[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 14]
[Senate]
[Pages 19397-19398]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



      WILLIE MORRIS, HONORING THE LIFE OF A GREAT SOUTHERN WRITER

  Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, earlier this week, author Willie Morris, a 
native of Mississippi, passed away from an apparent heart attack at the 
young age of 64. Mr. Morris was a writer and editor who painted a vivid 
picture of the Southern way of life unlike any literary figure since 
William Faulkner. Mr. Morris had the heart of a good ole country boy 
who grew up in Yazoo City, and the intellect of a Rhodes Scholar.
  Mr. Morris later went on to become a major literary leader, becoming 
editor and chief of Harper's Magazine at the age of 32. He attained 
national prominence in his career as a journalist, nonfiction writer, 
novelist, editor, and essayist by writing more than a dozen books on 
subjects ranging from his childhood English fox terrier in ``My Dog 
Skip'' to the intersection of football and race in ``The Courting of 
Marcus Dupree.'' Critics have characterized Mr. Morris's works as being 
``exquisite and lyrical rendering.'' He was particularly well known for 
the books and articles in which he compared his experiences and 
southern heritage to America's own history.
  Rather than attend the University of Mississippi, his father had him 
go to the distant and alien environs of the University of Texas in 
Austin, but in

[[Page 19398]]

1980 he returned to Ole Miss to be the writer in residence. His class 
room has been described like being at an Ole Miss v. LSU football game, 
because the students were always so excited.
  Mr. President, Mr. Morris has been described as being ``a prolific 
author in his own life, defining moments of intimacy and compassion.''
  David Sansing, a retired University of Mississippi historian said 
this about Mr. Morris, ``Willie was such an honest voice, clear, vivid, 
never ambiguous. He had to leave the South to really confirm his own 
Southernness. But of course, he came back.''
  Willie Morris's writing undoubtedly had a grave impact on the lives 
of Mississippians and Southerners alike. He is survived by his wife, 
JoAnne Prichard of Jackson, and his son David Rae of New Orleans.

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