William Weaks “Willie” Morris (1934–1999) was an American writer who went from country boy to Rhodes Scholar to literary talent who immortalized Yazoo City, Mississippi, in his works of prose. He became the youngest editor of Harper’s magazine in 1967 and helped launch the careers of such writers as William Styron and Norman Mailer. He wrote several works of fiction and nonfiction, including the seminal book North toward Home, as well as My Dog Skip. A singular personality and conversationalist, Morris died of heart failure in Mississippi, at age sixty-four.
Photograph © David Rae Morris.
WORKS THAT HAVE APPEARED IN NARRATIVE:
- Toleration, an essay, in Stories of the Week: 2013–2014