>> from as early as 1919 through the early '60s, faulkner wrote extensively about the post-civil war south. he was the first author to do so, at a time when most writers were writing about anything but. >> he always said that he wrote about a south torn between itself, torn between the old ways, the old traditional ways and modern. he said he was going to break the antebellum code. >> right. >> and he did. he did. >> but? >> he did. yet he had those hobbies and interests that were definitely of a gentry class and gentry nature. >> his portrait on his horse -- >> there's a great example. and his writing habit. that's a great example. you do get to a certain level of success and all of a sudden, this seems like a good idea. and it's never a good idea at that age. >> at any age. >> exactly. >> was he politically active at all? there was a lot going on. >> he was a middle of the road democrat.