Ray Hannah, Barry

Nominated for the American Book Award, 'Ray' is the bizarre, hilarious, and consistently adventurous story of a life on the edge. Dr. Ray- a womanizer, small-town drunk, vigilante, poet, adoring husband- is a man trying to make sense of life in the twentieth century. In flight from the death he dealt flying over Vietnam, Dr. Ray struggles with those bound to him by need, sickness, lunacy, by blood and by love.

From the Publisher:
Nominated for the American Book Award, 'Ray' is the bizarre, hilarious, and consistently adventurous story of a life on the edge. Dr. Ray- a womanizer, small-town drunk, vigilante, poet, adoring husband- is a man trying to make sense of life in the twentieth century. In flight from the death he dealt flying over Vietnam, Dr. Ray struggles with those bound to him by need, sickness, lunacy, by blood and by love.

Annotation:
A comic novel detailing the misadventures of a good-old-boy doctor in Alabama. Doctor Ray is a drinker, a brawler, a womanizer, and a spinner of yarns. The account that he gives of himself involves his newlywed wife, his old wives, the Vietnam War, a rock starlet, a deranged preacher, various patients, and a great quantity of drink and drugs.

Author Bio

Barry Hannah

Hannah received his B.A. from Mississippi College in 1964. In 1966 and 1967, he earned an M.A. and M.F.A. in creative writing from the University of Arkansas. He taught at Clemson University in South Carolina until his first novel, "Geronimo Rex", was published (1972), winning the William Faulkner Prize and a nomination for the National Book Award. After a rambling life as a writer and teacher in South Carolina, Vermont, Hollywood, and Iowa--among other places--Hannah settled in Oxford, Mississippi, Faulkner's home town. He has taught writing at the University of Mississippi. Hannah spent much of his adult life struggling with alcoholism, which got him into several well-publicized scrapes, until the early '90s, when he stopped drinking entirely. He has two sons and a daughter, and he travels frequently to France, where he has a devoted following.

Born and raised in Mississippi, Barry Hannah received his B.A. from Mississippi College in 1964. In 1966 and 1967, he earned an M.A. and M.F.A. in creative writing from the University of Arkansas. He taught at Clemson University in South Carolina until his first novel, GERONIMO REX, was published (1972), winning the William Faulkner Prize and a nomination for the National Book Award. After a rambling life as a writer and teacher in South Carolina, Vermont, Hollywood, and Iowa--among other places--Hannah settled in Oxford, Mississippi, Faulkner's home town, where he taught writing at the University of Mississippi. Hannah spent much of his adult life struggling with alcoholism, which got him into several well-publicized scrapes, until the early '90s, when he stopped drinking entirely. In 1996 his short story collection HIGH LONESOME was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize. Hannah had two sons and a daughter, and he traveled frequently to France, where he had a devoted following. He died from a heart attack at the age of 67.

Praise

New York Times Book Review
"The funniest, weirdest, soul-happiest work of fiction by a genuinely young American author that I've read in a long while." - Benjamin Demott 11/16/1980

Saturday Review
"Laconic, mean, raunchy, and very funny." - Ronald Nevans November 1980

Newsweek
"A novel of brilliant particulars, dizzying juxtapositions and no reassuring narrative transitions." - Walter Clemons 12/15/1980

Nation
"[Hannah's] is a rare and marvellous gift." - Michael Malone 11/29/1980

Product Attributes

Book Format:		Paperback
Number of Pages:		0128
Publisher:		Grove Press

BloomReach Content

Ray (Paperback)

Product Details:

Praise

Rakuten