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Anatomy of a Pulitzer Prize

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Anatomy of a Pulitzer Prize ,,.,z;~----- . .' : ; , I Anatomy of a Pulitzer Prize The remarkable story of a mother's relentless drive to get recognition for her dead son - and for herself By Karen Kane Photos by Larry Reese hen Thelma Du­ coing Toole died in August, she W had already passed into lit­ erary lore for her unprecedented role in bulldozing into print a novel that was to win the Pulitzer Prize. She got A Confederacy of Dunces published 11 years after the author - her son, John Kennedy Toole - had committed suicide. The story of the woman is no less remarkable than the book it­ self. Robert Holditch, who was to be­ come a close friend of Mrs. Toole's, remembers: "I was in Walker Per­ cy's writing class at Loyola Univer­ sity, and he told us about this old woman bringing in a battered, dog­ eared manuscript. She wanted him to have it published. She told him that it wasn't just a manuscript but a masterpiece. She said, 'See if you don't agree with me when you read it',, Walker Percy read it, as he says in his foreword to the book, "with a prickle of interest, then a growing excitement and finally an incredulity: Surely it was not possi­ ble that it was so good." Thelma Toole had found the Karen Kane and Larry Reese are members of the Chronicle staff. Page 10 - TEXAS, Houston Chronicle Magazine, December 2, 1914 Thelma Toole devoted a room in the house she shared with her brother to her son 's Thelma Toole's son, John Kennedy Toole. memory. Naturally, she saw herself as part of it. After publication of her son's novel, A Confederacy of Dunces, often entertaining her guests with her singing. The former voice Thelma Toole enjoyed a steady parade of visitors to her home, and elocution teacher accompanied herself on the piano. I r Page 12 - TEXAS, Hau1ton Chronicle Magazine, December 2, 1914 champion for her cause - to get A Confeder­ favor. "Her ego knew no bounds." 2 and reciting poetry at 3. I wished he were acy of Dunces published. The cause had given Thelma Toole told reporters she was filled allowed to come more often. They were very her a reason for living. The cause had helped with a "transcendent feeling of literary glory" isolated. They didn't see anyone. In Thelma's her to block out the consuming sorrow she felt when the book won the Pulitzer Prize. But, she mind, no one was good enough for Ken. Her upon Ken's death. The cause was a way for her added, "I'm heartbroken he isn't here." ego was unbelievable. Reality for Ken was to achieve through her son's work the fame That was just the beginning. what she wanted him to see. Ken confided in she had sought all her life. "She went anywhere to publicize the my uncle, who became quite concerned about Burying Ken was like burying all of her book," recalls Holditch. That didn't mean that his mental state a couple of years before he dreams - until she discovered the copy of she sat quietly at a desk and signed auto­ died. My uncle talked to Ken's parents. But Dunces where Ken had left it on the armoire. graphs. Thelma Toole gave performances. Thelma wouldn't hear of it. She blocked out Ken wrote the novel while he was in the Her brother, Arthur Ducoing, 85, with things like that." Army, stationed at Fort Buchanan in Puerto whom she lived until her death, recalls the Hosli's relationship with her aunt deterio­ Rico. Upon returning to New Orleans he sent steady procession of visitors to their modest rated after the publication of Dunces. Ken the manuscript to a New York publishing cottage on Elysian Fields in New Orleans. Toole had died without a will, and because of house. He worked with one of its editors on "People from all over the world came to Louisiana's Napoleonic Code a portion of his revisions over the course of two years. In the visit her," he says. She reminisced about the estate, including the rights to his works, end, the novel was rejected, and Ken had put it difficulties she encountered in getting the book passed on to John Toole's heirs, Hosli among aside. published, told stories about her son and sang them. Her rediscovery of the manuscript was a songs, accompanying herseU on the piano. The Toole heirs relinquished their rights to psychological resurrection for Thelma Toole. With the readings, Thelma Toole became a Dunces. "I didn't like the novel because it hit Ken could not really be dead if hope that his New Orleans celebrity. At bookstores, clubs too close to home," said Hosli. "I recognized work