Carrying Faulkner's Baggage

Question: What sort of Faulkner baggage do you carry, and why? What have you *heard* about Faulkner or his work (regardless of truth or falsity), what have you read of Faulkner, and what, in general, do you think about him?

Honestly, my only interaction with Faulkner and his work is a Rose for Emily. From that experience I can draw only interesting conclusions about what his other pieces might be. I definitely picked up on the fascination with Civil War veterans and the complexity about human nature in dealing with change from the old ways in the South.  I also understand his treatment of women in only a general sense of his characterization toward Emily. I am looking forward to acquainting myself with more of Faulkner’s work, however, confusing I have been lead to believe it is.   I am not one who enjoys stories of infidelity which I feel because of his personal life may ensue, but I am willing to deal with whatever may face me in his work. I certainly hope Mr. Andrews is correct about his drunken state not affecting his writing because I do not feel that art can be created from addiction use. I wrote an essay on the effects of opium on Samuel Taylor Coleridge, a British author, in Dr. Bond's class last semester and although Kubla Khan was an interesting piece of literature I did not believe that it yielded as much academic merit for being a drug induced dream. The writing that followed, however, is arguably well done despite the author’s vice. The comparison of Faulkner to Modernism as Shakespeare is to the Renaissance is interesting and makes me increasingly drawn to what art was developed through Modernism. As I'm taking up an Arts Administration Minor I am researching more into pieces of artwork as well as literature and performing art that I am drawn to and the reasons behind that fascination  I believe that any search for the meaning of life yields great creative potential and in rejecting tradition also gives freedom to exploring new aspects of any artistic enterprise. Although Faulkner can only be implicated to follow in a Modernism fashion I believe that any creative outlet at the time in some way or another affects all artists in every field. I believe that this class will be an opportunity to learn new things about an author with whom I am not familiar as well as a movement in art that interests me so I am looking forward to immersing myself in Faulkner's literature.