Terry Southern


August – September 2010:


Terry Southern: AMERICAN GROTESQUE

Alert! Alert! Scholarly study of Terry’s Southern’s oeuvre now available!

Nearly a decade in the making, American Grotesque lyrically examines Terry Southern’s literary output, from the well-known novels, stories and screenplays to lesser-known, unpublished/unproduced works, offering the first comprehensive examination of the career of this major American writer.

Tully, in a style uniquely graceful and readable in academe, reveals in rich detail the timeless themes running through Southern’s writing, including his Hawthornesque connection to nature, surrealist influences, the jazz dimensions, Poe's satiric influence, and Southern's emergence as a comic master of the Grotesque. AMERICAN GROTESQUE also examines the influence on Southern of some of his key friends and collaborators, including George Plimpton, Kurt Vonnegut, Henry Green, Stanley Kubrick, the Rolling Stones, Lenny Bruce, Jean Cocteau and the Beatles.

The rich eras in which Southern's life takes shape are also explored: 1930s Texas, post-war Paris, New York’s ‘Quality Lit’ crowd, and swinging London. Tully highlights themes that link such diverse projects as Dr. Strangelove, Candy, Easy Rider, The Loved One, The Magic Christian, and many previously unexamined works of Terry Southern, including unpublished stories, plays and screenplays. Tully delves deeply into Southern's work across a variety of genres, and reveals it to be of a consistent, cohesive vision. Beautifully written and compelling, this book elevates Southern into the pantheon of Great American Writers — worthy of being taught in schools and studied in virtually any modern discipline.
— Nile Southern

Introduction, by Nile Southern

After my father died in 1995, I inherited forty boxes of papers and his bewildering legacy. The fact that Terry’s reputation had morphed at some point from disciplined writer to popular culture ‘pied-piper’ hadn’t helped him during his lifetime, and wasn’t helping me keep him in bookstores, either. Through the publication of a new anthology, Now Dig This; The Unspeakable Writings of Terry Southern 1950-1995, and the letters-driven The CANDY Men; The Rollicking Life and Times of the Notorious Novel, Candy, my efforts to draw attention to the wide range and serious nature of much of my father’s work was critically well-received, but did not resolve the unstated underlying puzzle: ‘Who was Terry Southern?’ Rather, they bolstered the accepted axiom that Terry was a man who could write just about anything, and had been everywhere that mattered. David Tully takes us beyond the awe-struck, which is where most Terry Southern observers, including myself, have been, and casts us into the hagiography of his soul—where Terry Southern’s life and oeuvre meet in a place uniquely determined by his times.

As Tully brilliantly reveals, what my father left behind was an extraordinary body of work reflecting a seriousness, depth, and world-view whose lineage of high-level Decadence, Grotesquery, and Satire has historically been marginalized—precisely because it is, at its sharpest, culturally critical, and, as former Harper’s editor Lewis Lapham observes, “a tragic view of human nature…that simply does not sell.” As Terry’s Executor, what mystified me most was not just the seemingly instant academic bias against the “pop-culture” successes of Candy and his film work—as if that somehow made him less of an artist than his novel-writing compatriots who didn’t achieve such pop-art breakthroughs—but the fact that Terry didn’t fit into any neat categories that institutions typically need to amplify or fill in their collections: ‘novelist’, ‘essayist’, ‘screenwriter,’ ‘journalist,’ ‘humorist.’ Terry fulfilled each of these categories with confidence and a style all his own, but because of that, I suspect, he fell through the cracks—as he continues to do today. Rather than identify Terry Southern as a ‘keystone species’ of American Studies and post-war American Lit—my father tends to be mentioned as an eccentric literary adjunct to the Beat Generation, the Gonzos, or the ‘literary outlaw’ of the Paris Review set. To me, and to those who have long taken his work seriously, he’s the bridge between the Beats and the Beatles; the link between Poe and Kubrick. It’s a sad reflection on our times that such fluidity for a writer should be considered a detriment—as opposed to a model for the hybridized new media scribes of today.

Read the complete introduction to Terry Southern and the American Grotesque ...


The Paris Review, in which Terry published some of his first work,
celebrates his literary legacy all month. Details ...

Independent Publisher's Awards site (category 27)

Order 'Trippin' from Amazon.com



Jim Yoakum – author, screenwriter, and curator of the Graham Chapman archives –
published this blog post May 7:


Paul Krassner, editor of The Realist, interviewed Terry Southern in 1964;
back issues of The Realist are being archived at http://www.ep.tc/realist/


New York Public Library exhibit features
Candide and Candy — don't miss it!

