Winston Groom
Encyclopedia
Winston F. Groom, Jr. is an American
novelist and non-fiction
writer
, best known for his book Forrest Gump
, which was adapted into a film
in 1994.
, and was raised in Mobile, Alabama
where he attended University Military School (now known as UMS-Wright Preparatory School
). Groom's earliest ambition was to become a lawyer like his father, but instead, while a literary editor in college, he chose to become a writer. Groom attended the University of Alabama
, was a member of Delta Tau Delta
Fraternity and the Army
ROTC
, graduating in 1965. He served in the Army from 1965 to 1969, including a tour of duty
in the Vietnam War
.
Upon his return from Vietnam
, he worked as a reporter for the Washington Star
, a Washington D. C. newspaper covering police and courtroom activities. Groom retired as a journalist at age 32, and began writing his first novel Better Times Than These which was published in 1978. Better Times Than These was about a group of patriotic soldiers in the Vietnam War whose lives and patriotism both are shattered. His next novel As Summers Die (1980) received better recognition. His novel Conversations with the Enemy (1982) follows an American Vietnam War soldier who escapes from a POW camp and takes a plane back to the United States only to be arrested fourteen years later for desertion. Conversations with the Enemy was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize
in 1983.
In 1985, Groom moved back to Mobile, Alabama
where he began to work on the novel Forrest Gump
. Forrest Gump was published in 1986; however, it did not make Groom a best selling author until it was adapted into a film with the same name
in 1994 starring Tom Hanks
in the title role of Forrest Gump
. The film propelled the novel to bestseller status and it sold 1.7 million copies worldwide.
Groom devotes his time to writing history books about American wars. He has lived most recently in Point Clear, Alabama
. and Long Island, New York with his wife, Anne-Clinton and daughter, Carolina. Groom was an old friend of writer Willie Morris
, dating to their days together in Bridgehampton, Long Island, New York.
Groom was also involved in a high-profile lawsuit with the studio regarding his percentage of the net profit of Forrest Gump. Groom was to receive a portion of the net income (rather than the gross revenue), but the studio argued the film lost money due to other costs from the studio (distribution fees, studio overhead, etc.) that were factored into the films final production budget. Groom won the case.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
novelist and non-fiction
Non-fiction
Non-fiction is the form of any narrative, account, or other communicative work whose assertions and descriptions are understood to be fact...
writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
, best known for his book Forrest Gump
Forrest Gump (novel)
Forrest Gump is a 1986 novel by Winston Groom. The title character experiences adventures ranging from shrimp boating and ping pong championships to thinking about his childhood love. The Vietnam War and college football are all part of the story. Throughout his life, Gump views the world simply...
, which was adapted into a film
Forrest Gump
Forrest Gump is a 1994 American epic comedy-drama romance film based on the 1986 novel of the same name by Winston Groom. The film was directed by Robert Zemeckis, starring Tom Hanks, Robin Wright and Gary Sinise...
in 1994.
Life
Winston Groom was born in Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, and was raised in Mobile, Alabama
Mobile, Alabama
Mobile is the third most populous city in the Southern US state of Alabama and is the county seat of Mobile County. It is located on the Mobile River and the central Gulf Coast of the United States. The population within the city limits was 195,111 during the 2010 census. It is the largest...
where he attended University Military School (now known as UMS-Wright Preparatory School
UMS-Wright Preparatory School
- History :The UMS-Wright Preparatory School has its foundation in the life of one man—Julius Tutwiler Wright. His goal was an education for the whole person-mental, moral, and physical-intensively tailored to the needs of the individual student. His goal remains central today to the educational...
). Groom's earliest ambition was to become a lawyer like his father, but instead, while a literary editor in college, he chose to become a writer. Groom attended the University of Alabama
University of Alabama
The University of Alabama is a public coeducational university located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States....
, was a member of Delta Tau Delta
Delta Tau Delta
Delta Tau Delta is a U.S.-based international secret letter college fraternity. Delta Tau Delta was founded in 1858 at Bethany College, Bethany, Virginia, . It currently has around 125 student chapters nationwide, as well as more than 25 regional alumni groups. Its national community service...
Fraternity and the Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
ROTC
Reserve Officers' Training Corps
The Reserve Officers' Training Corps is a college-based, officer commissioning program, predominantly in the United States. It is designed as a college elective that focuses on leadership development, problem solving, strategic planning, and professional ethics.The U.S...
, graduating in 1965. He served in the Army from 1965 to 1969, including a tour of duty
Tour of duty
In the Navy, a tour of duty is a period of time spent performing operational duties at sea, including combat, performing patrol or fleet duties, or assigned to service in a foreign country....
in the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
.
Upon his return from Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
, he worked as a reporter for the Washington Star
Washington Star
The Washington Star, previously known as the Washington Star-News and the Washington Evening Star, was a daily afternoon newspaper published in Washington, D.C. between 1852 and 1981. For most of that time, it was the city's newspaper of record, and the longtime home to columnist Mary McGrory and...
