Thomas Wolfe

Birth Name:
Thomas Clayton Wolfe
Birth Date:
October 3, 1900
Birth Place:
Asheville, North Carolina
Death Date:
September 15, 1938
Place of Death:
Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, Maryland
Age:
37
Cause of Death:
Miliary tuberculosis
Cemetery Name:
Riverside Cemetery
Claim to Fame:
Writers and Poets
Thomas Wolfe is considered one of the most autobiographical novelists in American literature and is probably the greatest writer to come out of North Carolina. During his short life he wrote four novels; Look Homeward, Angel, Of Time and the River, The Web and the Rock, and You Can’t Go Home Again, as well as numerous short stories, novellas, and plays. He is known for mixing highly original, poetic, rhapsodic, and impressionistic prose with autobiographical writing. His books, written and published from the 1920s to the 1940s, vividly reflect on American culture and the mores of that period, filtered through Wolfe's sensitive, sophisticated, and hyper-analytical perspective. After Wolfe's death, contemporary author William Faulkner said that Wolfe might have been the greatest talent of their generation for aiming higher than any other writer. Wolfe's influence extends to the writings of Beat Generation writer Jack Kerouac, and of authors Ray Bradbury and Philip Roth, among others.

Fun Facts

In 1998, the historic Old Kentucky Home in Ashville, North Carolina suffered damage in a fire that was later determined to have been the result of arson. Approximately 20% of the original structure and 15% of the artifact collection were destroyed. After intensive restoration to both the historic house and surviving artifact collection, the Old Kentucky Home once again opened its doors to visitors in May of 2004.

A signed, first edition of the Thomas Wolfe novel “Look Homeward, Angel” will set you back $2,800 to $16,000 depending on the condition of the book.

Cemetery Information:

Final Resting Place:

Riverside Cemetery

53 Birch Street

Ashville, North Carolina, 28801

USA

North America

Map:

Cemetery map of Riverside Cemetery in Ashville, North Carolina

Grave Location:

Section Q, Lot 1, Grave 6

Grave Location Description

As you enter the cemetery Section Q is the first section you will encounter on your left. Continue to circle the perimeter until you are on the downhill side of the section looking at a 2-step concrete steps to his monument. Oh, and there are signs that will point his headstone out to you.

Grave Location GPS

35.6016160, -82.5698590

Photos:

[+]
[+]
[+]
[+]
[+]
[+]
[+]
[+]
[+]
[+]
[+]
[+]
[+]
[+]
[+]
[+]
[+]
[+]

FAQ's

Thomas Wolfe was born on October 3, 1900.

Thomas Wolfe was born in Asheville, North Carolina.

Thomas Wolfe died on September 15, 1938.

Thomas Wolfe died in Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, Maryland.

Thomas Wolfe was 37.

The cause of death was Miliary tuberculosis.

Thomas Wolfe's grave is in Riverside Cemetery

Read More About Thomas Wolfe:

Videos Featuring Thomas Wolfe:

See More:

Franz Kafka

popular name: Franz Kafka

date_of_death: June 3, 1924

age: 40

cause_of_death: Laryngeal tuberculosis and starvation

claim_to_fame: Writers and Poets

best_know_for: Franz Kafka was a German-speaking Bohemian writer born on July 3, 1883, in Prague, then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire (now the Czech Republic). He is widely regarded as one of the most influential literary figures of the 20th century. Kafka was born into a middle-class Jewish family and had a complicated relationship with his domineering father, which deeply influenced his writing. He studied law at the University of Prague and worked for much of his life in insurance, writing in his spare time. Kafka’s works often explore themes of alienation, absurdity, and the oppressive power of bureaucracy, with his most famous stories including The Metamorphosis, The Trial, and The Castle. His distinctive style blends realism with surreal, nightmarish scenarios, reflecting a sense of existential dread. Despite writing prolifically, Kafka published only a few works during his lifetime and instructed his friend Max Brod to destroy his manuscripts after his death. Brod ignored these wishes and instead edited and published much of Kafka’s work, securing his posthumous reputation. Upon his passing, the grave of Franz Kafka can be found at New Jewish Cemetery in Prague, Czechoslovakia.

Mary Shelley

popular name: Mary Shelley

date_of_death: February 1, 1851

age: 53

cause_of_death: Brain tumor

claim_to_fame: Writers and Poets

best_know_for: Mary Shelley (1797–1851) was an English novelist, best known for writing Frankenstein, one of the most influential works in the horror genre. She was born Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin, the daughter of the feminist writer Mary Wollstonecraft and philosopher William Godwin. Her mother died only 11 days after her birth, leaving her with a strong intellectual legacy and a challenging childhood. In 1814, at the age of 16, Mary began a romantic relationship with the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley, who was already married. Despite societal taboos, they eloped to France in 1816, where they faced personal hardships, including the death of their first child. That same year, during a summer spent with Lord Byron at Lake Geneva, she conceived the idea for Frankenstein, which was published in 1818 when she was just 20. Percy Shelley died in 1822 in a drowning accident, leaving Mary a widow with a young son. She continued to write and publish, but struggled financially and emotionally. She wrote novels, short stories, travelogues, and biographies, though none gained the lasting fame of Frankenstein. She also edited and promoted Percy’s works. Mary Shelley died on February 1, 1851, from a brain tumor at the age of 53. She left behind a legacy as a pioneering figure in Gothic literature and a trailblazer for women in literature, particularly through her groundbreaking work with Frankenstein, which explored themes of creation, responsibility, and the human condition.

Agatha Christie

popular name: Agatha Christie

date_of_death: January 12, 1976

age: 85

cause_of_death: Natural causes

claim_to_fame: Writers and Poets

best_know_for: Agatha Christie, the world’s best selling author, was born on 15th September 1890 in Torquay. She is know as the Queen of Crime for her detective fiction stories and her two most famous detectives are Hercule Poirot and Miss Jane Marple. She is also the only female playwright to have had three productions in London’s West End theatres simultaneously, the most famous of which The Mousetrap is the world’s longest running play.

Back to Top