Everything That Rises Must Converge
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''Everything That Rises Must Converge'' is a collection of nine
short stories A short story is a piece of prose fiction. It can typically be read in a single sitting and focuses on a self-contained incident or series of linked incidents, with the intent of evoking a single effect or mood. The short story is one of the old ...
written by
Flannery O'Connor Mary Flannery O'Connor (March 25, 1925August 3, 1964) was an American novelist, short story writer, and essayist. She wrote two novels and 31 short stories, as well as a number of reviews and commentaries. O'Connor was a Southern writer who of ...
during the final decade of her life. The collection was published posthumously in 1965 and contains an introduction by
Robert Fitzgerald Robert Stuart Fitzgerald (12 October 1910 – 16 January 1985) was an American poet, literary critic and translator whose renderings of the Greek classics "became standard works for a generation of scholars and students".Mitgang, Herbert (Januar ...
. It includes all three of O'Connor's O. Henry Award-winning stories: " Greenleaf" (1957), " Everything That Rises Must Converge" (1963), and "
Revelation Revelation, or divine revelation, is the disclosing of some form of Religious views on truth, truth or Knowledge#Religion, knowledge through communication with a deity (god) or other supernatural entity or entities in the view of religion and t ...
" (1965). In addition, it contains two stories that were published for the first time via the collection: "
Parker's Back "Parker's Back" is a short story by Flannery O'Connor. It was initially published in 1965 in O'Connor's posthumous short story collection '' Everything That Rises Must Converge''. It tells the story of Parker, a worldly and disordered man who re ...
" and "
Judgement Day The Last Judgment is a concept found across the Abrahamic religions and the ''Frashokereti'' of Zoroastrianism. Christianity considers the Second Coming of Jesus, Jesus Christ to entail the final judgment by God in Abrahamic religions, God of a ...
".


Short story contents

*" Everything That Rises Must Converge" *" Greenleaf" *" A View of the Woods" *" The Enduring Chill" *"
The Comforts of Home "The Comforts of Home" is a short story by Flannery O'Connor. It was originally published in 1960 in ''The Kenyon Review'' and republished in 1965 in O'Connor's posthumous short story collection '' Everything That Rises Must Converge''. In the ...
" *" The Lame Shall Enter First" *"
Revelation Revelation, or divine revelation, is the disclosing of some form of Religious views on truth, truth or Knowledge#Religion, knowledge through communication with a deity (god) or other supernatural entity or entities in the view of religion and t ...
" *"
Parker's Back "Parker's Back" is a short story by Flannery O'Connor. It was initially published in 1965 in O'Connor's posthumous short story collection '' Everything That Rises Must Converge''. It tells the story of Parker, a worldly and disordered man who re ...
" *"
Judgement Day The Last Judgment is a concept found across the Abrahamic religions and the ''Frashokereti'' of Zoroastrianism. Christianity considers the Second Coming of Jesus, Jesus Christ to entail the final judgment by God in Abrahamic religions, God of a ...
"


Development


Creating the collection

Of the volume's nine stories, seven had been printed in magazines or literary journals prior to being collected, including three that won O. Henry Awards: " Greenleaf" (1957), " Everything That Rises Must Converge" (1963), and "
Revelation Revelation, or divine revelation, is the disclosing of some form of Religious views on truth, truth or Knowledge#Religion, knowledge through communication with a deity (god) or other supernatural entity or entities in the view of religion and t ...
" (1965). O'Connor also considered including " The Partridge Festival", but later withdrew it. During her final illness, O'Connor wrote two new stories. "
Judgment Day The Last Judgment is a concept found across the Abrahamic religions and the '' Frashokereti'' of Zoroastrianism. Christianity considers the Second Coming of Jesus Christ to entail the final judgment by God of all people who have ever lived, res ...
" is a dramatically reworked version of " The Geranium", which was one of O'Connor's earliest publications and appeared in her graduate thesis at the
Iowa Writers' Workshop The Iowa Writers' Workshop, at the University of Iowa, is a graduate-level creative writing program. At 89 years, it is the oldest writing program offering a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degree in the United States. Its acceptance rate is between 2 ...
. "
Parker's Back "Parker's Back" is a short story by Flannery O'Connor. It was initially published in 1965 in O'Connor's posthumous short story collection '' Everything That Rises Must Converge''. It tells the story of Parker, a worldly and disordered man who re ...
", the collection's only completely new story, was a last-minute addition. The collection's eponymous story derives its name from the work of
Pierre Teilhard de Chardin Pierre Teilhard de Chardin (; 1 May 1881 – 10 April 1955) was a French Jesuit, Catholic priest, scientist, palaeontologist, theologian, and teacher. He was Darwinian and progressive in outlook and the author of several influential theologi ...
.


