A short life of the author
Florence King (1936–2016) was an American writer from Washington, D.C., whose work combined Southern Gothic sensibility with a corrosive, often hilarious honesty about American social conventions. A self-described “misanthrope,” “monarchist,” and “spinster,” she cultivated a persona of acerbic independence that delighted readers across the political spectrum.
Major Works
Southern Ladies and Gentlemen (1975) — a satirical taxonomy of Southern social types (the Good Ole Boy, the Self-Rejuvenating Virgin, the Dear Old Thing) that remains the funniest book ever written about the American South’s social codes.
Confessions of a Failed Southern Lady (1985, St. Martin’s Press) — her memoir of growing up in Washington under the influence of her Virginia grandmother (“Granny”), who was determined to make Florence into a lady despite all evidence that the girl was constitutionally unsuited for the role. The book is a comic gem that has achieved cult status.
She wrote the “Misanthrope’s Corner” column for National Review from 1991 to 2002, establishing herself as one of American conservatism’s wittiest prose stylists.
Collecting King
Confessions of a Failed Southern Lady (1985, St. Martin’s Press) first editions are uncommon and bring $50–$150. Southern Ladies and Gentlemen (1975, Stein and Day) is scarcer. King was a recluse who rarely appeared publicly, making signed copies quite scarce.