Skip to main content
PBS logo
 
 

Search - List of Books by William Kennedy

"Without a sense of place the work is often reduced to a cry of voices in empty rooms, a literature of the self, at its best poetic music; at its worst a thin gruel of the ego." -- William Kennedy
William Joseph Kennedy (born January 16, 1928) is an American writer and journalist born and raised in Albany, New York. Many of his novels feature the interaction of members of the fictional Irish-American Phelan family, and make use of incidents of Albany's history and the supernatural. Kennedy's works include The Ink Truck (1969), Legs (1975), Billy Phelan's Greatest Game (1978), Ironweed (1983, winner of 1984 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction; film, 1987), and Roscoe (2002).

He is a graduate of Siena College in Loudonville, New York and currently resides at Averill Park, a hamlet about 16 miles east of Albany. After serving in the Army, Kennedy lived in Puerto Rico where he met his mentor, Saul Bellow, who encouraged him to write novels. While living in San Juan, he befriended journalist/author Hunter S. Thompson, a friendship that continued throughout their careers. Kennedy, who had been eager to leave Albany, returned to his hometown and worked for the Albany Times Union as an investigative journalist writing stories exposing activities of the O'Connell political machine. His use of Albany as the setting for seven of his novels has drawn comparison to James Joyce's use of Dublin.

He has written a non-fictional account of Albany titled O Albany!.

Quotes   more

Bibliography   more

This author page uses material from the Wikipedia article "William Kennedy", which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0
Total Books: 129
Go in Action
2015 - Go in Action (Paperback)
ISBN-13: 9781617291784
ISBN-10: 1617291781
Genres: Computers & Technology, Reference
  ?

Very Old Bones
2013 - Very Old Bones (Paperback)Hardcover, Audio Cassette
ISBN-13: 9781849838528
ISBN-10: 1849838526
Genre: Literature & Fiction
  ?

Velhos Esqueletos
2013 - Velhos Esqueletos [Em Portugues do Brasil] (Hardcover)
ISBN-13: 9788575039755
ISBN-10: 857503975X
  ?

Chango's Beads and TwoTone Shoes
2012 - Chango's Beads and Twotone Shoes [Albany Cycle, Bk 8] (Paperback)Hardcover
ISBN-13: 9780143122043
ISBN-10: 0143122045
Genre: Literature & Fiction
  ?

Texas  The Rise Progress and Prospects of the Republic of Texas
2010 - Texas the Rise Progress and Prospects of the Republic of Texas [Volume 2] (Paperback)
ISBN-13: 9780217567077
ISBN-10: 021756707X
  ?

Annals of Aberdeen From the Reign of King William the Lion to the End of the Year 1818  With an Account of the City Cathedral and
Fitful Fancies
2010 - Fitful Fancies [German Edition] (Paperback)
ISBN-13: 9781143120961
ISBN-10: 1143120965
Genre: Nonfiction
  ?

Texas The Rise Progress and Prospects of the Republic of Texas Volume 1
2010 - Texas the Rise Progress and Prospects of the Republic of Texas Volume 1 (Paperback)
ISBN-13: 9781141900626
ISBN-10: 1141900629
  ?

English Taxation 16401799 An Essay on Policy and Opinion
2010 - English Taxation 16401799 an Essay on Policy and Opinion (Paperback)Paperback
ISBN-13: 9781152652866
ISBN-10: 1152652869
  ?

An Only Son
2009 - An Only Son (Paperback)
ISBN-13: 9781150797347
ISBN-10: 1150797347
  ?

A Short Narrative of the Second Voyage of the Prince Albert in Search of Sir John Franklin
An Only Son A Narrative by the Author of my Early Days
2009 - An Only Son a Narrative By the Author of My Early Days (Paperback)
ISBN-13: 9781150205354
ISBN-10: 1150205350
  ?

The siege of Antwerp an historical play
2009 - The Siege of Antwerp an Historical Play [in verse] (Paperback)
ISBN-13: 9780217131155
ISBN-10: 0217131158
  ?

The Siege of Antwerp
2009 - The Siege of Antwerp (Paperback)
ISBN-13: 9781458998606
ISBN-10: 1458998606
  • Currently 4.5/5 Stars.
 1

Texas the Rise Progress and Prospects of the Republic of Texas
2009 - Texas the Rise Progress and Prospects of the Republic of Texas (Paperback)
ISBN-13: 9781458858382
ISBN-10: 1458858383
  ?

The Siege Of Antwerp A Historical Play In Five Acts
2009 - The Siege of Antwerp a Historical Play in Five Acts [1838] (Paperback)Hardcover
ISBN-13: 9781104785154
ISBN-10: 1104785153
Genre: Literature & Fiction
  ?

An Only Son A Narrative
2009 - An Only Son a Narrative (Paperback)Paperback, Hardcover
ISBN-13: 9781103196524
ISBN-10: 1103196529
  ?

Texas V2 The Rise Progress And Prospects Of The Republic Of Texas
2008 - Texas V2 the Rise Progress and Prospects of the Republic of Texas [1841] (Hardcover)Paperback
ISBN-13: 9781437420470
ISBN-10: 1437420478
  ?

Ironweed
2008 - Ironweed (Other)Paperback, Hardcover, Audio Cassette, Audio CD
ISBN-13: 9781439513613
ISBN-10: 1439513619
  ?

Annals Of Aberdeen From The Reign Of King William The Lion To The End Of The Year 1818
2008 - Annals of Aberdeen From the Reign of King William the Lion to the End of the Year 1818 [1818] (Paperback)
ISBN-13: 9781436778350
ISBN-10: 1436778352
  ?

A MAN POSSESSED
2008 - A Man Possessed (Paperback)
ISBN-13: 9780595458738
ISBN-10: 0595458734
Genre: Literature & Fiction
  ?

2001 - Guide to Energy Management [3rd Edition] (Hardcover)
1992 - Very Old Bones [Albany, Bk 5] (Hardcover)
1989 - Quinn's Book [Picador Books] (Paperback)
1989 - Cherokee Justice [Black Horse Western] (Hardcover)
1988 - Ironweed [Albany, Bk 3] (Paperback)
1983 - Billy Phelan's Greatest Game [Albany, Bk 2] (Paperback)
1983 - Ironweed [Albany Cycle, Bk 3] (Hardcover)Paperback, Audio Cassette, Audio CD
William Kennedy's Albany Cycle [Sixteenth Century Essays & Studies] (Audio Cassette)
Conversations with William Kennedy [Literary Conversations Series] (Hardcover)
Legs Diamond [Spanish Edition] (Paperback)
Reliquias Muy Queridas [Spanish Edition] (Paperback)
Go Em Ao [Em Portuguese do Brasil] (Paperback)