could be published was still alive. and colleges, she gave readings of A Confeder­ many of our relatives. But I saw the merit in Thelma embarked on her mission with zeal. acy of Dunces. But reading was only a small it. Ken was a lovely man and I was glad for She sent it to many publishers, telling them part of it. him. I had no trouble signing off. I didn't want what she was later to tell Percy, that it was a to share in Ken's glory or the money. It was masterpiece. No one agreed until Percy had Ken's. I didn't do anything to deserve it." read it. Somehow things got twisted in Thelma During the decade of her search, Thelma The Pulitzer Prize Toole's mind, Hosli says. Thelma seemed to met rejection. Each was a little harder to think the Toole heirs wanted to share her take, her brother remembers. Time seemed to filled her with a limelight. "Thelma maligned my family in be running out on her. She had been in ill . public. I have the letters she wrote about us. health. But the cause had kept her alive. They were unbelievable. Walker Percy was almost her last hope, or 'transcendent feeling "Thelma was a talented person who was so the story goes. Thelma had sent the manu­ very frustrated. She believed she hadn't been script to every publisher she knew, never wa­ of literary glory' given a window for her life. It all boils down to vering in her belief that it was the work of a her ego. It was not a completely selfless act to genius who happened to be her son. get Ken's book published. And the proof was in With Percy's august prestige behind "Thelma didn't just speak, she was always the pudding. She wanted to be in the spotlight Dunces, it was finally published, not by his very dramatic and theatrical," recalls Peter herseU, sometimes to the point of the ridicu­ New York pubiisher, but by Louisiana State Jaeger, dean of the doctoral program at lous," she concluded.· University Press. When A Confederacy of Southeastern University, where Mrs. Toole re­ "John Kennedy Toole didn't win the Pulit­ Dunces won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction in ceived an honorary doctorate degree in 1982. zer; Thelma Toole did," ventures attorney 1981, the book had become a phenomenon. She usually began with a few songs on the Brian Begue, who represents the plaintiffs in a The phenomenon did more than make an piano, such as Youre the Only Star in My Blue suit against Mrs. Toole's heirs to force publi­ rE old woman happy and secure. It vindicated Heaven or Baby/ace. She recited poetry, some cation of Ken's first novel, Neon Bible. "The th her belief in her son's talent; it assuaged her of it her own. "She had a great gift for mim­ real story is Thelma Toole. I think the book pl grief (and perhaps guilt) for his death. But icking," recalls Holditch. "She had memorized won the award because of her struggle of 11 th more important, the glow of publicity and suc­ long passages of Dunces. She'd do a Lana Lee years. She overcame enormous obstacles and cess gave Thelma Toole the stage she herseU or a Miss Trixie or an Irene Riley monologue. got the book published." to had been seeking all her life. She was wonderful." The literary world praised her courage in wi Some might have thought that Thelma, Marion Toole Hosli was one of Thelma pursuing the publication of A Confederacy of Co near 80, would be too old for the limelight. But Toole's students in elocution, voice, piano and Dunces. "The success of the book proves that la1 not Thelma; she reveled in it. dance. Mrs. Toole took great interest in her she was right," says her attorney, John Hantel. pn "She never wore hats and white gloves and niece. ''This was before Ken was born," Hosli A Confederacy of Dunces has sold 75,000 hard bedroom slippers before," recalls Marion says. "I have fond memories of those days. She cover (including book club editions) ·and re1 Toole Hosli, her niece. To some, her appetite put pressure on me but no more than I could 750,000 paperback copies. for for attention seemed insatiable. Friends and handle. As I grew older I became more appre­ Indeed Thelma Toole was the story of both g()( acquaintances told of prolonged perfor­ ciative of the things she did for me. She taught the publication of the book and her son's life. thi1 mances. me to enjoy the finer things in life." As her brother, Arthur, explains the suc­ dut "And you were expected to pay rapt atten­ Hosli's memories of her cousin are cess of his nephew's book, "It was all that the tion to her no matter how long these mara­ sketchy.
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