William Goyen

At 68 years old, William Goyen physical status not available right now. We will update William Goyen's height, weight, eye color, hair color, build, and measurements.

Charles William Goyen (April 24, 1915 – August 30, 1983) was an American novelist, short story writer, playwright, editor, and mentor.

These roots, which were born in a small town in East Texas, would influence his entire life. He served as an officer aboard an aircraft carrier in the South Pacific in World War II, where he began to work on The House of Breath, one of his most popular and critically acclaimed books.

He wrote short stories, collections of stories, other books, and plays after the war and into the 1950s.

He never made it to market, but his translated work was well-received in Europe.

He could not fully support himself through his writing during his lifetime, so he did stints as an editor and tutor at several well-known universities at various times.

At one point, he didn't write fiction for many years, making it a "relief" not to have to worry about his writing. The most prominent themes in his work include home and family, place, time, sexuality, loneliness, and memory.

His writing style is not easily identified, and he rejected genre labels attached to his works. Doris Roberts, the actress best known for her role in Everybody Loves Raymond, married him in 1963; they remained together until his death in 1983.

Early years

Goyen was born in Trinity, Texas, on April 24, 1915, to Charles Provine and Mary Inez (née Trow) Goyen. His father worked at the local sawmill, and his mother's relatives ran the post office.

He was the oldest of three children and regarded as epileptic; "he was exposed to sudden and prolonged bouts of crying." He and his family immigrated to Houston in 1923. He lived in Woodland Heights, Texas, where he attended Travis Elementary School and Hogg Middle School. He graduated from Sam Houston High School in 1932. He studied at Rice University (now University), where he obtained a BA in literature (1937) and an MA in comparative literature (1939). At the University of Iowa, he briefly pursued a Ph.D.

Goyen studied at the University of Houston in 1939 and then joined the US Navy the same year. He served as an officer on the aircraft carrier USS Casablanca in the South Pacific during World War II. Walter Berns and his Navy buddy Walter Berns moved to Taos, New Mexico, where they lived near benefactor Frieda Lawrence (widow of D.H. Lawrence) and pursued writing after the war. He traveled and lived in New Mexico, Europe, New York, and California, residing primarily in New York.

He taught creative writing at the New School of Social Research from 1955 to 1960, which gave rise to European travel and literary advancement. He taught at numerous universities, including Columbia, Princeton, and the University of Houston during the 1960s. He worked as a senior trade editor for McGraw-Hill from 1966 to 1971, but resigned to return to his writing in 1971. He was a visiting Professor of English at Brown University in 1973. He moved to Los Angeles in 1975 and spent the majority of his life there.

Biographers have reflected on his often overindulged, often fragile mental state, and an ambiguous sexual orientation. His drinking habits became debilitating at times. Goyen said of his mental condition as he would work: "Ghost and Flesh... you can imagine in those stories... you can imagine" and I loved them, and when it was finished and published, I sort of went off the beam. The book made me mad, writing about it, as well as the book's obsession;"

He had an affair with writer Katherine Anne Porter in 1951, but their revived letters to each other during this time reveal "the convoluted essence" of their friendship, "one of the most hopeless of her life."

His curiosity in theater and stage performances (original plays and adaptations of his own creations) brought him into contact with actress Doris Roberts, who appeared in one of his plays. They married on November 10, 1963. Ms. Roberts said Goyen had the most influence on her life after his death, referring to him as her "mentor."

Goyen had a conversion experience in 1971, which he characterized in greater detail:

A Book of Jesus, a nonfiction book, was born out of this experience. "A very real man began to live with me, of flesh and blood," Goyen said of this work. "He did the same thing on me as He did on the people of the New Testament, which He walked among."

He joined Alcoholics Anonymous in 1976 and stopped drinking alcohol outright. His later years were some of the most fruitful in his life. He died in Los Angeles of leukemia on August 30, 1983, aged 68, only two months before his book Arcadio was published.

Personal life

Biographers have described his heavy drinking, often fragile mental condition, and ambiguous sexual orientation. His drinking habits became debilitating at times. "Ghost and Flesh... you can see in those stories... so unexpected and heartwarming, and I went off the beam when it was finished and published." "I think the book made me mad; writing it, the book's obsession;"

He had an affair with writer Katherine Anne Porter in 1951, but their revived letters to each other during this period reveal "the convoluted essence" of their friendship, "one of the most hopeless of her life" is revealed.

His involvement in theater and stage performances (original plays and adaptations of his own work) brought him into contact with actress Doris Roberts, who appeared in one of his plays. They married on November 10, 1963, and had their first marriage in 1963. Ms. Roberts said Goyen had the most influence on her life after his death, referring to him as her "mentor."

Goyen had a conversion experience in 1971, which he outlined in more detail:

A Book of Jesus, a nonfiction book, was born out of this experience. "A very real man started to live with me, of flesh and blood," Goyen said about this work. "He did the same job on me as He did on the people of the New Testament that He walked among."

He joined Alcoholics Anonymous in 1976 and stopped drinking alcohol completely. His later years were some of his life's most fruitful. He died in Los Angeles, leukemia, on August 30, 1983, just 48 months before his book Arcadio was published.

Source

Career

Goyen served at the University of Houston for one year and then joined the US Navy the same year. He served as an officer on the aircraft carrier USS Casablanca in the South Pacific during World War II. Walter Berns, a Navy friend, and the war brought them to Taos, New Mexico, where they lived near benefactor Frieda Lawrence (widow of D.H. Lawrence). He travelled and lived in New Mexico, Europe, New York, and California, mainly in New York.

He taught creative writing at the New School of Social Research from 1955 to 1960, which gave rise to European travel and literary success. He taught at several universities, including Columbia, Princeton, and the University of Houston during the 1960s. He served as a senior trade editor at McGraw-Hill from 1966 to 1971, but resigned to return to his writing. He was visiting Professor of English at Brown University in 1973. In 1975, he moved to Los Angeles and spent the majority of his life there.

Biographers have referred to his regularly overindulging alcohol intake, sometimes fragile mental state, and a vague sexual orientation. His alcohol use at times became debilitating. When he would work, Goyen wrote: "Ghost and Flesh... you can see in those stories, and I loved them," he wrote, and when it was finished and published, I kind of went off the beam." The book made me crazy; writing it, the book's obsession;..."

He had an affair with writer Katherine Anne Porter in 1951, but their revived letters to each other during this period reveal "the convoluted essence" of their friendship, "one of the most hopeless of her life."

His curiosity in theater and stage performances (original plays and adaptations of his own work) brought him into contact with actor Doris Roberts, who appeared in one of his plays. They married on November 10, 1963, which was the first marriage for them. Ms. Roberts said Goyen had the most influence on her life after his death, referring to him as her "mentor."

Goyen had a conversion experience in 1971, which he recalled in more detail:

A Book of Jesus, a nonfiction book, was born from this experience. "A very authentic man started to live with me, of flesh and blood," Goyen said of this work. "He did the same job on me as He did on the people of the New Testament that He walked among."

He joined Alcoholics Anonymous in 1976 and stopped drinking alcohol completely. His later years were some of the most fruitful in his life. He died in Los Angeles, leukemia, on August 30, 1983, aged 68, two months before his book Arcadio was published.

Source