Thanks for this. This prompts me to read deeper into Gay, have only read a couple of short stories. He reminds me a lot of Harry Crews, a master of Southern Gothic, whose short story class I took at the University of Florida. There were 18 classes and Crews showed up drunk for half of them. The other half he didn’t show up at all and his teaching assistant had to stand in. Still, it was a great class. This also prompts me to go back and re-read more early McCarthy and the Tennessee books, although I’m gonna have to steel myself for another visit to Child of God. Mighty dark stuff. I look forward to reading more of your posts.
Wow what a neat dissection. I’ll be on the lookout for sure. You had me at “He served in the Vietnam war.” I’ve worked side by side in heavy construction with quite a few VVs and there’s a lot going on in those heads. Thanks for the intro.
Brett, this is an awesome tribute. Well done. Didn’t realize you went to UTC. Chattanooga is all right. Class piece of writing here. I’ve only read some of The Long Road and am now feeling guilty about it. Cool you got a chance to meet William Gay.
Thanks, Matt. Gay really deserves some extra props. And Chattanooga is an excellent place for a writer. The creative writing faculty for undergrads and grad students there is second to none, and you get that dose of a real literary scene —people are excited about regional writing there.
Brett, this piece is a masterclass in literary homage. Your portrait of William Gay doesn’t just illuminate the man... it reverberates with the same tonal richness and narrative pulse that defined his work. I was especially struck by how you captured the tension between lyricism and plot, and how Gay’s stories breathe with both poetic atmosphere and visceral stakes. That balance is rare, and your reflection honors it with clarity and reverence.
Your personal anecdotes, especially the workshop moment and the Jeep ride, ground the tribute in lived experience, making it all the more affecting. And your analysis of “A Death in the Woods” and “The Paperhanger” was razor-sharp. You’ve not only made a compelling case for Gay’s place in the Southern Gothic pantheon, you’ve reminded us why stories matter, and how they linger.
Thank you for this. It’s the kind of writing that makes readers want to write.
Loved. If there's any mantel I want it's tonal sorcerer. Perfect that you hauled Terrence Malick into this. I feel that reference. Now I need to read a man I never heard of. Well done.
One of my heroes. I got to drive him from Oxford, MS to Hohenwald once. He couldn’t have been a kinder or more interesting guy. We talked about God and Flannery O’Connor and Bob Dylan and our families and a whole lot else. He was forthcoming, generous, and above all things a gentleman. I love his work so much. Thanks for writing this.
Amazing you got to have that experience. I think I’m gonna make it a habit to shout his name from the rooftops around here. So good to see some love for this legend.
It was funny to me, as a young twenty-something who was turned onto writing by the Border Trilogy, to hear this guy kind of shrug at the Border Trilogy. And he was right about the Tennessee stuff, much as I still love later McCarthy.
I hand copied his short “Where Will You Go When Your Skin Cannot Contain You?” and I learned more that exercise than every craft essay I’ve read combined.
I taught his work and finally convinced him to visit my class. The students were all so excited. Then word came that he was too ill. He died not long after. One of my favorite writers and a gracious man.
Thanks for this. This prompts me to read deeper into Gay, have only read a couple of short stories. He reminds me a lot of Harry Crews, a master of Southern Gothic, whose short story class I took at the University of Florida. There were 18 classes and Crews showed up drunk for half of them. The other half he didn’t show up at all and his teaching assistant had to stand in. Still, it was a great class. This also prompts me to go back and re-read more early McCarthy and the Tennessee books, although I’m gonna have to steel myself for another visit to Child of God. Mighty dark stuff. I look forward to reading more of your posts.
Thanks, Bob! Love Harry Crews.
Wow what a neat dissection. I’ll be on the lookout for sure. You had me at “He served in the Vietnam war.” I’ve worked side by side in heavy construction with quite a few VVs and there’s a lot going on in those heads. Thanks for the intro.
Brett, this is an awesome tribute. Well done. Didn’t realize you went to UTC. Chattanooga is all right. Class piece of writing here. I’ve only read some of The Long Road and am now feeling guilty about it. Cool you got a chance to meet William Gay.
Thanks, Matt. Gay really deserves some extra props. And Chattanooga is an excellent place for a writer. The creative writing faculty for undergrads and grad students there is second to none, and you get that dose of a real literary scene —people are excited about regional writing there.
Brett, this piece is a masterclass in literary homage. Your portrait of William Gay doesn’t just illuminate the man... it reverberates with the same tonal richness and narrative pulse that defined his work. I was especially struck by how you captured the tension between lyricism and plot, and how Gay’s stories breathe with both poetic atmosphere and visceral stakes. That balance is rare, and your reflection honors it with clarity and reverence.
Your personal anecdotes, especially the workshop moment and the Jeep ride, ground the tribute in lived experience, making it all the more affecting. And your analysis of “A Death in the Woods” and “The Paperhanger” was razor-sharp. You’ve not only made a compelling case for Gay’s place in the Southern Gothic pantheon, you’ve reminded us why stories matter, and how they linger.
Thank you for this. It’s the kind of writing that makes readers want to write.
Dang! Thanks so much for this. It was important for me to do him justice and your comment makes me feel like I’ve MAYBE done my duty 🤠🙏.
Loved. If there's any mantel I want it's tonal sorcerer. Perfect that you hauled Terrence Malick into this. I feel that reference. Now I need to read a man I never heard of. Well done.
You won’t be disappointed by those stories.
One of my heroes. I got to drive him from Oxford, MS to Hohenwald once. He couldn’t have been a kinder or more interesting guy. We talked about God and Flannery O’Connor and Bob Dylan and our families and a whole lot else. He was forthcoming, generous, and above all things a gentleman. I love his work so much. Thanks for writing this.
Amazing you got to have that experience. I think I’m gonna make it a habit to shout his name from the rooftops around here. So good to see some love for this legend.
Great piece. "Gay was a tonal sorcerer." Yes, indeed, and well said. Also loved the bit about Cormac's Tennessee novels being his best stuff.
It was funny to me, as a young twenty-something who was turned onto writing by the Border Trilogy, to hear this guy kind of shrug at the Border Trilogy. And he was right about the Tennessee stuff, much as I still love later McCarthy.
Thank you for writing this, Brett. Gay deserves his flowers and not just as "Cormac Jr."
100%, Vinny. Gay did his own thing. Just started off by imitating a few greats (like everybody else).
I hand copied his short “Where Will You Go When Your Skin Cannot Contain You?” and I learned more that exercise than every craft essay I’ve read combined.
So much to learn from him. He wrote solid, gripping stories AND these beautiful poetic passages -- but balanced them in a way that's so instructive.
I taught his work and finally convinced him to visit my class. The students were all so excited. Then word came that he was too ill. He died not long after. One of my favorite writers and a gracious man.
Glad to see some love for this writer and his work. Sorry he couldn’t make it to your class 😩
Oh we were so devastated. What a writer he was!