Anthologies#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| Georgia Voices |
2000 |
Buy |
| Breaking into Blossom: Poems with Extraordinary Endings |
2025 |
Buy |
Poetry#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| Drowning with Others |
1962 |
Buy |
| Buckdancer’s Choice |
1965 |
Buy |
| Poems, 1957-67 |
1968 |
Buy |
| The Central Motion |
1983 |
Buy |
| Night Hurdling |
1983 |
Buy |
| From the Green Horseshoes |
1987 |
Buy |
| The Eagle’s Mile |
1990 |
Buy |
| The Selected Poems |
1998 |
Buy |
| Death, and the Day’s Light |
2015 |
Buy |
Standalone Novels#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| Deliverance |
1970 |
Buy |
| The Zodiac |
1976 |
Buy |
| For a Time and Place |
1983 |
Buy |
| Sorties |
1984 |
Buy |
| Alnilam |
1987 |
Buy |
| To the White Sea |
1993 |
Buy |
James Dickey was a poet, novelist, and literary critic who became one of the most prominent Southern American writers of the 20th century. His poetry, which drew on his experiences as a World War II fighter pilot and his deep connection to the natural world, earned him the National Book Award in 1966 for Buckdancer’s Choice. He served as the United States Poet Laureate (then called the Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress) from 1966 to 1968.
His novel Deliverance (1970) brought him mainstream fame. The story of four Atlanta businessmen whose canoe trip down a remote Georgia river turns violent became a bestseller and was adapted into a critically acclaimed film starring Burt Reynolds and Jon Voight. Dickey’s later novels, including Alnilam (1987) and To the White Sea (1993), did not reach the same commercial heights but showed continued ambition. He spent his later career as a professor at the University of South Carolina and published poetry collections until his death in 1997.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many books has James Dickey written?
James Dickey has written seventeen books across three series.
What was James Dickey's first book?
James Dickey’s first book is Drowning with Others, published in 1962.
What is James Dickey best known for?
Dickey is best known for his 1970 novel Deliverance, about four suburban men on a canoe trip that turns into a fight for survival in the Georgia wilderness. The book was adapted into a famous 1972 film. He was also a major American poet who won the National Book Award for Buckdancer’s Choice in 1966.