Rare manuscripts, new interpretations, pirated editions, and a fab interactive online version of Voltaire's 1759
satirical classic — that inspired the infamous Southern / Hoffenberg's classic — on display through April

Nile Southern's
Voltaire / Southern NYPL blog entry ...


NEW! Terry Southern re-vamped Grand Guy Shop
Books, Albums, MP3s and more!


Too close for comfort?

The U.S. Air Force produced documentary films in the early 1960s to dispel movie-induced fears
that a General commanding a SAC base might go "as mad as a bloody March hare" and
send a wing of B-52s to attack the Soviet Union ... a scenario developed by screenwriters
Stanley Kubrick, Terry Southern, and Peter George.

"The Air Force versus Hollywood" is online at

CommonDreams.org


 


 

The Literary Traveler website recently published an article on the life and legacy of TS, in a road-tripping history that takes you from East Texas to Paris, and to Hollywood and beyond.

"The Life and Times of Terry Southern:
A Texan Gone Hollywood"


 

French Quality-Lit crowd lights up over recently translated edition of:


Texas Marijuana

(Red-Dirt Marijuana, 1967).

More reviews at

éditions Gallmeister website


 

 

The Terry Southern Summer Film Festival wrapped up on
Monday, July 13, with a screening of

— END OF THE ROAD —

films were shown at the Boulder Public Library

Lee Hill, biographer of Terry Southern, writes about END OF THE ROAD ...

Eight films, and strong turnouts for them all ... Details ...


 

RED ALERT:

"Doctor's Orders: How a dead serious novel became the
nightmare satire of Strangelove", by director and film writer Bilge Ebiri,
was published May 26 on MOVING IMAGE SOURCE online...



 

New York magazine's notice ...

More on "Heavy Put-Away" — the story, and the film ...


 

 

The introduction to the Gallmeister edition of Red-Dirt Marijuana
('Texas Marijuana') is online ...
(.PDF format, 337 kb)


An essay about Terry Southern by Christy Rodgers that appeared in
Dissident Voice has been featured on Arts and Letters Daily.



 

Paris in the '50s ... Beat writers flock to the City of Light ... Olympia Press publishes CANDY, by
Terry Southern
and Mason Hoffenberg ... and the novel becomes one of most controversial
(and most pirated) literary items in publishing history.

Issue 14 of the British countercultural arts magazine and website NUDE investigates the story of
CANDY
in an extensive interview with Nile Southern, author of
The Candy Men: The Rollicking Life and Times of the Notorious Novel CANDY.

Visit the Official Site for
The Candy Men


Rare essay on Early Settlers' bizarre sexual practices — written by Cody McCallister — if indeed, that really was his name...

Also: The unproduced
Terry Southern oneact play, 
The Dawn of Cornhole
,
is now available
for on-line purchase

Click here for a tasty sample!
(.PDF format)


Students in Dr. Howard Good's journalism class at the State University of New York at New Paltz undertook a study this fall of Terry Southern's 1963 Esquire article, "Twirling at Ole Miss".

"Twirling", which was later anthologized in Southern's collection of short stories, essays, and interviews,
Red Dirt Marijuana and Other Tastes
(1967),
is one of the founding documents of what came to be
called "The New Journalism."


 

William Claxton, photographer of jazz musicians, writers, and other artists, died October 13 in Los Angeles.
Terry, who called Claxton "Grand Guy Clax", also referred to him as the "Poet of the Lens."

Among his memorable photos is Terry with dove, published in a
collection entitled "Images of Peace."

Claxton's official website:
www.williamclaxton.com/movie.html


 

 

2008 marks the 40th anniversary of Terry's first novel, Flash and Filigree, first published in London by Andre Deutsch in 1958.

Among the book's earliest fans was the English novelist Henry Green, who awarded it 'Book of the Year' for the London Observer.

Below are a selection of different printings, including the Grove Press edition currently in print and available through The Grand Guy Shoppe.

"A coolly mad book in dancing prose, Flash and Filigree is startlingly original."