O'Connor's intended collection

It remains unclear whether O'Connor intended for "Parker's Back" and "Judgement Day" to be included in the ''Everything That Rises Must Converge'' collection. According to Forrest Ingram, editor
Robert Fitzgerald Robert Stuart Fitzgerald (12 October 1910 – 16 January 1985) was an American poet, literary critic and translator whose renderings of the Greek classics "became standard works for a generation of scholars and students".Mitgang, Herbert (Januar ...
told him that O'Connor's initial intent was to publish the first seven stories as a unit, and that he added the new stories after she died. Publisher Robert Giroux explained that O'Connor mostly left him in the dark about the new stories, and did not leave him instructions on whether to include them in the upcoming collection. She sent him the manuscript for "Judgement Day" in July 1964, and died on August 3 of that year. Ingram argues that while the additional two stories both incorporate O'Connor's traditional Christian themes, and "Parker's Back" reflects the influence of Teilhard de Chardin on O'Connor's spirituality, the original seven stories work as a coherent unit and were meant to be read as such. He argues that the first seven stories are unified by their interest in "man's relationship to his neighbor, and therefore to himself and to God", which inevitably "entails a conflict of visions
here Here may refer to: Music * ''Here'' (Adrian Belew album), 1994 * ''Here'' (Alicia Keys album), 2016 * ''Here'' (Cal Tjader album), 1979 * ''Here'' (Edward Sharpe album), 2012 * ''Here'' (Idina Menzel album), 2004 * ''Here'' (Merzbow album), ...
e's self-image is shattered when one looks at himself through other eyes". He adds that "Revelation" ties together the six stories that came before it.


In popular culture

In the fifth season '' Lost'' episode, " The Incident", Jacob reads ''Everything That Rises Must Converge'' while waiting for
John Locke John Locke (; 29 August 1632 (Old Style and New Style dates, O.S.) – 28 October 1704 (Old Style and New Style dates, O.S.)) was an English philosopher and physician, widely regarded as one of the most influential of the Enlightenment thi ...
to fall from a window. The band
Shriekback Shriekback are an English rock band formed in 1981 in Kentish Town by Barry Andrews, formerly of XTC and the League of Gentlemen (keyboards/synthesizers/vocals), and Dave Allen, formerly of Gang of Four (bass guitar), with Carl Marsh, formerl ...
put out a song by this title in 1985. The Danish dark rock band Sort Sol ("Black Sun" in Danish) released an album called "Everything that rises... must converge!" in 1987. The album was initially intended to be called The Violent Bear It Away. The music duo
The Handsome Family The Handsome Family is an American music duo consisting of husband and wife Brett and Rennie Sparks formed in Chicago, Illinois, and as of 2001 based in Albuquerque, New Mexico. They are perhaps best known for their song " Far from Any Road" fro ...
released a song by this title in 1995. A song by Moby is named “Everything That Rises.” A quest title in
Honkai Star Rail ''Honkai: Star Rail'' is a 2023 free-to-play role-playing video game, role-playing Gacha game, ''gacha'' video game developed and published by miHoYo (with publishing outside mainland China under Cognosphere, d/b/a HoYoverse). It is the fourth ...
released in version 2.2 The band A Hope for Home put out a song by this title in 2011. The band Elephant Tree (band) included the title in the lyrics for their song 'Bird' In the ''
Æon Flux ''Æon Flux'' () is an American adult animated avant-garde science-fiction adventure television series that aired on MTV from November 30, 1991 until October 10, 1995. It premiered on MTV's '' Liquid Television'' experimental animation show as ...
'' episode "Chronophasia", a character speaks the title of the story.
Sufjan Stevens Sufjan Stevens ( ; born July 1, 1975) is an American singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. He has released ten solo studio albums and multiple collaborative albums with other artists. Stevens has received Grammy and Academy Award nomina ...
has a track on his 2023 album
Javelin A javelin is a light spear designed primarily to be thrown, historically as a ranged weapon. Today, the javelin is predominantly used for sporting purposes such as the javelin throw. The javelin is nearly always thrown by hand, unlike the sling ...
called "Everything That Rises" and he sings "Everything That Rises Must Converge." The inter-dimensional indie synthpop duo Battery Operated Orchestra have a track with this title on their 2023 album "Compulsory Games"


References


External links

*
Everything That Rises Must Converge
free audiobook on
YouTube YouTube is an American social media and online video sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim who were three former employees of PayPal. Headquartered in ...
{{Works by Flannery O'Connor 1965 short story collections Short story collections by Flannery O'Connor Short stories by Flannery O'Connor Books published posthumously Farrar, Straus and Giroux books