He also ate here, drank here, partied here, fell in love on the balcony here, wrote letters from here, gathered inspiration here and, most importantly, became a novelist here.

Faulkner House, located at 624 Pirate's Alley in New Orleans, Louisiana, is a national literary landmark. Nobel Laureate William Faulkner lived on the ground floor in 1925, and sub-leased the ground floor from William Spratling, the famous artist, jewelry designer, and architect, who leased the whole house from a Creole family. While living on Pirate's Alley, Faulkner and Spratling produced a book satirizing their friends, Sherwood Anderson and Other Famous Creoles.

Faulkner arrived in New Orleans as an unsung poet, and by the time he left for France a year later, he was well on his way to becoming America's most famous novelist. He had written and published his first novel, Soldiers' Pay, within a year of arriving, and had gained inspiration for Mosquitoes, The Wild Palms, and Pylon. To support himself, he wrote a series of poetic sketches about New Orleans, which would later be compiled into a collection, New Orleans Sketches.

Faulkner's first work was published by a New Orleans journal, The Double Dealer, founded by a group of talented New Orleans poets in response to H. L. Mencken's description of New Orleans as a cultural wasteland. The journal was active for several years, and also published the early work of Hemingway, Dos Passos, and Sherwood Anderson, among others.

Today, Faulkner's ground floor room is occupied by Faulkner House Books, owned and operated by attorney Joseph J. DeSalvo. Faulkner House Books is a sanctuary for fine literature and rare editions, including the works of and about Mr. Faulkner. Described frequently by both collectors and writers as America's most charming bookstore, newcomers find the owner and managers knowledgeable, helpful, and hospitable. Please stop in on your next visit to the French Quarter. The shop is located in the city's most historic neighborhood, just off of Jackson Square, behind the Cabildo and opposite St. Louis Cathedral's rear garden.

Faulkner House Books

Faulkner's Pirate's Alley Neighborhood


Although the Faulkner House is primarily a private residence, arrangements to see it can be made by calling Rosemary James at (504) 586-1609. The owners require advance arrangements and a tax deductible donation to The Pirate's Alley Faulkner Society, Inc., a non-profit organization devoted to assisting writers. The owners allow third party groups to use the residence by special arrangement for social events in return for donations to The
Faulkner Society.

E-Mail: FaulkHouse@aol.com

Mail, Faulkner House: 624 Pirate's Alley, New Orleans, La. 70116-3254

Website: http://www.wordsandmusic.org

Phone, Faulkner House Books: (504) 524-2940.
Other: (504) 586-1609

Fax: (504) 522-9725