associate professor at Georgia Southern University. Her work has been published in Hemingway Review, Southern Literary Journal, Resources for American Literary Studies, and Explicator.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781617037856
Publisher:	University Press of Mississippi
Publication date:	08/01/2013
Series:	Literary Conversations Series
Pages:	224
Product dimensions:	6.20(w) x 9.10(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Olivia Carr Edenfield, Portal, Georgia, is an associate professor at Georgia Southern University. Her work has been published in Hemingway Review, Southern Literary Journal, Resources for American Literary Studies, and Explicator.

Table of Contents

Introduction ix

Chronology xix

Former Resident Is Writer and Teacher in Massachusetts Corinne Peace / 1970 3

Conversation with Andre Dubus Christopher Caldwell Adam Cherson / 1982 6

A Conversation with Andre Dubus Dev Hathaway / 1983 12

Andre Dubus Interview with Kay Bonetti Kay Bonetti / 1984 32

A Redneck Intellectual at Home in New England Mimi Read / 1984 59

Interview with Andre Dubus Robert Dahlin / 1984 63

The Outrageous Andre Dubus Jesse Kornbluth / 1985 69

Our Dinners with Andre Amy Schildhouse / 1986 76

Interview with Andre Dubus Patrick Samway, S.J. / 1986 89

Accident Robbed Author of Desire to Write Stacey A. Chase / 1986 103

An Interview with Andre Dubus Stacey A. Chase / 1989 107

Short-Story Writer's Words Flow on the Page-and Off Regina Hackett / 1990 117

Andre Dubus's Knuckler Keeps Him in the Game Tim McCarthy / 1990 120

Profile in Courage Susan Larson / 1991 130

Andre Dubus Eleanor Wachtel / 1991 133

"Into the Melody": A Conversation with Andre Dubus Olivia Carr Edenfield / 1993 144

A Conversation with Andre Dubus Lori Ambacher /1993 192

An Interview with Andre Dubus John Smolens / 1994 208

Interview with Andre Dubus Tom Grimes / 1997 218

Interview Jennifer Levasseur Kevin Rabalais / 1998 230

Interview with Andre Dubus Greg Garrett / 1999 247

Appendix: List of Additional Interviews 249

Index 251