If this has already been covered, my apologies. A search didn’t turn it up, though.
Cecil wrote, some time ago, that William Faulkner added the “u” to his last name as a result of a typographical error by his first publisher. However, my wife just found a notation on an Ole Miss site that indicates Faulkner may have added the “u” to his name himself:
“When he was born, William Faulkner’s last name was “Falkner”; at some point, however, he changed its spelling to “Faulkner.” Several stories account for the change — one claims that it was a typographical error on publication of one of his early works, but the more likely story seems to be that he spelled it “Faulkner” when he joined the Royal Air Force in Canada during World War I, after having been rejected from the U.S. Army because of his size. Faulkner apparently thought the alternate spelling looked more British.”
Thanks for the link. I note, however, that for the electronic version, the final joke has been changed from the one I remember. “He was luck his name wasn’t Friar Tuck” is funny, but I thought the original "He drew the line, however, at ‘The Sound and the Furry’ " was hilarious.
Not that its the most reliable source, but ClassicNotes (essentially an on-line version of CliffsNotes), also says that Fa(u)lkner added the “u” to his own name. I also have a book, somewhere in my house, that compares Faulkner to Shakespeare (not quite bestseller material)…that book also says that William added the “u” to his last name.
I was going to start a thread about this, since I have also seen the alternate explanation for the “u” in “Faulkner,” but it’s easier to just dredge this thread up.
Perhaps we can get an update? Which explanation is right? I need to know so that, when I impress chicks with my knowledge of Faulkner trivia, I’m dispensing correct info.