Making History: The Biographical Narratives of Robert Penn Warren (Southern Literary Studies)

In Making History, is a comprehensive survey of Robert Penn Warren's biographical narratives, Jonathan S. Cullick tracks a development toward autobiography in Warren's career. By applying narrative theory to the trend, he then makes a discovery: Warren's discourse techniques dramatize his philosophy of history and ethics. The book considers all of Warren's major biographical narratives and their evolvement from detached reporting to self-examination. It offers a new reading of Warren's novel All the King's Men and close examination of several neglected texts, including Warren's first book, 'John Brown: The Making of a Martyr'; his essay 'The World of Daniel Boone'; and two of his final works, 'Jefferson Davis Gets His Citizenship Back' and 'Portrait of a Father.'