, a Washington D. C. newspaper covering police and courtroom activities. Groom retired as a journalist at age 32, and began writing his first novel Better Times Than These which was published in 1978. Better Times Than These was about a group of patriotic soldiers in the Vietnam War whose lives and patriotism both are shattered. His next novel As Summers Die (1980) received better recognition. His novel Conversations with the Enemy (1982) follows an American Vietnam War soldier who escapes from a POW camp and takes a plane back to the United States only to be arrested fourteen years later for desertion. Conversations with the Enemy was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize
Pulitzer Prize
The Pulitzer Prize is a U.S. award for achievements in newspaper and online journalism, literature and musical composition. It was established by American publisher Joseph Pulitzer and is administered by Columbia University in New York City...
in 1983.
In 1985, Groom moved back to Mobile, Alabama
Mobile, Alabama
Mobile is the third most populous city in the Southern US state of Alabama and is the county seat of Mobile County. It is located on the Mobile River and the central Gulf Coast of the United States. The population within the city limits was 195,111 during the 2010 census. It is the largest...
where he began to work on the novel Forrest Gump
Forrest Gump (novel)
Forrest Gump is a 1986 novel by Winston Groom. The title character experiences adventures ranging from shrimp boating and ping pong championships to thinking about his childhood love. The Vietnam War and college football are all part of the story. Throughout his life, Gump views the world simply...
. Forrest Gump was published in 1986; however, it did not make Groom a best selling author until it was adapted into a film with the same name
Forrest Gump
Forrest Gump is a 1994 American epic comedy-drama romance film based on the 1986 novel of the same name by Winston Groom. The film was directed by Robert Zemeckis, starring Tom Hanks, Robin Wright and Gary Sinise...
in 1994 starring Tom Hanks
Tom Hanks
Thomas Jeffrey "Tom" Hanks is an American actor, producer, writer, and director. Hanks worked in television and family-friendly comedies, gaining wide notice in 1988's Big, before achieving success as a dramatic actor in several notable roles, including Andrew Beckett in Philadelphia, the title...
in the title role of Forrest Gump
Forrest Gump (character)
Forrest Gump is a fictional character who first appears in the 1986 eponymous novel by Winston Groom. Forrest Gump also appeared on screen in the 1994 film of the same name directed by Robert Zemeckis. Gump was portrayed as a child by Michael Humphreys and portrayed as an adult by Tom Hanks, who...
. The film propelled the novel to bestseller status and it sold 1.7 million copies worldwide.
Groom devotes his time to writing history books about American wars. He has lived most recently in Point Clear, Alabama
Point Clear, Alabama
Point Clear is an unincorporated census-designated place in Baldwin County, Alabama, United States. As of the 2000 census, the population was 1,876. It is part of the Daphne–Fairhope–Foley Micropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
. and Long Island, New York with his wife, Anne-Clinton and daughter, Carolina. Groom was an old friend of writer Willie Morris
Willie Morris
William Weaks "Willie" Morris , was an American writer and editor born in Jackson, Mississippi, though his family later moved to Yazoo City, Mississippi, which he immortalized in his works of prose. Morris' trademark was his lyrical prose style and reflections on the American South, particularly...
, dating to their days together in Bridgehampton, Long Island, New York.
Groom was also involved in a high-profile lawsuit with the studio regarding his percentage of the net profit of Forrest Gump. Groom was to receive a portion of the net income (rather than the gross revenue), but the studio argued the film lost money due to other costs from the studio (distribution fees, studio overhead, etc.) that were factored into the films final production budget. Groom won the case.
Novels
- Better Times Than These (1978)
- As Summers Die (1980)
- Conversations with the Enemy (1982, with Duncan SpencerDuncan SpencerDuncan Spencer was an English cricketer. Born in Nelson, Lancashire, he was a right-handed batsman and a right-arm fast bowler...
) - Only (1984, novel)
- Forrest GumpForrest Gump (novel)Forrest Gump is a 1986 novel by Winston Groom. The title character experiences adventures ranging from shrimp boating and ping pong championships to thinking about his childhood love. The Vietnam War and college football are all part of the story. Throughout his life, Gump views the world simply...
(1986) - Gone the Sun (1988)
- Gump and Co.Gump and Co.Gump and Co. is a 1995 novel by Winston Groom. It is the sequel to his novel Forrest Gump.-Story:...
(1995) - Such a Pretty, Pretty Girl (1998)
Nonfiction
- Shrouds of Glory: From Atlanta to Nashville: The Last Great Campaign of the Civil War (1995)
- The Crimson Tide: An Illustrated History of Football at the University of Alabama (2002)
- A Storm in Flanders: The Triumph and Tragedy on the Western Front (2002)
- 1942: The Year that Tried Men's Souls (2004)
- Patriotic Fire: Andrew Jackson and Jean Laffite at the Battle of New Orleans (2006)
- Vicksburg, 1863 (2009)
- The Crimson Tide: The Official Illustrated History of Alabama Football, National Championship Edition (2010)
External links
- Winston Groom at goodreads.com
- longer bio
- Southern Literary Review bio
- Interview at the Pritzker Military LibraryPritzker Military LibraryThe Pritzker Military Library is a research library for the study of military history in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded in 2003 by COL James N. Pritzker, IL ARNG to be a non-partisan institution for the study of "the citizen soldier as an essential element for the preservation of...
- Audio interview with Winston Groom at National Review Online
- Winston Groom's The Crimson Tide at University of Alabama Press