— Detroit Sunday Times


"In 1959, the novelist Terry Southern published "The Magic Christian," a darkly comic tale based on the premise that people will do anything for money. The choice of [Sarah] Palin proves that people will also do anything for political power — including rising early on a holiday weekend to make fools of themselves."

from "Republicans Rush In", by Richard Cohen, The Washington Post, Sept. 2, 2008


 

STRANGELOVE WATCH

the 1964 anti-war classic is serving another tour of duty...

* * *
Strangelove Watch is an ongoing collection of articles, websites, commentaries, and assorted references to


"Dr. Strangelove, or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb"


(screenplay co-authored by Terry Southern)

Report recent sightings of
Dr. Strangelove articles, images, etc.

 


The World Premiere of “Terry Southern’s Plums and Prunes” was held at Short Cuts Canada at the 2007 Toronto International Film Festival.

MORE...


An eleven-foot painting of Terry Southern by Los Angeles artist Matt Aston, created in 2003 to celebrate the New York Public Library's acquisition of the official TS' literary archive, was featured on the cover the June issue LA arts magazine CitizenLA, along with an interview with the artist.

A set of UK postage stamps issued earlier this year features album covers by the Fab Four. This one includes many of the Liverpool Lads' favorite influences—including a certain Terry Southern, the one in the assemblage wearing sunglasses.


What happens when the co-author of Candy and Dr. Strangelove is hired by the director of Tom Jones to collaborate on the script of a motion picture “based on” a famous novel by Evelyn Waugh? What happens is The Loved One, the movie, now out in DVD from Warner Bros. Add to the mix Haskell Wexler, Christopher Isherwood, William Claxton, John Gielgud, Robert Morse, Jonathan Winters, Rod Steiger, James Coburn, Milton Berle and Roddy McDowell and you're in for a grand time, guaranteed!
On the set, 1965


***
"Mickey Spillane's literary status has never been fully defined in America. Hard core quality-Lit. buffs, however, will recall how he smashed into international prominence, in 1947, by concluding his first novel, I, The Jury, in a manner which made Malaparte, Céline and other high priests of the roman noir look like a bunch of pansies..."

Terry Southern on Mickey Spillane: "I Am Mike Hammer." (Esquire, 1963).

(Mickey Spillane, writer of hard-hitting detective fiction, died July 17, 2006)


CANDY sweetens the list: Playboy's summer 2006 edition notes sexiest novels. 

***

"Written By Terry Southern" — a presentation of films featuring some of Terry's greatest screenwriting, was held November 18-20, 2005 at The International House in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Details...

***

Recent television coverage:

The American Film Institute cites a memorable line from 'Dr. Strangelove' (left) as one of the greatest movie lines.

An NBC special on 'Saturday Night Live' during the 1980s notes Terry's unique contributions to the show (right).

(Both clips Quicktime format, 1.2 MB)

The Dallas Morning News features Terry Southern as one of Texas' seven greatest writers: October, 2005

The Candy Men by Nile Southern has been named a winner in the 2004 Colorado Book Awards.

The announcement was made by the Colorado Endowment for the Humanities on October 6, 2005 at the Donald R. Seawell Grand Ballroom at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts. In September, a presentation about the book was included in Colorado Authors—Live!, a showcase featuring award finalists, at the Denver Public Library's Central Branch.

For more details visit The Candy Men website...

The Outlaw Bible of American Literature—as seen in the New York Times

(with selections by dope-fiend writers including Jim Carroll, Henry Miller, Kathy Acker, William Burroughs, Lou Reed, Philip K. Dick, Nelson Algren, Ken Kesey, Terry Southern, Timothy Leary, Paul Krassner, Carlos Castenada, and numerous other literary hell-raisers)


"If it bleeds, it leads:" The official TS.com website extends its thanks to The Daily Bleed.com and Recollection Used Books for helping to celebrate the art and life of Terry Southern (d. Oct. 29, 1995). And, thanks to The Bleed for its link to the 'Black Comedy' entry on Wikipedia.com.


At a bookstore near you... a-17 page cover story on Terry Southern in
STOPSMILING, The Magazine for High-Minded Low Lifes


Dr. Strangefeld: Or, how I learned to stop worrying and love the Long-Rod Penetrator.
By
Alexander Zaitchik
New York Press, December, 2004
The Cincinnati Kid and Dr. Strangelove honored
U.S. Sen John Edwards on his favorite movie: Dr. Strangelove
Billionaires Run Amok on TV?
Washington Post revisits The Magic Christian
A Bombardier's Reflection
The 40th anniversary of "Dr. Strangelove" prompts some Cold War reminiscences.

by
JAMES EARL JONES
The Wall Street Journal
Tuesday, November 16, 2004


Terry Southern —
"The hippest guy on the planet"

The New York Times
The Candy Men: The Rollicking Life and Times of the Notorious Novel CANDY
— by Nile Southern; published May 2004

"The adventures of ''Candy'' have been related before, but never as fully and sympathetically as here, with letters, contracts, legal minutiae, multifaceted biography and, now and then, a wistful personal detail, all conspiring to take the story forward..."

