Meet the Author
Mary Wakefield Buxton was born in Vermilion, Ohio, attended Randolph-Macon Woman’s College, graduated from the College of William and Mary, and earned a master’s degree from the George Washington University. She has written a column for the Southside Sentinel newspaper in Middlesex County since 1984 and is the author of eleven previous books about love and life in Virginia. This is her first novel. She is the mother of two adult children and lives in Urbanna, Virginia, with her husband, Chip, and her cocker spaniel, Dandy.
Details
Formats: Hardcover, Paperback
Pages: 144
ISBN HC: 978-1-9399302-7-9
ISBN PB: 978-1-9399300-1-9
Release Date: 07/01/2014
Praise
“Mary Wakefield Buxton has revealed the true essence of the life of Pulitzer Prize-winning author William Styron in her new book, The Private War of William Styron. Because of Buxton’s close relationship to Styron, she uncovers truths we might otherwise never have known.” —Tom Hardin, editor, Southside Sentinel
“Fans and scholars of the work of Pulitzer Prize-winner William Styron will find intensity and insight in this fictional approach to the author’s art and anguish. ‘Could a woman writer dare to get into the mind of a male writer? Could a woman tell a man’s story?’ Buxton asks. Her answer: yes, she can.” —Bill Ruehlmann, book reviewer, the Virginian Pilot and Norfolk Ledger Star
“Mary Wakefield Buxton describes perfectly in her book The Private War of William Styron the universal struggle of that rare, non-conforming and artistic soul who must insist on following his or her own path in life, totally disregarding flak from the common herd along the way. A magnificent read from a gifted writer.” —John Selby Spong, former rector of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Richmond, Virginia, and author of The Fourth Gospel: Tales of a Jewish Mystic
“Mary Wakefield Buxton writes with a passion and knowledge of Bill Styron’s life that cannot be surpassed.” —Larry Chowning, author of Barcat Skipper and staff reporter, Southside Sentinel
“[Buxton] provides a mission as sentry, alert to the inconsistencies, prejudices, and paradoxes in life. No one, as poet Wordsworth said of a host of daffodils, could be but gay in such jocund company.” —Guy Friddel, Richmond News Leader, Norfolk Ledger Star
“This writer pokes fun and criticism at southern genteel . . . [she is] the insightful and purposeful scribbler of an enlightened pen.” —Werner Saemmler Hindriches, Fredericksburg citiLimits
“I call her iconoclastic. She writes strong stuff.” —Parke Rouse, the Daily Press
“William Styron once said, “…But of all the schools I attended…only Christchurch ever commanded something more than mere respect—which is to say, my true and abiding affection.” Mary Buxton masterfully brings to life the early years of one of Christchurch School’s favorite sons and most distinguished alumni. The Private War of William Styron adds new research and a fresh perspective to understanding this complicated genius.” —John E. “JEB” Byers, Headmaster, Christchurch School
