Upon Losing His Job At the Post Office - Part 2

Who lost his job at the post office and made the famous remark posted earlier? ("I reckon I'll be at the beck and call of folks with money all my life, but thank God I won't ever again have to be at the beck and call of every son of a bitch who's got two cents to buy a stamp.") Answer: William Faulkner.

William Faulkner was the Postmaster at the University of Mississippi from 1921 to 1924. My friend Sonny Mason worked at the University post office in the late 50's and early 60's. He told me the story about Faulkner losing his job and what he said. Probably then it was only one of those local stories about the eccentric Faulkner. Now it is easily found on the internet. (Sonny quit the post office too, after he finished law school and became an attorney in Oxford. )

Growing up in Oxford, I often saw Faulkner around the town square. I can still see him going into New's Drug store (no longer there). Mr. New was the father of a friend, and he often entertained us with Faulkner stories, especially stories about going hunting with Faulkner and the boys.

Then there was the movie, "Intruder in the Dust," based on Faulkner's novel and filmed in Oxford (using residents of the town in crowd scenes and in some minor roles). What a stir it caused! The world premiere showing was in Oxford in 1949, at the Lyric theater (no longer a movie theater). I remember seeing this black and white movie then and delighted in seeing all the local folks that I knew, playing their parts.

Faulkner himself said it was one of the best movies he had ever seen. As well as I remember, it was a box office failure, but I would be interested in viewing it again now, not for the entertainment, but for the sake of considering the challenges issued by Faulkner to our values.

The Lyric theater was also where I saw the newsreel in 1950 of Faulkner receiving the Nobel prize for literature in 1949. Read his speech here.

I left Oxford in 1953, returned in 1958 and left again in 1962, before Faulkner died that summer. I almost feel that I was there on that hot July day to witness the funeral procession as it traveled around the square. I can see the procession, making its way to St. Peter's Cemetery where he was laid to rest.

Oxford has changed much since then, but I still see it the way it was, the way it was when Faulkner walked the streets of Oxford and I watched from afar. Does my heart long to return? You betcha.

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Note: I lived in Oxford two later periods: from about 1966 - 1968 and from 1969 - 1977.

Source for Faulkner Information and More Photos: http://www.olemiss.edu/mwp/dir/faulkner_william/index.html

Great book (out of print) for Faulkner pictures: William Faulkner, The Cofield Collection, published by Yoknapatawpha Press in 1978. I'm the proud owner of a copy.

Also, books of photography (probably out of print) by Martin J. Dain: 1. Faulkner's County and 2. Faulkner's World. I have copies of these also. They bring back my childhood memories of Oxford.

If you have other recommendations, let us know.