John Williams (29 August 1922 - 3 March 1994 / San Diego, California)

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John Edward Williams was an American author, editor and professor. He was best known for his novels Stoner (1965) and Augustus (1972).The latter won a U.S. National Book Award.

Life

Williams was raised in northeast Texas. His grandparents were farmers; his stepfather was a janitor in a post office. Despite a talent for writing and acting, Williams flunked out of a local junior college after his first year. He worked with newspapers and radio stations in the Southwest for a year, then reluctantly joined the war effort by enlisting in the United States Army Air Forces early in 1942, spending two and a half years as a sergeant in India and Burma. During his ... more »

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