Ironweed

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For the plant, see Vernonia.

Ironweed is a 1983 novel by William Kennedy. Part of Kennedy's "Albany Cycle" of novels, Ironweed tells the story of an alcoholic, wandering man and woman during the Great Depression, named Francis Phelan who left his family after accidentally dropping his infant son on his head and killing him while drunk. The novel focuses on his return to Albany, New York and is often interrupted by Francis' hallucinations, which result from a lifetime of chronic alcoholism. The novel received the 1984 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, and features characters that return in some of Kennedy's other books.

A film version was adapted by Kennedy in 1987 from his novel. It was directed by Hector Babenco. It stars Jack Nicholson, Meryl Streep, Carroll Baker, Michael O'Keefe, Diane Venora, Fred Gwynne, Tom Waits and Nathan Lane. Major portions of the film were shot on location in Albany.

The film was nominated for Academy Awards for Best Actor in a Leading Role (Nicholson) and Best Actress in a Leading Role (Streep).

Preceded by: The Color Purple by Alice Walker

Pulitzer Prize for Fiction 1984

Succeeded by: Foreign Affairs by Alison Lurie

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