Terry Southern

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Terry Southern
Southern in the North Texas Agricultural College yearbook, 1940s
Born	(1924-05-01)May 1, 1924 Alvarado, Texas, U.S.
Died	October 29, 1995(1995-10-29) (aged 71) New York City, U.S.
Occupation	Novelist essayist screenwriter lecturer
Education	Northwestern University (BA)
Literary movement	New Journalism
Notable works	Candy (1958) The Magic Christian (1959) Blue Movie (1970)
Spouse	Carol Kauffman Southern ​ ​ (m. 1956; div. 1965)​
Children	Nile Southern

Terry Southern (May 1, 1924 – October 29, 1995) was an American novelist, essayist, screenwriter, and university lecturer, noted for his distinctive satirical style. Part of the Paris postwar literary movement in the 1950s and a companion to Beat writers in Greenwich Village, Southern was also at the center of Swinging London in the 1960s and helped to change the style and substance of American films in the 1970s. He briefly wrote for Saturday Night Live in the 1980s.

Southern's dark and often absurdist style of satire helped to define the sensibilities of several generations of writers, readers, directors, and filmgoers. He is credited by journalist Tom Wolfe as having invented New Journalism with the publication of "Twirling at Ole Miss" in Esquire in February 1963. Southern's reputation was established with the publication of his comic novels Candy and The Magic Christian and through his gift for writing memorable film dialogue as evident in Dr. Strangelove, The Loved One, The Cincinnati Kid, and The Magic Christian. His work on Easy Rider helped create the independent film movement of the 1970s.