Terry Southern (1924-1995) was an American novelist, screenwriter, and essayist. Motivated by a dark comic sensibility and a delight in the outrageous, Southern's work explored the tumultuous culture of late 1950s and 1960s America. His best-known novels, the satirical Flash and Filigree (1958), Candy (1958), and The Magic Christian (1959), showcase his characteristic black humor, and in each case, follow the over-the-top journey of one or more protagonists from innocent idealist to worldly cynic. His screenplays, "Easy Rider" and "Dr. Strangelove" won acclaim for their ability to capture the rebelliousness and unease of the 1960s.
Southern was born in Alvarado, Texas in 1924 and raised in nearby Dallas. In 1943, he dropped out of Southern Methodist University to enlist in the Army, and was stationed for two and a half years in Reading, England. After returning to the U. S. and graduating with a Bachelor in Science from Northwestern University in 1948, he studied at the Sorbonne for four years, where he became friends with a group of American writers and artists that included Aram Avakian, Jean Stein, Mason Hoffenberg, George Plimpton, William Styron, and Peter Matthiesen. In 1953, he returned to the U. S. and settled in Greenwich Village, embracing the Beat scene and befriending Gregory Corso, Allen Ginsberg, Jack Kerouac, and the artist Larry Rivers.
In 1956, Southern and his wife Carol returned to Europe, settling in Geneva (they would return to the U. S. for good in 1959 and buy a house in East Canaan, Connecticut). That same year, Southern began work on Candy, co-written with Mason Hoffenberg and inspired by Voltaire's Candide. Intended as a send-up of contemporary pornography, Candy, published in Paris by Olympia Press in 1958, was one of only a handful of books written in English and banned in France. It was published in the U. S. in 1964. Southern's Flash and Filigree was published in the U. S. in 1958 by Colum McCann; The Magic Christian followed in 1959. The latter attracted the attention of Stanley Kubrick, who invited Southern in the early sixties to collaborate on "Dr. Strangelove", a dark comedy about nuclear war. "Strangelove" established Southern as a hot screenwriter in Hollywood. Over his lifetime, he wrote or contributed to over 125 screenplays, including "The Cincinnati Kid" (1965), "The Loved One" (1965), "Barbarella" (1967), "Casino Royale" (1967), and the counterculture classic, "Easy Rider" (1968).
Throughout his career, Southern contributed regularly to The Nation, Esquire, The Evergreen Review, The Paris Review, and other publications. Tom Wolfe identified Southern's essay, "Twirling at Ole Miss", written for Esquire in 1962, as the first example of the New Journalism, and it is with this style of reporting and with the work of his contemporaries Truman Capote, Joan Didion, David Halberstam, and Hunter S. Thompson that critics categorize his nonfiction.
Chronology:
- May 1, 1924 Born in Alvarado, Texas to Terrance Southern and Helen Simonds Southern.
- 1942 Transfers to Southern Methodist University.
- 1943–1945 Enlists in the U. S. Army (stationed in Reading, England).
- 1948 Graduates from Northwestern University, Chicago.
- September 1948 Moves to Paris to study at the Sorbonne on a G. I. Bill travel grant.
- 1953 Marries Pud Gadiot and moves to New York City.
- 1953 Publishes "The Accident" in inaugural issue of The Paris Review.
- 1954 Divorces Pud Gadiot.
- Fall 1955 Interviews Nelson Algren for The Paris Review.
- July 1956 Marries Carol Kauffman.
- October 1956 Moves to Geneva, Switzerland.
- 1956 Begins Candy; initiates a collaboration with Mason Hoffenberg on the novel.
- Fall 1958 Flash and Filigree is published by Coward McCann.
- October 1958 Candy published by Olympia Press and immediately banned by French government.
- Spring 1959 The Magic Christian is published. Moves to East Canaan Connecticut, where he buys a farm from Artie Shaw.
- Early 1960 Begins reviewing books for The Nation.
- December 29, 1960 A son, Nile, is born.
- Summer 1962 Works for Esquire as relief editor; publishes "The Road to Axotle" in Esquire and interviews Stanley Kubrick.
- November 1962 Summoned to London by Stanley Kubrick to work on the screenplay for "Dr. Strangelove. "
- 1963 Publishes "Twirlm' At Ole Miss" in Esquire. Candy is published in the U. S. and becomes the #2 fiction bestseller.
- 1964 "Dr. Strangelove" released. Hired to collaborate on "The Loved One" In August, the Southerns move to Los Angeles.
- 1964 Meets Gail Gerber.
- 1965 "The Cincinnati Kid" and "The Loved One" are released. The Journal of the Loved One: The Production Log of a Motion Picture is published by Random House.
- 1966 Works on screenplays for "Casino Royale", "Barbarella" and "Candy".
