Charles Portis
Charles Portis
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Full Name and Common Aliases
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Charles McCollough Portis was an American novelist and journalist best known for his novels of the American South.
Birth and Death Dates
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Born on August 12, 1917, in El Dorado, Arkansas; died on February 21, 2000, in Little Rock, Arkansas.
Nationality and Profession(s)
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American novelist, journalist
Early Life and Background
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Portis grew up in a rural area of Arkansas, the son of a prominent local businessman. He attended Hendrix College in Conway, Arkansas, where he developed an interest in writing. After serving in World War II, Portis began his career as a reporter for the New York Herald Tribune, eventually becoming a foreign correspondent.
Major Accomplishments
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Portis's novels often explored themes of the American South and its people. His most famous work is True Grit (1969), which won the Pulitzer Prize in 1970 and was adapted into successful films by John Wayne in 1969 and the Coen brothers in 2010.
Notable Works or Actions
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True Grit: a classic Western novel about a young girl's quest for justice in the Oklahoma Territory.
Norwood: a satirical novel that explores themes of identity, class, and the American Dream.
* Gringos (1991), a historical novel set during the Mexican-American War.
Impact and Legacy
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Portis's writing often captured the essence of the American South, exploring themes of family, community, and individualism. His novels are known for their vivid characters, rich settings, and nuanced exploration of complex issues.
Why They Are Widely Quoted or Remembered
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Portis is widely quoted or remembered for his distinctive writing style, which blends elements of satire, humor, and pathos to create memorable stories about the human condition. His novels continue to be celebrated for their insight into the American experience, making him a beloved figure in American literature.
Quotes by Charles Portis
A lot of people leave Arkansas and most of them come back sooner or later. They can’t quite achieve escape velocity.
Now I was surprised and light-headed, like a domestic fowl that finds itself able to fly over a low fence in a moment of terror.
If you don’t have no schooling you are up against it in this country, sis. That is the way of it. No sir, that man has no chance any more. No matter if he has got sand in his craw, others will push him aside, little thin fellows that have won spelling bees back home.
As we rode along LaBoeuf commenced whistling tunes, perhaps to take his mind off his sore arm. Rooster said, “God damn a man that whistles!” It was the wrong thing to say if he wished it to stop.
You go for a man hard and fast enough and he don’t have time to think about how many is with him, he thinks about himself and how he may get clear out of the wrath that is about to set down on him.
You can expect that out of Federal people and to make it worse this was a Republican gang that cared nothing for the opinion of the good people of Arkansas who are Democrats.
When the beer came, I dipped a finger in it and wet down each corner of the paper napkin to anchor it, so it would not come up with the mug each time and make me appear ridiculous. I.
I noticed that the houses in Fort Smith were numbered but it was no city at all compared to Little Rock. I thought then and still think that Fort Smith ought to be in Oklahoma instead of Arkansas...