William Hoffman (1925-2009) was the author of over a dozen novels, including The Trumpet Unblown, Yancey’s War, Furors Die, A Death of Dreams, Tidewater Blood, Wild Thorn and Lies.  His story collections included Virginia Reels; By Land, By Sea; Follow Me Home; and Doors.  He was the recipient of a National Endowment of the Arts Creative Writing Fellowship, the John Dos Passos Prize for Literature, a Best American Short Stories Award, an O. Henry Prize, the Fellowship of Southern Writers’ Hillsdale Prize for Fiction, and the Hammett Prize.