By STEVEN PRICE
March 29, 2006

Several years ago, not very far from where you now sit, there was a student here at Belmont Abbey College. This student would discover an interest in the great American writer Flannery O’Connor, and would eventually write his dissertation on the writer, entitled “Flannery O’Connor: Catholic One Way or Another: Catholic and Protestant Themes.”

Today, he works in Washington, D.C. as the head book buyer for the largest independent book company in the United States, Olsson’s Books. Dr. Joe Murphy (’89) returned to Belmont Abbey College on St. Patrick’s Day to discuss Flannery O’Connor during a special presentation at Holy Grounds.

Though his career has taken him far from the Abbey, Dr. Murphy made it a point to return to his alma mater to discuss a number of issues related to O’Connor’s writing and Southern literature in general.

“I have always enjoyed her stories,” Murphy said of O’Connor during his discussion. “I loved her stories, I loved her letters. The letters are so sardonic at times.”

Dr. Murphy, who admits to “drifting into” the works of Flannery O’Connor, has a special passion for the author. During his visit, the focus on O’Connor shifted from her background and writing style to some of the themes that were present in her works. One of the questions raised dealt with the subject of race in her texts, and how O’Connor chose to confront the issue. Dr. Murphy had the answer. “Flannery O’Connor rarely directly tackled the issue [of race] in her stories. She had a hard time with it, partly because she was not interested in it. She was better suited for examining Revelation.”

A comparison between Flannery O’Connor and William Faulkner arose during his lecture, also. According to Joe Murphy, William Faulkner, the author of “The Sound and the Fury” and an important figure in Southern literature, was similar to O’Connor in their personal situations. “Both Faulkner and O’Connor share a sort of intellectual pride, actually. Both were eventually able to come to terms with the South.”

While Dr. Murphy answered the questions of fellow O’Connor enthusiasts, he gave a one-word description of Flannery O’Connor that stood out during the discussion. When asked how he would describe O’Connor today, Murphy replied, “Underappreciated.”

Underappreciated. The same term could symbolize the entire canon of Southern literature over the past several decades, as its influence has slowly evaporated along with the interest that our generation has for the genre. Dr. Murphy equated the loss of Southern literature’s identity as being a result of its merger with the rest of American Literature.

“Southern Literature today is filled with American politics and idealism. It has become less regional to a degree, less stereotypical, and it is a loss,” he explained. However, the change in the genre does not detract from the value that Southern literature still possesses, Murphy says. “Southern literature is hard to describe. It’s all over the map, really. It’s diversity. Some times, it can handle so many issues. The canon is filled with great characters, great plots, shocking plot twists, major themes, and beautiful prose writing. Southern literature is uniquely American.”

During his visit, Dr. Murphy gave several lectures to several Southern literature classes. As he progressed, students in attendance could clearly see the appreciation he had for O’Connor and the whole of Southern literature.

That is what makes people like Joe Murphy so great. Not only is he a graduate from Belmont Abbey and an important figure in a major company in Washington, but he is also willing to share his knowledge with students who need to rediscover the importance of studying authors like Flannery O’Connor. It is nice to know that, no matter how far one travels from Belmont Abbey College, they are always ready to return if it will give students here a chance to discuss what truly is a part of life here at the Abbey.

A special thanks to Dr. Joe Murphy for taking the time out of his busy schedule to talk with students here at the Abbey, and to Dr. Lynn Varn for arranging his visit to the college.