James Dickey Books in Order

James Dickey is a renowned American poet, novelist, and professor. Born in Atlanta, Georgia, he served as a pilot in the Second World War before attending Vanderbilt University, where he earned an MA in 1950. Dickey then returned to military duty in the Korean War, serving with the US Air Force. He transitioned to academia, teaching at Rice University in Texas and the University of Florida, before entering the advertising industry in New York and Atlanta from 1955 to 1961. Following the publication of his debut collection Into the Stone in 1962, Dickey shifted to teaching at various institutions, becoming poet-in-residence and Carolina Professor of English at the University of South Carolina. Notable works include Buckdancer's Choice, which won the National Book Award in Poetry in 1965, and the novel Deliverance, adapted into a Hollywood film in 1970. Dickey's poetry is characterized by a blend of lyricism and narrative, often exploring themes of private anxiety and guilt.