Eudora Welty

Neither of Eudora Welty’s parents was originally from the Deep South, which may have allowed her to later become such a careful observer of Southern life.

Welty spent two years at the Mississippi State College for Women (now Mississippi University for Women) and two years at the University of Wisconsin, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree. She also studied advertising at the Columbia Business School in New York.

Welty returned to Jackson in 1931. She began using her experiences as a journalist and photographer for the Works Progress Administration as inspiration for short stories. In 1936, “Death of a Traveling Salesman” was published, and from there, her work continued to garner attention. In 1941, Welty published her first book, a collection of short stories entitled A Curtain of Green. She went on to write critically acclaimed works such as The Golden Apples and The Optimist’s Daughter, for which she won a Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.

Welty’s writing is renowned for its attention to detail, focus on themes of community and relationships, and naturalistic descriptions of Southern life. In 1984, her autobiography, One Writer’s Beginnings, sold over 100,000 copies.

Welty received numerous honors throughout her career, including the National Medal of Arts and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Eudora Welty died on July 23, 2001, at the age of 92, in her hometown of Jackson.