William Styron Biography

It was not the kind of book Lie Down in Darkness had led one to expect. However, the poetic power of description and the dramatic power of narration and characterization were evident, more refined, and the story was far less derivative than the first novel. Some felt that perhaps this was the book Styron needed to get out of his system before going on to his best work. Again the public waited--seven years this time, filled with a trickle of essays, reviews, and excerpts from work-in-progress--for the appearance of the next novel, The Confessions of Nat Turner. When it was published in 1967, the critics generally agreed that this one had been worth the long wait. Styron had found his subject--a subject his style and moral vision were perfectly suited for. The novel received a great deal of publicity and favorable criticism, and Styron was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 1968. Since Nat Turner, Styron has published "Marriott, the Marine," an excerpt from "The Way of the Warrior," a novel which he has since put aside; a play, In the Clap Shack (1973); and "The Seduction of Leslie," an excerpt from another work-in-progress, which is projected for publication in the near future.