James T. Farrell

Nominee, 2012 Chicago Literary Hall of Fame

(Feb. 27, 1904-Aug. 22, 1979)

The danger of censorship in cultural media increases in proportion to the degree to which one approaches the winning of a mass audience.

A huge White Sox fan, graduate of Mt. Carmel High School and the University of Chicago, Farrell used his Chicago roots, especially his South Side childhood memories, to create some 50 books. His Studs Lonigan trilogy made a lasting impact on the literary world, obtaining a broad readership and praise not only among critics but also historians and sociologists. His realistic renderings of social conditions and their impact on characters reflected his own political leanings. Farrell was awarded the Emerson-Thoreau Award from the Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the Lonigan triology was selected a top 100 novel of the 20th century by the Modern Library.


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