Edwin O'Connor
Encyclopedia
Edwin O'Connor was an American
radio personality, journalist, and novelist who won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction
in 1962 for The Edge of Sadness
(1961). His novels focused on the Irish-American experience and often dealt with the lives of politicians and priests.
, but was raised in Woonsocket, Rhode Island
. He was an alumnus of La Salle Academy
and the University of Notre Dame
. After graduation, he served in the United States Coast Guard
during World War II
. In 1946 he began working as a free lance author, selling his stories and reports to numerous magazines, including Atlantic Monthly.
critic for two Boston newspapers, a profession he would follow for the rest of his life. He also wrote his first novel, The Oracle (1951). Soon afterward, he wrote the novel for which he is most remembered, The Last Hurrah
(1956). The novel concerns a Boston Irish politician, Frank Skeffington, as seen through the eyes of a nephew whom he invites to accompany him on what turns out to be an unsuccessful reelection campaign. Skeffington has a gentlemanly manner, lacing his talk with literary quotations. He is slightly corrupt, but delivers service to his constituents. He is an expert at juggling and balancing the claims of the various Boston-area ethnic groups. But his time has passed, and he loses the election. While not a roman à clef
, there are points of similarity between Skeffington and Boston mayor James Michael Curley
. This novel was adapted for film in 1958, and O'Connor wrote the screenplay
himself. As Charles Fanning notes, "The windfall profits from The Last Hurrah made O'Connor for the first time financially secure."
He won the Pulitzer Prize for his next novel, The Edge of Sadness, the story of a middle-aged priest in an unnamed New England port city which is the seat of a bishop (Providence, O'Connor's birthplace, probably serving as the model.) I Was Dancing (1964) is a novel about an aging vaudevillian who tries to reconnect with his son after twenty years of casual neglect. His last novel, All in the Family, appeared in 1966. (It has no connection at all to the later television series of the same name). It is a profile of a Massachusetts family with a driving father who has political ambitions for his sons. As with The Last Hurrah
, it is not a roman à clef but the clan is certainly reminiscent of the Kennedy family.
O'Connor died suddenly of a cerebral hemorrhage in 1968.
He is remembered for coining the term "the last hurrah" and bringing it into the vernacular. The Omni Hotel in Boston, Massachusetts features a bar called "The Last Hurrah."
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
radio personality, journalist, and novelist who won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction
Pulitzer Prize for Fiction
The Pulitzer Prize for Fiction has been awarded for distinguished fiction by an American author, preferably dealing with American life. It originated as the Pulitzer Prize for the Novel, which was awarded between 1918 and 1947.-1910s:...
in 1962 for The Edge of Sadness
The Edge of Sadness
The Edge of Sadness is a novel by the American author Edwin O'Connor. It was published in 1961 and won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1962. The story is about a middle-aged Catholic priest in New England.-External links:*...
(1961). His novels focused on the Irish-American experience and often dealt with the lives of politicians and priests.
Early life
O'Connor was born to a medical doctor in Providence, Rhode IslandProvidence, Rhode Island
Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...
, but was raised in Woonsocket, Rhode Island
Woonsocket, Rhode Island
Woonsocket is a city in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 41,186 at the 2010 census, making it the sixth largest city in the state. Woonsocket lies directly south of the Massachusetts border....
. He was an alumnus of La Salle Academy
La Salle Academy, Providence
La Salle Academy is an independent, co-educational Roman Catholic college preparatory day school located in the Elmhurst neighborhood of Providence, Rhode Island...
and the University of Notre Dame
University of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States...
. After graduation, he served in the United States Coast Guard
United States Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. In 1946 he began working as a free lance author, selling his stories and reports to numerous magazines, including Atlantic Monthly.
