OXFORD, Miss. – Much has been written and broadcast about William Faulkner. But there has been nothing produced talking about life in the Faulkner household from an insider’s point of view.
“Thinking of Home: Falkner House and Rowan Oak” is a 30-minute documentary featuring Oxford writer Larry Wells, who with his late wife, Dean Faulkner Wells, lived at Falkner House, home of the acclaimed author’s mother.
Wells and Bill Griffith, curator of Faulkner’s home, Rowan Oak, narrate a video tour of both historic houses that includes archival photos, drone footage and Wells’ personal stories about the Faulkner family.
The public is invited to the first open showing at 4 p.m., Thursday (Oct. 24) at the University of Mississippi‘s Overby Center for Southern Journalism and Politics. The documentary was previously shown at the Faulkner conference on campus last summer and at the Pirates Alley Faulkner Society Birthday Bash in September in New Orleans.
Unlike Rowan Oak, Falkner House on South Lamar is not open to the public, thus the documentary provides a rare glimpse into the residence. (William’s parents spelled the name without the ‘u’).
Virtually every day, Faulkner walked the half-mile from Rowan Oak to Falkner House to visit his mother, Maud Falkner. Her husband, Murry, died shortly after the house was built. In the 1920s, Murry Falkner was business manager at the university.
The Rowan Oak segment includes tales of family members staying at the home and incidents, such as when famed CBS broadcaster Edward R. Murrow phoned Faulkner. The fable about Judith, the family ghost, and her untimely death at the home is dramatized.
The documentary was produced by Kathleen Wickham, Ole Miss professor of journalism, with videography by Mary Stanton Knight, communications specialist at University Development, and Deborah Freeland, who also served as editor-director.
Drone footage was provided by Ji Hoon Heo, an instructional assistant professor of journalism. Music was recorded and performed by Diane Wang and Stacy Rodgers of the UM Department of Music. The Department of Archives and Special Collections at the J.D. Williams Library provided photographs.
Funding was provided by the School of Journalism and New Media and the Mississippi Film Alliance. The documentary will be donated to Rowan Oak, with plans for it to be permanently available for viewing.
For special assistance related to a disability, contact Sarah Griffith at 662-915-7146 or email slgriff@olemiss.edu. Please request accommodations as soon as possible to allow time for arrangements.