On October 9, 1967, William Styron’s novel from history, The Confessions of Nat Turner, was published to acclaim and controversy. Styron was raised in Newport News, Virginia, about a hundred miles from the site of the rebellion in Southampton County, Virginia. The novel was awarded the Pulitzer Prize, despite controversy over its characterization of Turner and other characters, and the fact that it was written in the voice of a Black man by a white writer. The novel remains in print today, and is still widely read.
Our strong holdings in the history of Virginia include some of the essential source material upon which Styron based the novel. Of particular importance was this text, first published in 1831. It is written in the form of an interview with Turner, who tells his tale in the first person:
Also in the collections is another period narrative, shown below. this item is digitized in full and available online:Styron is also known to have depended on the following two volumes for his project, copies of both of which are likewise held in our collections:
Finally, Styron depended upon M. Boyd Coyner’s UVA dissertation based upon our Cocke family papers collection. As James West tells it, “Styron was alerted to the existence of the dissertation by C. Vann Woodward, and Styron secured a copy of it from Coyner, who was then teaching at Hampden-Sydney.”
Thanks to donor and Styron bibliographer James West for calling our attention to this anniversary and these fantastic source materials!
"Mwezi Oktoba 9, 1967 William Styron alichapisha kitabu chake cha ""The Confessions of Nat Turner"" ambacho kilikuwa na matokeo mazuri." Styron alilelewa huko Newport News, Virginia, karibu maili mia moja kutoka mahali pa uasi katika Kaunti ya Southampton, Virginia. Kitabu hicho kilipata tuzo ya Pulitzer, licha ya utata juu ya jinsi Turner na wahusika wengine walivyoonyeshwa, na ukweli kwamba kiliandikwa kwa sauti ya mtu mweusi na mwandishi mweupe. Riwaya hiyo bado inachapishwa leo, na bado inasomwa sana. Hifadhi zetu zenye nguvu katika historia ya Virginia ni pamoja na baadhi ya nyenzo muhimu za chanzo ambazo Styron alitegemea riwaya hiyo. Maandishi hayo yalikuwa muhimu sana, na yalichapishwa kwa mara ya kwanza mwaka wa 1831. "Kama ilivyoelezwa katika makala ya kwanza ya kitabu hiki, Turner anaelezea hadithi yake katika mtu wa kwanza, ""Kama ilivyoelezwa katika makala ya pili ya kitabu hiki, ni pamoja na hadithi ya kipindi hiki." "Kama ilivyoelezwa hapo juu, Styron pia anajulikana kuwa amegemea mabuku mawili yafuatayo kwa mradi wake, nakala za zote mbili ambazo pia zinashikiliwa katika makusanyo yetu: ""Mwishowe, Styron alitegemea dissertation ya M. Boyd Coyne ya UVA kulingana na mkusanyiko wetu wa karatasi za familia ya Cocke." Kama James West anavyosema, <unk>Styron alionywa juu ya kuwepo kwa dissertation na C. Vann Woodward, na Styron got nakala yake kutoka Coyner, ambaye alikuwa wakati huo kufundisha katika Hampden-Sydney.<unk> Shukrani kwa mchangiaji na Styron bibliographer James West kwa wito wetu kwa ajili ya maadhimisho haya na hizi vifaa vya chanzo ajabu!