James Wilcox has published eight novels, most of which focus upon life in the South--particularly life in Louisiana. Wilcox depicts the confusions, displacements, and juxtapositions of the absurd found in the everyday, which serve as major elements of his writing. Wilcox's ordinary characters are often comic and inept but also poignant, because Wilcox possesses a certain amount of affection for them. His ability to create characters that are well developed and realistic has been the aspect of his writing most frequently acclaimed. His work most often presents themes such as alienation, community, and the quest for self.

James Peter Wilcox was born on 4 April 1949 and was raised in Hammond, Louisiana, but he spent many years living in New York City. His father, James Henry Wilcox, emigrated from England as a child, and he met and married Wilcox's mother, Marie Wiza, in Milwaukee. Wilcox's father was a Methodist, and...