The New York Times ...

" 'The Candy Men' offers the pleasure of a generous selection of Southern and Hoffenberg's correspondence. We are in the realm of the hipster here, in the company of men who push a joke as far as it can go for the sheer pleasure of seeing what they can get away with. "

Salon.com

Publishers Weekly
Non-Fiction: Editor's Pick for May!
The Candy Men: The Rollicking Life and Times of the Notorious Novel CANDY

"In the spirit of VH1's 'Behind the Music' comes this revealing behind-the-scenes look at the making, breaking, remaking, pirating, filming and legal wrangling of the '60s cult phenomenon Candy. ... thanks to [...] a slew of publishing pirates, it leapt to bestsellerdom and was eventually crowned 'the world's most talked about book'."

Order a copy from THE GRAND GUY SHOP

Visit the home page for
The CANDY Men
and learn about the book, the movie, the whole story

Events, reviews, discussions, weblogs,
and more

New York Public Library
panel discussion:
"When Candy Was Banned"
November 9, 2004


Some articles about Terry Southern, his works, and his legacy...
Recent books by and about TS:

Now Dig This: The Unspeakable Writings
of Terry Southern, 1950-1995
,
edited by Nile Southern and Josh Alan Freidman

A Grand Guy:
The Art and Life of Terry Southern
,
by Lee Hill

On the Alert!
The
Terry Southern Literary Trust is looking to acquire any LETTERS of Terry Southern's and other items, including:

Barbarella (screenplay)
Dr. Strangelove (screenplay)
CANDY (first Olympia printing, Paris; 1958)

If you have come across any such items, or know of anyone or any research library that has same, please contact the Terry Southern Literary Trust!
contact@terrysouthern.com

Many thanks,
The TSLT

Esquire, October 2003,
70th anniversary edition honors:
MOST EXPERIMENTAL
INVESTIGATIVE TEAM:
William Burroughs,
Terry Southern,
and Jean Genet dispatched to the
1968 Democratic Convention

Click here to read
"Grooving in Chi"

*

ACHTUNG!
Der Super-Porno
(Blue Movie, 1970), has been published in German! Get info on other international editions!

Preversions in high places! Writers, artists, activists, pranksters, and a menagerie of preverts of all kinds are putting the Southern point of view into action!

New satirical sites and commentaries each month!

Southernistas are on the move! Guy Grand is alive and well!

April 1, 2003
The New York Public Library acquires the
Terry Southern literary archive
Read the library's article here...

"The power of Southern’s satirical prose made him the only wordsmith of the ’60s who could have won a word fight with Lenny Bruce..."

"The Mystery of Terry Southern," Gadfly

by Victor Bockris

END OF THE ROAD

"Lost" film treasure rediscovered! Written, co-produced by Terry Southern. Read about the history of this underground classic from 1970.

Red-Dirt Marijuana and Other Tastes (1967)

New edition recently
re-issued in the UK by Kensington!

You've come to the right place to learn about Terry's books and films!

Bibliography

Ordering info

A gift from director Steven Soderbergh helped make the New York Public Library's acquisition of the TS Literary Archive possible.
Visit Soderbergh's website to learn about this academy-award winning artist and his work...

by Robert Wilonsky:

A Grand Guy: How Steven Soderbergh Kept the Terry Southern Tale From Turning Tragic

AND:

"Southern Discomfort" — Writer Terry Southern helped shape a generation. Now his son is fighting for his legacy.

 

Discover more at TerrySouthern.com:

News

Now Dig This

A Grand Guy

Reflections

Recordings

Foreign editions

Academic studies

In Development

Links

THE GRAND GUY SHOP:

books

videos & DVDs

audio

specialty items

The TS and William S. Burroughs postcard: photo by
Jack Wright III.
Order them from
Guy Grand's Shop

* * *
Click here to read "Rolling Over Our Nerve Endings," Terry's 1964
review of'
NAKED LUNCH