Robert Flynn (author)
Encyclopedia
Robert Flynn is an author and professor emeritus at Trinity University
.
's Lonesome Dove
). Later works focused on more modern themes: rural life, going to war, religion in modern times and conflicts between "small town morality" and mass media/pop culture.
Novels like In the House of the Lord explored more religious/spiritual themes. Wanderer Springs adopted the gently satirical tone of his earlier works while also examining the interconnectedness between people and families in a small Texas town (inviting comparison to writers like Elmer Kelton
or Garrison Keillor
). The Last Klick touches upon themes of his service in the Vietnam War (reminiscent of novelist Tim O'Brien
). In his latest novel Tie-Fast Country, Flynn returns to earlier themes, depicting a grandmother rancher with a checkered past who is out of sync with contemporary life. (The narrator, on the other hand, is a TV news producer who has to confront her).
Flynn's short stories touch upon more serious themes and are written perhaps with a more lyrical style.
Trinity University (Texas)
Trinity University is a private, independent, primarily undergraduate, university in San Antonio, Texas. Its campus is located in the Monte Vista Historic District and adjacent to Brackenridge Park....
.
Styles and themes
Flynn's early fame came with the novel, North to Yesterday, which was a national bestseller. In Don Quixote fashion, it mocked the legend of the cowboy in Western novels while paying homage to it at the same time (anticipating Larry McMurtryLarry McMurtry
Larry Jeff McMurtry is an American novelist, essayist, bookseller and screenwriter whose work is predominantly set in either the old West or in contemporary Texas...
's Lonesome Dove
Lonesome Dove
Lonesome Dove is a 1985 Pulitzer Prize–winning western novel written by Larry McMurtry. It is the first published book of the Lonesome Dove series, but the third installment in the series chronologically...
). Later works focused on more modern themes: rural life, going to war, religion in modern times and conflicts between "small town morality" and mass media/pop culture.
Novels like In the House of the Lord explored more religious/spiritual themes. Wanderer Springs adopted the gently satirical tone of his earlier works while also examining the interconnectedness between people and families in a small Texas town (inviting comparison to writers like Elmer Kelton
Elmer Kelton
Elmer Stephen Kelton was an American journalist and writer, known particularly for his Western novels.-Biography:...
or Garrison Keillor
Garrison Keillor
Gary Edward "Garrison" Keillor is an American author, storyteller, humorist, and radio personality. He is known as host of the Minnesota Public Radio show A Prairie Home Companion Gary Edward "Garrison" Keillor (born August 7, 1942) is an American author, storyteller, humorist, and radio...
). The Last Klick touches upon themes of his service in the Vietnam War (reminiscent of novelist Tim O'Brien
Tim O'Brien
Tim O'Brien may refer to:* Tim O'Brien , American author* Timothy O'Brien , Irish professor* Timothy L...
). In his latest novel Tie-Fast Country, Flynn returns to earlier themes, depicting a grandmother rancher with a checkered past who is out of sync with contemporary life. (The narrator, on the other hand, is a TV news producer who has to confront her).
Flynn's short stories touch upon more serious themes and are written perhaps with a more lyrical style.
Novels
- North To Yesterday
- In the House of the Lord
- The Sounds of Rescue, The Signs of Hope
- Wanderer Springs
- The Last Klick
- The Devil's Tiger, with Dan Klepper
- Tie-Fast Country
Short Story Collections
- Living with the Hyenas
- Seasonal Rain
- Slouching towards Zion
Essays
- When I was Just Your Age, oral histories, edited with Susan Russell
- Growing Up a Sullen Baptist
- Paul Baker and the Integration of Abilities
Religious/Social Essays
Further reading
- Art at Our Doorstep: San Antonio Writers and Artists featuring Robert Flynn. Edited by Nan Cuba and Riley Robinson (Trinity University Press, 2008).
External links
- Interview with Robert Flynn(about his book Growing Up a Sullen Baptist).
- The Door: The World's Pretty Much Only Magazine of Religious Satire. Essay by Robert Flynn.
- Robert Flynn's Author Website