John Graves (author)
A Texas writer whose quiet, precise prose about a disappearing river became a foundational text of American environmental literature.
1920–2013 (age 93)·American writer·Birthday: August 6·The Greatest Generation
Biography
John Graves wrote with the patient, observant eye of a naturalist and the soul of a poet deeply attached to one particular patch of earth. After serving in the Marine Corps in World War II and studying in Europe, he returned to his native Texas. In 1957, hearing that a series of dams were slated to alter the Brazos River, he embarked on a three-week canoe trip down a stretch of it, accompanied only by his dog. The resulting book, 'Goodbye to a River,' is not a polemic but a meditation—a blend of history, folklore, and keen observation that captures a landscape on the cusp of irrevocable change. Its success, unexpected for a regional work, established Graves as a master of the non-fiction narrative. He spent the rest of his life on a hardscrabble farm near Glen Rose, Texas, writing essays and books that explored the complex relationship between people, land, and history, always with a wry, unsentimental grace that earned him a devoted following and a permanent place in the canon of American nature writing.
The Greatest Generation
1901–1927
Grew up during the Depression, fought World War II, and built the postwar economic boom. Defined by shared sacrifice, institutional trust, and a belief that hard work and loyalty would be rewarded.
John was born in 1920, placing them squarely in The Greatest Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When John Was Born
The biggest hits of 1920
#1 Movie
Way Down East
John's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1920Born
Women gain the right to vote in the US
Home: $3,395President: Woodrow Wilson"Swanee" — Al Jolson
1925Started school
The Scopes Trial debates evolution in schools
Home: $4,366President: Calvin Coolidge"Sweet Georgia Brown" — Ben Bernie
1933Became a teenager
FDR's New Deal launches; Prohibition ends
Gas: $0.18/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Stormy Weather" — Ethel WatersBest Picture: Cavalcade
1936Could drive
Jesse Owens wins four golds at the Berlin Olympics
Gas: $0.19/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"The Way You Look Tonight" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: The Great Ziegfeld
1938Could vote
Kristallnacht and the escalation toward WWII
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $2,850Min wage: $0.25/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Begin the Beguine" — Artie ShawBest Picture: You Can't Take It with You
1941Turned 21
Pearl Harbor attack brings the US into WWII
Gas: $0.19/galHome: $3,060Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Chattanooga Choo Choo" — Glenn MillerBest Picture: How Green Was My Valley
1950Turned 30
Korean War begins
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,354Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Goodnight Irene" — Gordon Jenkins & The WeaversBest Picture: All About Eve
1960Turned 40
Kennedy-Nixon debates become first televised presidential debates
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,900Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Theme from A Summer Place" — Percy FaithBest Picture: The Apartment
1970Turned 50
First Earth Day; The Beatles break up
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $17,000Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Bridge over Troubled Water" — Simon & GarfunkelBest Picture: Patton
1980Turned 60
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1990Turned 70
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
2000Turned 80
Y2K passes without incident; contested Bush-Gore election
Gas: $1.51/galHome: $119,600Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Breathe" — Faith HillBest Picture: Gladiator
2013Died at 93
Edward Snowden reveals NSA surveillance programs
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $152,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Thrift Shop" — Macklemore & Ryan LewisBest Picture: 12 Years a Slave
Key Achievements
- Wrote 'Goodbye to a River' (1960), a seminal work of American environmental literature and narrative non-fiction.
- Received the Carr P. Collins Award from the Texas Institute of Letters for 'Goodbye to a River.'
- Authored 'Hard Scrabble: Observations on a Patch of Land,' a celebrated collection of essays about his life on a Texas farm.
- His body of work is credited with influencing a generation of regional and environmental writers.
Did You Know?
He was wounded by a grenade in the Pacific theater during World War II, an injury that affected his hearing.
Before writing 'Goodbye to a River,' he taught English at the University of Texas at Austin and at Texas Christian University.
He was a skilled craftsman who built much of the furniture for his farmhouse.
He refused to have a telephone in his writing studio for most of his life.
““A man needs a place where he can feel the country and know that something will go on as it always has.””
