Jack T. Kirby
Encyclopedia
Jack Temple Kirby was an American
historian who wrote about the Southern United States
and the persistent stereotyping of Southerners. He was awarded the Bancroft Prize
for his 2006 book Mockingbird Song: Ecological Landscapes of the South.
, his ancestors having immigrated to the South in the 17th century, by family tradition. Throughout his college education he majored in history, earning his bachelor's degree at Old Dominion University
and then attending the University of Virginia
, where he was awarded a master's degree and a doctorate.
Professionally, Kirby was hired in 1965 to serve on the faculty of Miami University
, where he was professor of history until his retirement in 2002. He also served as president of the Southern Historical Association
.
In his published works — he authored or edited seven books — Kirby tried to dispel the sweeping generalizations of Southerners from books that he felt were aimed at "making Northern white folks feel good about themselves by telling the same story over and over again about the South". His 1978 book Media-Made Dixie took issue with the portrayal of Southerners using "clichés of racists, graceful landed gentry, poverty, homespun rural values, stock-car racers and moonshiners". Rather than focusing on the South as it really exists, the books shows depictions from the dawn of the cinema and the creation of best seller lists, starting at D. W. Griffith
's Birth of a Nation.
His 2006 book Mockingbird Song: Ecological Landscapes of the South, published by the North Carolina University Press was awarded the Bancroft Prize in 2007 by jurors at Columbia University
as a book that is set in the South but has far greater reach and speaks "profoundly on the relationships of Americans — and of humankind — to the natural world".
following his retirement from Miami University.
Kirby died at age 70 of heart failure on August 6, 2009, in St. Augustine, Florida. He was survived by Dr. Constance Pierce, an English professor at Miami University who was Kirby's companion for 17 years, as well as by a daughter, a son and two grandchildren. His first marriage ended with his divorce of the former Ann Bulleit.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
historian who wrote about the Southern United States
Southern United States
The Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive area in the southeastern and south-central United States...
and the persistent stereotyping of Southerners. He was awarded the Bancroft Prize
Bancroft Prize
The Bancroft Prize is awarded each year by the trustees of Columbia University for books about diplomacy or the history of the Americas. It was established in 1948 by a bequest from Frederic Bancroft...
for his 2006 book Mockingbird Song: Ecological Landscapes of the South.
Early life and education
Kirby was born on August 22, 1938, in Portsmouth, VirginiaPortsmouth, Virginia
Portsmouth is located in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of the U.S. Commonwealth of Virginia. As of 2010, the city had a total population of 95,535.The Norfolk Naval Shipyard, often called the Norfolk Navy Yard, is a historic and active U.S...
, his ancestors having immigrated to the South in the 17th century, by family tradition. Throughout his college education he majored in history, earning his bachelor's degree at Old Dominion University
Old Dominion University
Old Dominion University is a state university located in Norfolk, Virginia, United States, and is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools...
and then attending the University of Virginia
University of Virginia
The University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...
, where he was awarded a master's degree and a doctorate.
Professionally, Kirby was hired in 1965 to serve on the faculty of Miami University
Miami University
Miami University is a coeducational public research university located in Oxford, Ohio, United States. Founded in 1809, it is the 10th oldest public university in the United States and the second oldest university in Ohio, founded four years after Ohio University. In its 2012 edition, U.S...
, where he was professor of history until his retirement in 2002. He also served as president of the Southern Historical Association
Southern Historical Association
The Southern Historical Association is an organization of historians focusing on the history of the Southern United States . It was organized on November 2, 1934...
.
In his published works — he authored or edited seven books — Kirby tried to dispel the sweeping generalizations of Southerners from books that he felt were aimed at "making Northern white folks feel good about themselves by telling the same story over and over again about the South". His 1978 book Media-Made Dixie took issue with the portrayal of Southerners using "clichés of racists, graceful landed gentry, poverty, homespun rural values, stock-car racers and moonshiners". Rather than focusing on the South as it really exists, the books shows depictions from the dawn of the cinema and the creation of best seller lists, starting at D. W. Griffith
D. W. Griffith
David Llewelyn Wark Griffith was a premier pioneering American film director. He is best known as the director of the controversial and groundbreaking 1915 film The Birth of a Nation and the subsequent film Intolerance .Griffith's film The Birth of a Nation made pioneering use of advanced camera...
's Birth of a Nation.
His 2006 book Mockingbird Song: Ecological Landscapes of the South, published by the North Carolina University Press was awarded the Bancroft Prize in 2007 by jurors at Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
as a book that is set in the South but has far greater reach and speaks "profoundly on the relationships of Americans — and of humankind — to the natural world".
Personal
He relocated to St. Augustine, FloridaSt. Augustine, Florida
St. Augustine is a city in the northeast section of Florida and the county seat of St. Johns County, Florida, United States. Founded in 1565 by Spanish explorer and admiral Pedro Menéndez de Avilés, it is the oldest continuously occupied European-established city and port in the continental United...
following his retirement from Miami University.
Kirby died at age 70 of heart failure on August 6, 2009, in St. Augustine, Florida. He was survived by Dr. Constance Pierce, an English professor at Miami University who was Kirby's companion for 17 years, as well as by a daughter, a son and two grandchildren. His first marriage ended with his divorce of the former Ann Bulleit.