Larry Brown (writer)

Larry Brown
Screenshot from The Rough South of Larry Brown (2002)
BornWilliam Larry Brown
(1951-07-09)July 9, 1951
Oxford, Mississippi, U.S.
DiedNovember 24, 2004(2004-11-24) (aged 53)
Tula, Mississippi, U.S.
OccupationWriter
Period1984–2004
Genrenovel, short story, essay
SubjectSouthern literature
Literary movementGrit lit
Notable works

William Larry Brown (July 9, 1951 – November 24, 2004) was an American novelist, non-fiction, and short story writer. He received numerous awards during his lifetime, including the Mississippi Institute of Arts and Letters award for fiction, the Lila Wallace-Reader's Digest Award, and Mississippi's Governor's Award For Excellence in the Arts. Brown was also the first two-time winner of the Southern Book Award for Fiction.

His notable works include Dirty Work, Joe, Father and Son, and Big Bad Love. The last of these was adapted for a 2001 film of the same name, starring Debra Winger and Arliss Howard. In 2013 a film adaptation of Joe was released, featuring Nicolas Cage.

Independent filmmaker Gary Hawkins, who wrote the screenplay for Joe, has directed an award-winning documentary of Brown's life and work in The Rough South of Larry Brown (2002).