Ronald Lyman Fair (October 27, 1932 – February 2018) was an American writer and sculptor. He was known for his experimental and versatile literary forms, most prominently through the

1966 Events January * January 1 – In a coup, Colonel Jean-Bédel Bokassa takes over as military ruler of the Central African Republic, ousting President David Dacko. * January 3 – 1966 Upper Voltan coup d'état: President Maurice Yaméogo i ...

novel A novel is a relatively long work of narrative fiction, typically written in prose and published as a book. The present English word for a long work of prose fiction derives from the for "new", "news", or "short story of something new", itsel ...

''Hog Butcher'', set in 1960s Chicago. This was the basis of the

1975 It was also declared the ''International Women's Year'' by the United Nations and the European Architectural Heritage Year by the Council of Europe. Events January * January 1 - Watergate scandal (United States): John N. Mitchell, H. R. ...

film '' Cornbread, Earl and Me''. The cast included Rosalind Cash and Laurence Fishburne. Relocating to Finland, Fair began sculpting in 1977. In December 1980 he became "

born again Born again, or to experience the new birth, is a phrase, particularly in evangelicalism, that refers to a "spiritual rebirth", or a regeneration of the human spirit. In contrast to one's physical birth, being "born again" is distinctly and sepa ...

", thereafter becoming a " Christian writer" and founder of the International Orphans' Assistance Association.

Biography

Ronald Fair was born in 1932 to Mississippi farmworkers Herbert and Beulah Hunt Fair in Chicago, Illinois, where he went to school. After serving three years in the US Navy, he attended the Stenotype School of Chicago, after which he found employment as a court reporter for 12 years. Having begun writing in his teens, he published various pieces in publications including the '' Chicago Defender'', '' Ebony'', ''Chat Noir'', before the publication in 1965 of his first novel, ''Many Thousand Gone: An American Fable''. His second novel, ''Hog Butcher'', was filmed in 1975 as ''Cornbread, Earl and Me''. In 1970, he published ''World of Nothing: Two Novellas'', and 1972 the autobiographical novel ''We Can't Breathe''.Richard Guzman
"Ronald L. Fair: 'We Can't Breathe'"
Richard R. Guzman, February 11, 2015. In 1977, Fair moved to Finland, where he dedicated himself more to sculpture than writing. In Finland, he lived in Helsinki, Tampere and Kerimäki. He died in Finland in February 2014, aged 85.

Publications

* ''Many Thousand Gone: An American Fable'' (short novel), Harcourt, 1965. * ''Hog Butcher'' (novel), Harcourt, 1966; republished as ''Cornbread, Earl and Me'', Bantam, 1975. * ''World of Nothing: Two Novellas'', Harper, 1970. * ''We Can't Breathe'' (novel), Harper, 1972. * ''Excerpts'' (poetry),

Paul Breman Paul Breman (Bussum, 19 July 1931 – London, 29 October 2008) was a Dutch writer, bookseller and publisher. Career In the late 1950s Breman edited two volumes of African-American poetry, together with Rosey E. Pool, that were both published in ...

, 1975. * ''Rufus'' (poetry), P. Schlack (Germany), 1977; 2nd edn

Lotus Press Broadside Lotus Press is an independent press that was created as a result of the merging of Broadside Press, founded by Dudley Randall in 1965, in Detroit, and Naomi Long Madgett's Lotus Press, founded in Detroit in 1972. At the time of the me ...

, 1980

Norwegian

*1987: ''Eva''; Rex Forlag

Swedish

*1978: "Gudskelov För snön" ("Thank God It Snowed"); 6/78 ''Bonniers Litterära Magasin'' (''BLM''), December 1978; Arg. 47 Nr 6.

Portuguese

*2002: ''Correndo Para A Vida'' (1st printing), Brazil *2010: ''Correndo Para A Vida'' (2nd printing), Finland

Spanish

* 2010: ''Corriendo Hacia La Vida'' (1st printing) Finland

Lyrics for recordings

*1980: "A New Kinda Day"; Frendz, Music, H. Silvenoinen; Lyrics, Ronald Fair *1980: "Final Awakening"; Frendz, Music, H. Silvenoinen; Lyrics, Ronald Fair *1980: "Dancing People"; Frendz, Music, H. Silvenoinen; Lyrics, Ronald Fair

Movies

*1968: ''An American Hero'', film script for Dino De Laurentiis, Hollywood *1971: ''Hog Butcher'', two drafts. Producer had two heart attacks and sold the rights to someone else *1975: ''Cornbread, Earl & Me'', from ''Hog Butcher'' *1994: ''Kirje Suomesta'', music video, directed by R. Ampuja *1995: ''Who Is Your Neighbour'', Mumbai (Bombay), India; P. K. Rajhuns Director. Written and co-produced *2000: ''The Truth'' by P. K. Rajhuns; co-produced

Play performances

*1968: ''The Emperor's Parade'', or, ''Our Boy Dick; A Political Satire'' (Chicago) *1968 & 1969: ''Sails and Sinkers''; comedy (Chicago; Middletown, Conn Weslayan University) *1988: ''Animal Christmas'', a musical (Helsinki) *2002: ''Animal Christmas'', Jyväskylä, Finland *2003: ''Animal Christmas'', Kankaanpää, Finland *2008: ''Animal Christmas''; Hyderabad, India *2009: ''Animal Christmas''; Hyderabad, India

Sculpture

Image:Ronald_f_sculpture_1.jpg, "Jesus Wept", wood, 24 cm Image:Ronald_f_sculpture_3.jpg, "Three Holes"; bronze, 30 cm; Museum Villa Urpo; Ylöjärvi, Finland Image:Ronald_f_sculpture_4.jpg, "Seven Praising Him"; painted wood, 70 X 100; private collection Image:PraiseHim.jpg, "Praise Him With Stringed Instruments"; painted wood, 25 by 40 cm; private collection Image:UrpoWood1.jpg, "Mother & Child", wood, 90 X 40 cm; Museum Villa Urpo; Ylöjärvi, Finland Image:UrpoBronzes.jpg, "Jesus & Two Criminals"; Bronze, 5 meters; Museum Villa Urpo; Ylöjärvi, Finland

References

External links

"Growing Up Black and Female, Black and Male in Chicago in Gwendolyn Brooks's ''Maud Martha'' and Ron Fair's ''Hog Butcher''"
in ''Illinois History Teacher'' (Volume 3:2, 1996) at Illinois Periodicals Online, Northern Illinois University Libraries *
Archive listing of ''Ronald Fair Collection''
Northwestern University Library
"We Can’t Breathe. Part One of Ronald L. Fair's prescient, 1972 autobiographical novel"
''The Common Reader'', September 29, 2020. {{DEFAULTSORT:Fair, Ronald 1932 births 2018 deaths 20th-century African-American writers 20th-century American male writers 20th-century American non-fiction writers 20th-century American novelists 20th-century American poets 21st-century African-American people African-American film directors African-American male writers African-American novelists African-American poets American Christian writers American expatriates in Finland American male non-fiction writers American male novelists American male poets Artists from Chicago