Flannery O’Connor Childhood Home

Flannery O’Connor(March 25, 1925 - August 3, 1964) was a nationally renowned essayist, short story writer and novelist, writing 31 short stories and two novels, along with a variety of smaller works. O’Connor was one of Savannah’s very own. To pay tribute to her legacy, her childhood home was opened to the public as a museum in 1999. Visitors to the home / museum can learn more about O’Connor, explore various elements of literature or just enjoy creating their very own literary space.

Mission

According to its mission, the museum “serves to continue the legacy of O’Connor while also serving as a community space for current writers. It is a hub or safe place for people to come and talk about the influence of O’Connor’s writing or just to explore literature in general. It is a place for guests to create their own stories.”

Janie Bragg


Janie Bragg is the executive director of the museum. Janie has enjoyed a profession in the museum world for many years, even prior to attaining her position at the O’Connor Home.

“I was already in the museum world, and I knew that I loved it. I care about history and literature and women’s studies and archiving. It seemed like the perfect place for me to not only be surrounded by interests, but also to keep learning,” she says.

O’Connor Home

The home underwent restoration from 1989-2007 in order for it to masterfully reflect the Depression Era, a period in which O’Connor lived. She was born and raised in the home.

 “We are very honored to be a place where people can come and have their own experiences that will shape them into not only curious people but writers,” Janie says.

Janie is confident that the museum is a wonderful reflection of Savannah's rich history. Many of the city's historical venues, museums and tours do not focus on the 20th Century time frame, but rather the 18th and 19th Centuries, leaving a void regarding such an eventful period in history.

“The Flannery O’Connor Childhood Home is the only institution that focuses exclusively on the 20th Century time period," she says.

The Tour

“We talk about Flannery as a writer and her stories, but we focus more on her as a person, particularly as a child. She spent her first 13 years there, so it’s truly her childhood home. It is a tour about a little Catholic girl who grew up in Savannah during the Depression,” Janie states.

Janie encourages people to take the tour, even if they know little or nothing about O’Connor. “Anyone is welcome on the tour and will get something out of it. You certainly don't have to have done your homework before coming,” she says.

Peacock Guild

Since 2009, the museum has offered a writer’s workshop called the Peacock Guild, a professional writing cohort of individuals working toward being published.

“It's a really special place because it not only teaches people about the history of Flannery O’Connor, but it also serves as a meeting place for ideas and creative writing,” Janie says.

The cohort is made of both experienced writers and those who are works-in-progress, so all skill levels are encouraged to apply (must be at least 18-years-old). Various writing enthusiasts are welcomed to the community: authors, poets, playwrights, journalists or storytellers, to name a few. The writers have in-person meetings. They are able to receive feedback about their literary work from other writers there. 

Literary Genre

O’Connor’s literary works are part of the Southern Gothic genre. Originating in the South, this genre often incorporates grotesque, dark and unsettling subjects into its themes. It is usually characterized by violent scenes or disturbing characters. It may often tackle issues related to morality, violence, etc. Similar themes are common in most of O’Connor’s works (i.e. “A Good Man is Hard to Find”).  “I think it’s brilliant; it’s not easy. It’s not always comfortable. She wanted to shock her readers; the point was to startle you … to make you a little bit uncomfortable so you would do some critical thinking,” Janie says.

O'Connor's Legacy

“Flannery O’Connor is a really interesting person for her time period. She was devoutly Catholic her entire life; her religion influenced who she was as a person. I think she was unafraid to inspect every part of life and think critically about difficult subjects. Through her writing, she seems to be poking holes in everything: class, socioeconomics, religion. I think it’s admirable for a woman born in 1925 to be able to ask big questions and maybe shine light on difficult subjects,” Janie states.

O’Connor was diagnosed with lupus at a very young age which most likely impacted her overall perspective on life.

“If you read her stories chronologically, you see that after her diagnosis, there was an extra element of human suffering and this rich human complexity to them. It really deepened her stories. She didn’t sit back and quit. It served as a motivator for her to be the writer she wanted to be.

 Some of O’Connor’s literary works reflected the very crucial periods she lived in at the time (i.e. World War II, Civil Rights Movement, etc.).

O’Connor died in 1964 during the height of the Civil Rights Movement. During that monumental period, she did not hold back with her writing regarding racial relations and the various dynamics present in the South.

“She shines a light on race relations in her stories. Her writings serve a purpose as far as being the place you can go to be dropped into a very specific time and place in this region of the country,” Janie states.

Goals

The museum currently serves guests four days/week. Janie looks forward to its continued growth. “I would really love to see the house open five days/week soon, then six days/week.I would like for us to be able to be readily available to our community more often than we already are. That’s a big goal,” she says.

To make a donation, schedule a tour or find out additional information, please visit: www.flanneryoconnorhome.org or call: (912) 233-6014.