Virginia Faulkner: A Life in Two Acts

by Brad Bigelow

The story of a Nebraska-born writer that provides a unique view on how a woman with a strong voice, vivid sense of humor, and uncompromising standards shaped a life under challenging conditions.
 

Genres: Biography

280 pages, Hardcover

Published January 1, 2026

Reviews

[Richard · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fabulous biography. I wanted to read it initially because I had read two of the (little known) books by Virginia Faulkner in recent years. I went so far as to pre-order it in hardback from the press as soon as I heard it was forthcoming. See My Hey-Day and Friends and Romans.

This book is divided into two major parts. Part one has a wealth of detail about Virginia's early life and experiences as an author, particularly of humorous novels and stories, including stints in NYC and Hollywood, hob-nobbing and working with all kinds of much more famous people. [Check out the Wikipedia page for Dana Suesse, an early partner/friend of Virginia.]

Part two of this biography explores the longer period in Virginia's later life when she was an editor working with the University of Nebraska press. (Sidebar: To me, it seems very unfortunate that Virginia's own fiction has not achieved the kind of success that her editorial work did later.)

The second part, covering Virginia's editorial work, contains a different kind of detail about the major projects she worked on, mainly in relation to the work of Willa Cather. This was of less personal interest to me going into the book, but by the end, I was deeply impressed by Bigelow's scholarship, as well as the work that Virginia undertook in an editorial capacity.

At the end, I was sad & annoyed about two points, which have nothing to do with the writing or this book. First, that Virginia's brother took it upon himself to basically incinerate a huge amount of her papers and correspondence, probably in part to keep her private live as a lesbian quiet. Second, that he later refused to allow Virginia's long-term partner Bernice to be buried near her. See also Bernice Slote in Wikipedia.

[Hayley Hipps · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this up because I love stories about forgotten writers. Virginia Faulkner lived a life that sounds almost made up. She wrote for the Washington Post at twenty. Published a hit novel at twenty one. Coaxed Greta Garbo out of her house for a Hollywood party. Ghostwrote the memoirs of Polly Adler, New York's most famous madam. People called her the next Dorothy Parker.

Then she walked away from all of it. At forty two, she moved back to Lincoln, Nebraska, and spent the rest of her life as an editor at the University of Nebraska Press. She barely wrote another word of her own. Instead, she dedicated herself to championing Willa Cather's legacy. The woman who could have been a literary star chose to be a behind the scenes builder instead.

Brad Bigelow tells her story with obvious love and deep research. The letters Faulkner wrote to her brother are the best part. They are funny, sharp, and painfully honest. You feel her wrestling with whether she is good enough, whether she should keep going, whether she even wants to.

My only complaint is that the book sometimes jumps around in time. I lost track of where we were a few times. Also, I wanted more about her inner life. Why did she really stop writing? The book hints at alcoholism and depression, but it never fully digs in.

Still, if you are interested in literary history, forgotten women writers, or just a good story about a complicated life, this is worth your time.

Brad, if you are reading this, congratulations on bringing Virginia back from the dead. For any future project you are working on, I would love to help before you publish. I can beta read for structure and pacing. I can proofread. And when the book is ready, I can help you get it in front of readers who love literary biographies and neglected book history.

Email me anytime: contact@hayleyhipps.com

[Deb · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very well written book about a person not many people know about or, frankly, would be interested in. Virginia Faulkner was a smart, extremely self assured, profoundly privileged person whose early success may likely be based entirely on the benefits of her family’s status, money, and connections. She suffered no extraordinary trauma (parents died, lovers left, she was depressed). I found her to be entirely unsympathetic yet I read the book quickly and was intrigued solely due to the author’s skill. The last quarter of the book goes heavy into her work regarding Willa Cather and was the least interesting part for me. I’m sure Cather scholars will find it satisfying.

Great job by the author.

[Jeanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn’t know anything about Virginia Faulkner, but when I saw that she was involved with Willa Cathers’ work, I knew I wanted to read this book. It’s interesting to read about women who live their life in their own way despite the norms of the time and she certainly did that. Her life had its challenges. I thought I would only be interested in the part regarding Willa Cather, but I found the entire book hard to put down.

Thank you to the author, University of Nebraska Press | Bison Books, and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) copy of this book and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.