We receive numerous questions regarding Flannery O'Connor, her family, and her life. The following are answers to questions we are asked most often.
Q: Where was O'Connor born?
A: O'Connor was born in Savannah, Georgia on March 25, 1925.
Q: Where is the childhood home?
A:The Flannery O'Connor Childhood Home is located at 207 East Charlton Street, Savannah, Georgia.
Q:Where did O'Connor attend school (in Savannah)?
A: O'Connor attended St. Vincent's Grammar School and Sacred Heart Parochial School.
Q: Where did O'Connor attend mass (in Savannah)?
A: The O'Connors were parishioners of the Cathedral of St John the Baptist.
Q: What was Mr. O'Connor's occupation?
A: Mr. O'Connor owned Dixie Realty and Dixie Construction Company in Savannah (1926-1938). In 1938 he accepted a position as a zone real estate appraiser for the Federal Housing Administration in Atlanta, Georgia.
Q: Besides Savannah, where did the family live?
A: Once Mr. O'Connor accepted the FHA position, the family moved from Savannah to 2525 Potomac Street, N. E., Atlanta, Georgia. The family lived in Atlanta from March to August 1938, at which time Mrs. O'Connor and Flannery moved to Milledgeville, Georgia. Mr. O'Connor remained in Atlanta until 1940, retiring to Milledgeville until his death February 1,1941.
Q: What caused Mr. O'Connor's death at such an early age? What caused Flannery's death?
A:Both Mr. O'Connor and Flannery died from complications arising from lupus.
Q: What is Andalusia?
A: Grey Quail Farm was purchased in 1941 by Dr. Bernard M. Cline, O'Connor's uncle, and was renamed Red Sorrel Farm for one of his favorite horses. Several years later, O'Connor discovered an earlier name for the farm, Andalusia, and persuaded the family to change it. Mrs. Regina Cline O'Connor and Mr. Louis Cline inherited the farm in 1947, after Dr. Cline's death.
Q: When did O'Connor move to Andalusia?
A: Mrs. O'Connor and Flannery moved to Andalusia in 1951
Q: Where did O'Connor attend mass (in Milledgeville)?
A: O'Connor was a parishioner of Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Milledgeville, GA. Her great-grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Hugh Donnelly Treanor, were among the first Catholic residents of Milledgeville. The first Catholic mass was celebrated in the Treanor apartment, and the Treanors donated the land on which the church now stands.
Q: When did O'Connor die?
A: She died August 3, 1964, at Baldwin County Hospital. She is buried beside her parents in Memory Hill Cemetery, Milledgeville, Georgia.
Q: What happened to O'Connor's peacocks?
A: After O'Connor's death, the remaining peacocks were given to Stone Mountain Park (Georgia), Our Lady of Perpetual Help Home (Atlanta, Georgia), Monastery of the Holy Spirit (Conyers, Georgia). Predators killed the peacocks at Stone Mountain Park; the peacocks at Our Lady of Perpetual Help were sent to join the ones at Our Lady of the Holy Spirit. In the early 1980s the peacocks were given to Mr. and Mrs. Frank Reindl, Lake Lorelei, Ohio. Fox killed the last of O'Connor's peacocks. (NOTE: Peacocks have returned to Andalusia.)
Q: What is the status of the O'Connor biography?
A: Until her death on June 25, 2000, Sally Fitzgerald was editing O'Connor's biography. The status of Ms. Fitzgerald's biography is currently unknown.
Q: I wish to quote O'Connor material. Whom should I contact for permission?
A: All inquiries concerning publication, quotation or reproduction from any of O'Connor's work should be addressed to:
Harold Matson - Ben Camardi, Inc.
15 Finley Road
Edison, NJ 08817
ATTN: Mr. Ben Camardi
Telephone: 732-819-8751
Fax: 212-545-1224
E-mail: HMatsco@aol.com
Q: What film adaptations have been made from O'Connor's stories?
A: A Circle in the Fire, The Comforts of Home, The Displaced Person, Good Country People, The River, Wise Blood, and The Life You Save. Please visit our link for additional information on film information.
Q: Where can I get a copy of The Life You Save?
A: Movies Unlimited, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1-800-523-0800
Q: I would like to visit Andalusia. Whom should I contact to schedule a visit?
A: Andalusia is now open Tuesday-Saturday, 10AM-4PM and Sunday, 2PM-4PM. If you are interested in scheduling a group tour, please call Andalusia directly at 478-445-8722. You may also find information on the Visiting Andalusia section of the Andalusia web site.