Celebrated, prolific novelist and short story writer considered one of the preeminent writers to emerge from the American South in the years between the world wars. The term Southern Gothic was coined to characterize his dark, brooding vision of the South's decaying way of life. Strong themes in Faulkner's work included the South's legacy of race relations, violence and abject poverty in the post-Civil War era. A number of his works were adapted for the screen by others and he also collaborated on several original screenplays and adaptations of others' works.

Faulkner spent two periods of his