The luck of friendship The letters of Tennessee Williams and James Laughlin

Tennessee Williams, 1911-1983

Book - 2018

Chronicles the unlikely yet enduring literary and personal relationship of Tennessee Williams and James Laughlin. Their story provides a window into the literary history of the mid-twentieth century and reveals the struggles of a great artist, supported in his endeavors by the publisher he considered a true friend.

Saved in:

2nd Floor Show me where

816.54/Williams
1 / 1 copies available
Location Call Number   Status
2nd Floor 816.54/Williams Checked In
Subjects
Genres
Personal correspondence
Published
New York : W. W. Norton & Company [2018]
Language
English
Main Author
Tennessee Williams, 1911-1983 (author)
Other Authors
James Laughlin, 1914-1997 (author)
Edition
First edition
Physical Description
xl, 392 pages ; 25 cm
Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN
9780393246209
Contents unavailable.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review

This collection of correspondence between Tennessee Williams and his primary publisher, New Directions founder James Laughlin, provides a remarkable window onto a literary friendship. While the letters, written between December 1942 and October 1982, contain their share of publishing shoptalk, what emerges most strongly is a genuinely close bond. For example, responding to Williams's claim of physical and nervous exhaustion after completing his play The Rose Tattoo, Laughlin advises: "Don't think of yourself as a literary figure, and try to see what others see in you. Just go on living your life by your own standards, which are the right ones for you, and write what comes." The letters document, incidentally, Williams's wanderlust-Key West and Rome are among his frequent mailing addresses-and relationships with Truman Capote, Elia Kazan, and Carson McCullers, among other famous names mentioned in the letters. But the book's greatest value lies in capturing the lifelong conversation these two men shared, one that clearly nurtured Williams and helped him continue in the face of professional setbacks. As Williams wrote to Laughlin in 1978, in a letter which sums up the collection, "Very briefly and truly, I want to say this. You're the greatest friend that I have had in my life, and the most trusted." (Mar.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Library Journal Review

Playwright Tennessee Williams and New Directions publisher James Laughlin met at a cocktail party in 1942. They bonded, almost immediately, over a shared respect for the poetry of Hart Crane. Williams wrote Laughlin. Laughlin wrote back. Thus commenced one of the great literary friendships of the 20th century, reflected in this first collection of letters, edited by former New Directions publisher and Laughlin's literary coexecutor Fox, and New Directions consulting editor Keith. Often separated by geography, Williams and Laughlin remained close until Williams's death in 1983. Both were supportive of each other and passionate about literature. Early in the relationship (1945), Williams claimed "You are my literary conscience." Laughlin helped the immensely talented but emotionally frail Williams, publishing his works and bolstering his confidence when he needed support. Williams is presented in his most attractive guise here: a kind man, who, though frequently distracted by demons, was basically decent and thoughtful. Around the portrait of this friendship circles the perpetual talk of the writer's craft, which, for both men, was a serious, never-ending business. -VERDICT Both men are giants and these letters are gems. The audience for this exemplary collection should be legion.-David Keymer, -Cleveland © Copyright 2018. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review

A collection of revealing and moving letters, spanning nearly 40 years, between the celebrated playwright and his publisher and friend at New Directions.Laughlin, a poet in his own right, emerges in these pages as an exemplar of a friend. Invariably supportive, encouraging, and compassionate, the publisher was steadfast in his belief in Williams' worknot just plays, but also poems and short storiesand his deep affection for the man. The early letters here, the majority of which are from Williams when he was young and barely known, ripple with hope and ambition. Even as early as 1942, Laughlin was writing that a script was "extremely interesting and very beautiful in places." This sort of language continued until Williams' death in 1983. As his career began to skyrocket (with The Glass Menagerie and A Streetcar Named Desire), he showed his own loyalty to Laughlin and ND by having his work published entirely with them. Later, however, we read that ND did not really have an interest in Williams' projected memoir. His letterseven the brief onesoften contain luminescent sentences and a refreshing wryness: "The evils of promiscuity are exaggerated," he wrote in 1945. "Of course, the primary and ultimate object is to remain alive," he said in 1971. Occasionally, Williams offers snarky commentse.g., about Gore Vidaland some harsh ones for various critics, including Paul Goodman and Robert Brustein. Throughout, both Williams and Laughlin emerge as avid readers and admirers of the work of other writers, including Paul Bowles and others. The text is gracefully edited and thoughtfully and unobtrusively annotated by Fox, former president and publisher of ND, Williams' last editor, and Laughlin's co-literary executor; and Keith, an acting teacher and consulting editor at ND. The editors inform us about the people in Williams' life and the specifics of the Williams productions that the letters discuss: cast members, director, critical and popular responses, etc.The rivers of mutual affection, admiration, and artistry form a powerful confluence in these deeply affecting exchanges. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.