Carson McCullers
Introduction


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**Carson McCullers** (February 19, 1917 – September 29, 1967\) was an American novelist, short\-story writer, playwright, essayist, and poet. Her first novel, *[The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter](/wiki/The_Heart_Is_a_Lonely_Hunter "The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter")* (1940\), explores the spiritual isolation of misfits and outcasts in a small town of the [Southern United States](/wiki/Southern_United_States "Southern United States"). Her other novels have similar themes. Most are set in the [Deep South](/wiki/Deep_South "Deep South").

McCullers's work is often described as [Southern Gothic](/wiki/Southern_Gothic "Southern Gothic") and indicative of her [Southern](/wiki/Southern_United_States "Southern United States") roots. Critics also describe her writing and eccentric characters as universal in scope. Her stories have been adapted to stage and film. A stage adaptation of her novel *[The Member of the Wedding](/wiki/The_Member_of_the_Wedding "The Member of the Wedding")* (1946\), which captures a young girl's feelings at her brother's wedding, made a successful Broadway run in 1950–51\.


What genre of literature is Carson McCullers's work often described as?