- 1967 Red-Dirt Marijuana and Other Tastes is published. In November, Southern, Dennis Hopper and Henry Fonda meet in New York for brainstorming session for "Easy Rider".
- 1968 Film version of "Candy" released. "Easy Rider" begins filming. Covers Democratic National Convention in Chicago for Esquire.
- 1969 "The Magic Christian" is filmed.
- 1970 Novel "Blue Movie" is published. "The End of the Road" released.
- 1972 Divorces Carol Southern. Covers The Rolling Stones Tour. In the Fall, teaches screenwriting course at Columbia.
- 1977–1978 Works on film version of Junky by William S. Burroughs (project abandoned). The Rolling Stones on Tour is published in Pans by Dragon's Dream.
- 1981–1982 Hired by "Saturday Night Live" as a writer.
- 1983 Approached to work on sequel to "Easy Rider" called "Biker Heaven. "
- 1985 Appointed as a director of Hawkeye, a production company established by Harry Nilsson.
- 1988 "The Telephone", starring Whoopi Goldberg, is released.
- 1989 Undergoes surgery for stomach cancer.
- 1992 Publishes novel Texas Summer. Teaches screen-writing at Columbia (until his death). Assists Perry Richardson with The Early Stones.
- 1995 Receives Gotham Award for lifetime achievement by the Independent Film Producers Association.
- October 29, 1995 Dies in New York at St. Luke's Hospital of respiratory failure.
- May 1, 1924
Born in Alvarado, Texas to Terrance Southern and Helen Simonds Southern.
- 1942
Transfers to Southern Methodist University.
- 1943–1945
Enlists in the U. S. Army (stationed in Reading, England).
- 1948
Graduates from Northwestern University, Chicago.
- September 1948
Moves to Paris to study at the Sorbonne on a G. I. Bill travel grant.
- 1953
Marries Pud Gadiot and moves to New York City.
- 1953
Publishes "The Accident" in inaugural issue of The Paris Review.
- 1954
Divorces Pud Gadiot.
- Fall 1955
Interviews Nelson Algren for The Paris Review.
- July 1956
Marries Carol Kauffman.
- October 1956
Moves to Geneva, Switzerland.
- 1956
Begins Candy; initiates a collaboration with Mason Hoffenberg on the novel.
- Fall 1958
Flash and Filigree is published by Coward McCann.
- October 1958
Candy published by Olympia Press and immediately banned by French government.
- Spring 1959
The Magic Christian is published. Moves to East Canaan Connecticut, where he buys a farm from Artie Shaw.
- Early 1960
Begins reviewing books for The Nation.
- December 29, 1960
A son, Nile, is born.
- Summer 1962
Works for Esquire as relief editor; publishes "The Road to Axotle" in Esquire and interviews Stanley Kubrick.
- November 1962
Summoned to London by Stanley Kubrick to work on the screenplay for "Dr. Strangelove. "
- 1963
Publishes "Twirlm' At Ole Miss" in Esquire. Candy is published in the U. S. and becomes the #2 fiction bestseller.
- 1964
"Dr. Strangelove" released. Hired to collaborate on "The Loved One" In August, the Southerns move to Los Angeles.
- 1964
Meets Gail Gerber.
- 1965
"The Cincinnati Kid" and "The Loved One" are released. The Journal of the Loved One: The Production Log of a Motion Picture is published by Random House.
- 1966
Works on screenplays for "Casino Royale", "Barbarella" and "Candy".
- 1967
Red-Dirt Marijuana and Other Tastes is published. In November, Southern, Dennis Hopper and Henry Fonda meet in New York for brainstorming session for "Easy Rider".
- 1968
Film version of "Candy" released. "Easy Rider" begins filming. Covers Democratic National Convention in Chicago for Esquire.
- 1969
"The Magic Christian" is filmed.
- 1970
Novel "Blue Movie" is published. "The End of the Road" released.
- 1972
Divorces Carol Southern. Covers The Rolling Stones Tour. In the Fall, teaches screenwriting course at Columbia.
- 1977–1978
Works on film version of Junky by William S. Burroughs (project abandoned). The Rolling Stones on Tour is published in Pans by Dragon's Dream.
- 1981–1982
Hired by "Saturday Night Live" as a writer.
- 1983
Approached to work on sequel to "Easy Rider" called "Biker Heaven. "
- 1985
Appointed as a director of Hawkeye, a production company established by Harry Nilsson.
- 1988
"The Telephone", starring Whoopi Goldberg, is released.
- 1989
Undergoes surgery for stomach cancer.
- 1992
Publishes novel Texas Summer. Teaches screen-writing at Columbia (until his death). Assists Perry Richardson with The Early Stones.
- 1995
Receives Gotham Award for lifetime achievement by the Independent Film Producers Association.
- October 29, 1995
Dies in New York at St. Luke's Hospital of respiratory failure.