New York City, Jan. 29, 1952. James Jones accepts the National Book Award for From Here to Eternity. His co-winners are poet Marianne Moore (left) and naturalist/writer Rachel Carson (right).

JAMES JONES LITERARY SOCIETY

"This is the song of the men who have no place, played by a man who has never had a place, and can therefore play it." --From Here to Eternity (1951)

"...James Jones was not just a good writer but a good man." --Roger Ebert, Review of A Soldier's Daughter Never Cries (See Literary Links section below)

JUMP TO THE LATEST JJLS NEWSLETTER  (PDF - Adobe Acrobat Required for viewing)

1999: THE JJLS 'SYMPOSIUM OF THE CENTURY'

Some of America's greatest authors came together to recall, to analyze and to praise James Jones at the Society's 1999 Symposium on Long Island, N.Y., the last weekend in June. Read what they said here.

WHO WAS JAMES JONES?

James Jones (1921-1977), one of the major novelists of his generation, is known primarily as the author of fiction that probes the effects of World War II on the individual soldier. Born in Robinson, Illinois, Jones entered the U.S. Army and had the distinction of being the only individual who would become a major writer to witness the attack by the Japanese on Pearl Harbor. A member of the 27th U.S. Infantry Regiment (25th Division), Jones was wounded at Guadalcanal and returned to Robinson, where he started to write about his experiences. After shelving his unpublished first novel, "They Shall Inherit the Laughter," Jones completed the critically acclaimed international bestseller From Here to Eternity (1951). He assisted in the creation of the Handy Writers' Colony in Marshall, Illinois (which lasted from 1949 to 1964) before taking up residence in Paris as part of the Second Generation of American Expatriate writers and artists. Jones's other novels are Some Came Running (1957), The Pistol (1959), The Thin Red Line (1962), Go to the Widow-Maker (1967), The Merry Month of May (1971), A Touch of Danger (1973), and Whistle (1978). Jones published an acclaimed short-story collection, The Ice-Cream Headache and Other Stories (1968), a nonfictional history of World War II from the viewpoint of the soldier, World War II (1975), and a book of essays, Viet Journal (1975). Jones also published short fiction and articles throughout his adult life.

The James Jones First Novel Fellowship

The James Jones Lincoln Trail Writing Award

Emerging Writers Competition: James Jones Short Story Award

What's All the Fuss About James Jones?

Biographical Articles About Jones & Photo Album

The Handy Writers' Colony: 1949-1964

Selected Bibliography of Books, Articles, and Interviews Concerning Jones

The James Jones Journal (Launched 2009) and Newsletter

WWW Literary Links

Feedback, Comments, Love Letters (1996-2004)

Past Symposium Archive

James Jones Papers, University of Texas: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3

James Jones Archives at Yale

Frequently Asked Questions

Dedication of Eternity Hall (U.S. House of Representatives - May 8, 1997)

The above poster (produced by Winchester) is from the National Archives and Records Administration and was part of a series designed to "rock people out of their complacency with grim, unromantic visions of war," which was what Jones did with his fiction.

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