Frederick Buechner

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Frederick Buechner as photographed in 1950 by Carl Van Vechten
Frederick Buechner as photographed in 1950 by Carl Van Vechten

Frederick Buechner (born July 11, 1926), full name Carl Frederick Buechner, is a Presbyterian PCUSA minister and an American author.

Buechner (pronounced BEEK-nur) graduated from Lawrenceville School in 1943, where he befriended future poet James Merrill.[1] He was accepted to Princeton University. Buechner spent two years (1944–1946) in the military, including combat duty in World War II, before finishing his studies at Princeton. Buechner received a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1947. During his senior year he won the Glascock Prize for poetry.

In 1948, Buechner returned to Lawrenceville as an English teacher. In 1950, Buechner published his first novel, A Long Day's Dying, which he had begun writing during his senior year at Princeton. The novel was universally acclaimed, with Buechner's dense, reflective style drawing more than one comparison to Henry James. Buechner's second novel, The Season's Difference, published in 1952, involved a young teacher who believes he has seen angels in a dogwood tree, and attempts to explain the possibility to his students and their cynical parents. Like his first novel, The Season's Difference is largely a meditation on the search for faith in the modern world. This search for faith was to characterize Buechner's next few years. Buechner quit teaching in 1953 and moved to New York to become a full-time writer.

Buechner then began attending Union Theological Seminary, and received his Bachelor of Divinity degree in 1958, which is equivalent to what is now called a Master of Divinity. He then served as the school chaplain at Phillips Exeter Academy from 1958-1967. Collections of his sermons to Exeter students were published.

Buechner continued to write literary fiction dealing with the issue of faith in a modern context. His best known works are those collected in "The Book of Bebb": Lion Country (1971), Open Heart (1972), Love Feast (1974), and Treasure Hunt (1977). All four are told from the perspective of investigative journalist-turned english teacher Antonio Parr, but revolve around the idiosyncratic con-artist and minister, Leo Bebb. In Bebb, Buechner succeeded in creating one of modern literature's most memorable characters, a devout Christian who, despite various moral shortcomings, proves to have an undeniable impact on all those around him.

Buechner's other critically acclaimed works include Godric, the semi-fictionalized story of the life of a medieval Catholic saint, Godric of Finchale, told from his own perspective. Godric was runner-up for the Pulitzer Prize in 1981. Brendan (1987) was nominated for the National Book Award.

The poet James Merrill (1926–1995) credited Buechner as an early inspiration. Merrill dedicated First Poems to Buechner in 1951. Merrill and Buechner were friends in high school.

Buechner currently lives in Rupert, Vermont with his wife, Judith Merck, and as of 2004 continues to write.

The alternative rock band Daniel Amos released Mr Buechner's Dream inspired by and honoring the author.

[edit] Selected bibliography

  • The Final Beast, 1965
  • The Magnificent Defeat, 1966
  • The Entrance to Porlock, 1970
  • Open Heart, 1972
  • Telling the Truth: The Gospel As Tragedy, Comedy, and Fairy Tale, 1977
  • The Book of Bebb, 1979
  • Godric, 1981
  • " A Room Called Remember", [(1984)]
  • The Alphabet of Grace, 1985
  • Peculiar Treasures: A Biblical Who's Who, 1985
  • The Sacred Journey, 1985
  • Brendan, 1987
  • Whistling in the Dark: A Doubter's Dictionary, 1988
  • The Wizard's Tide: A Story, 1990
  • Telling Secrets, a memoir, 1991
  • The Clown in the Belfry: Writings on Faith and Fiction, 1992
  • The Son of Laughter, 1993
  • Wishful Thinking, 1973 (or earlier)
  • The Longing for Home: Recollections and Reflections, 1996
  • On the Road With the Archangel, 1997
  • The Storm, 1998
  • The Eyes of the Heart: A Memoir of the Lost and Found, 1999
  • Speak What We Feel (Not What We Ought to Say): Reflections on Literature and Faith, 2001
  • Faces of Jesus: A Life Story, 2005
  • Secrets in the Dark: A Life in Sermons, 2006 (ISBN 0-06-084248-2)

[edit] References

  1. ^ Gussow, Mel. "James Merrill Is Dead at 68; Elegant Poet of Love and Loss", The New York Times, February 7, 1995. Accessed October 31, 2007. "He went to Lawrenceville School, where one of his close friends and classmates was the novelist Frederick Buechner."

[edit] External links

  • Buechner, part of a film made about Buechner in 2003