Charles Portis
Charles Portis was an American novelist, known for his comic fiction that often featured fact-based storytelling about the culture and history of the South and West. His work includes five novels—Norwood, True Grit, The Dog of the South, Masters of Atlantis, and Gringos—along with several short stories and non-fiction essays. Since his debut with Norwood in 1966, Portis has been acclaimed as a master of satire and classic western adventure. His writing is both humorous and thought-provoking, touching on themes of loyalty, justice, and mortality.
Portis was born in El Dorado, Arkansas in 1933 and grew up in nearby Cotton Plant, a small rural town where he developed an appreciation for the local culture, history, and language. This connection to the South is evident in much of his work: in True Grit, a novel of revenge set in the Wild West, he evokes the Southern Gothic atmosphere of his childhood in remarkable detail. Equally vivid are the characters he creates—the General I.H. Rose of the Confederate States of America in Dog of the South, or Mrs. Hollister and her search for the mythical Masters of Atlantis in Masters of Atlantis.
Portis received a B.A. in English from the University of Arkansas in 1957 and soon afterwards he began working as a reporter and feature writer. He contributed to the Arkansas Gazette and the Memphis Commercial Appeal, where he wrote on a wide range of topics, from crime to religion and politics. He also wrote several long-term pieces on the civil rights movement and its impact on the region.
Perhaps the most notable of his novels is True Grit (1968), a story of a young girl’s determination to avenge her father’s murder. Portis’s skillful storytelling of the grit and determination of the central character Mattie Ross has inspired two major motion pictures—the 1969 version starring John Wayne and the 2010 adaptation starring Jeff Bridges.
Throughout his career, Portis exhibited a remarkable talent for creating unique and highly localized characters and settings. His clever narrative techniques—often using the perspectives of multiple narrators—result in stories that are both funny and moving. His writing touches on a wide range of emotions—from the loneliness of a soldier in Dog of the South to the evil machinations of the Masters of Atlantis in his comic parable.
Portis passed away in February of 2020 at the age of 86. His work has been an inspiration to many writers and readers, and his influence will continue to be felt in the years to come. His novels, short stories, and essays still maintain the same sharp wit, humor, and insight that first made them popular. While his works may no longer take us to the Arkansas countryside of his childhood, he has left us a lasting legacy of characters, stories, and ideas that continue to resonate.
