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R.A. Lafferty: The Final Frontier

 

            "Raphael Lafferty: The Final Frontier".
             Raphael Aloysius Lafferty, or simply R. Lafferty, was born in 1914 on November 7th in Neola, Iowa. He was one of five kids born to Hugh David Lafferty and Julia Marie Burke. He was named Raphael because he was supposed to be born on St, Raphael's day, October, 24th, but was fourteen days late. At the age of four, his family moved to Perry, Oklahoma. Later his family moved to Tulsa and Lafferty graduated from Cascia Hall High School, in the early 1930s. .
             After graduation, Lafferty began taking correspondence classes in electrical engineering at the University of Tulsa. He left the university after only one year and began to work for Clark Electrical Supply Company. In 1942, Lafferty enlisted in the United States Army and served in World War II until 1946. He achieved the rank of Sergeant and received a New Guinea Campaign Star. .
             Lafferty did not have what people call to day a normal life style. He was of Irish descendant. He was a devoted Roman Catholic. At the age of ten, he did something very abnormal for ten year olds; he memorized Groliers History of the World. This childhood accomplishment could help explain all of his historical based stories. Lafferty did not drive a car. He had a love for the Native Americans. Though he loved to drink, he cut back to give himself more time to write. At age 45, Lafferty began to explore his interest in writing. The New Mexico Quarterly Review published "The Wagons" in 1959, his first short story. In 1968 his first novel was published, Past Master. Lafferty wrote over two hundred short stories and over twenty full-length novels. Lafferty quit his job with Clark Electrical Supply in 1971 to devote all his time to his writing. Raphael stopped writing in 1980 because of health problems. He suffered a major stroke in 1994 that left him incapacitated. R.A. Lafferty passed away on March 19th of 2002. His services were held in Perry, Oklahoma, where most of his relatives still live.


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