Writing career
In the 1950s, O'Connor began a career as a televisionTelevision
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
critic for two Boston newspapers, a profession he would follow for the rest of his life. He also wrote his first novel, The Oracle (1951). Soon afterward, he wrote the novel for which he is most remembered, The Last Hurrah
The Last Hurrah
The Last Hurrah is a 1956 novel written by Edwin O'Connor. It is considered the most popular of O’Connor's works, partly because of a significant 1958 movie adaptation starring Spencer Tracy. The novel was immediately a bestseller in the United States for 20 weeks, and was also on lists for...
(1956). The novel concerns a Boston Irish politician, Frank Skeffington, as seen through the eyes of a nephew whom he invites to accompany him on what turns out to be an unsuccessful reelection campaign. Skeffington has a gentlemanly manner, lacing his talk with literary quotations. He is slightly corrupt, but delivers service to his constituents. He is an expert at juggling and balancing the claims of the various Boston-area ethnic groups. But his time has passed, and he loses the election. While not a roman à clef
Roman à clef
Roman à clef or roman à clé , French for "novel with a key", is a phrase used to describe a novel about real life, overlaid with a façade of fiction. The fictitious names in the novel represent real people, and the "key" is the relationship between the nonfiction and the fiction...
, there are points of similarity between Skeffington and Boston mayor James Michael Curley
James Michael Curley
James Michael Curley was an American politician famous for his four terms as mayor of Boston, Massachusetts. He also served twice in the United States House of Representatives and one term as 53rd Governor of Massachusetts.-Early life:Curley's father, Michael Curley, left Oughterard, County...
. This novel was adapted for film in 1958, and O'Connor wrote the screenplay
Screenplay
A screenplay or script is a written work that is made especially for a film or television program. Screenplays can be original works or adaptations from existing pieces of writing. In them, the movement, actions, expression, and dialogues of the characters are also narrated...
himself. As Charles Fanning notes, "The windfall profits from The Last Hurrah made O'Connor for the first time financially secure."
He won the Pulitzer Prize for his next novel, The Edge of Sadness, the story of a middle-aged priest in an unnamed New England port city which is the seat of a bishop (Providence, O'Connor's birthplace, probably serving as the model.) I Was Dancing (1964) is a novel about an aging vaudevillian who tries to reconnect with his son after twenty years of casual neglect. His last novel, All in the Family, appeared in 1966. (It has no connection at all to the later television series of the same name). It is a profile of a Massachusetts family with a driving father who has political ambitions for his sons. As with The Last Hurrah
The Last Hurrah
The Last Hurrah is a 1956 novel written by Edwin O'Connor. It is considered the most popular of O’Connor's works, partly because of a significant 1958 movie adaptation starring Spencer Tracy. The novel was immediately a bestseller in the United States for 20 weeks, and was also on lists for...
, it is not a roman à clef but the clan is certainly reminiscent of the Kennedy family.
O'Connor died suddenly of a cerebral hemorrhage in 1968.
Legacy
Published posthumously in 1970 was The Best and the Last of Edwin O'Connor, which included excerpts from his published novels, fragments of unpublished works, articles written by him, and a lecture transcript. The book's introduction was written by Arthur Schlesinger, Jr.Arthur Schlesinger, Jr.
Arthur Meier Schlesinger, Jr. was an American historian and social critic whose work explored the American liberalism of political leaders including Franklin D. Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, and Robert F. Kennedy. A Pulitzer Prize winner, Schlesinger served as special assistant and "court historian"...
He is remembered for coining the term "the last hurrah" and bringing it into the vernacular. The Omni Hotel in Boston, Massachusetts features a bar called "The Last Hurrah."
Additional reading
- Duffy, Charles F. (2003). A Family of His Own: A Life of Edwin O'Connor. Washington, D.C.: The Catholic University of America Press. ISBN 0-8132-1337-1.
- O'Connell, Shaun (1990). Imagining Boston: A Literary Landscape. Boston: Beacon Press. ISBN 0-8070-5102-0.
- Rank, Hugh (1974). Edwin O'Connor. New York: Twayne Publishers, Inc. ISBN 0-8057-0555-4.