Tennessee Williams

[retropian]

I began reading "Tom, The Unknown Tennessee Williams" by Lyle Leverich just a few days ago. It's a biography written my someone who knew him well and was published in 1995. This sentence from the introduction struck me:

"Tennessee was conveying with the power of illusion what in life is so often inexpressible: the tragic failure to communicate one's true feelings not only to others but also to oneself in an interior dialog. Through that failure, there emerges a theme underlying all of his writings: the terrifying isolation of loneliness."

It seems to me that thought aptly summarizes a theme that also runs through much of Annie Proulx's writing. It certainly can be applied to Ennis.

[Front-Ranger]

Defintely. Would love to hear more about the book, friend!

[retropian]

Defintely. Would love to hear more about the book, friend!

It's a loooonnng book. I've barely begun chapter 1!  I'm somewhat familiar with his major works, but not his life. Biography's are always interesting because one never knows how ones opinion of the subject might change and deepen. I have the feeling this is not a hagiography on T.W., which is a good thing. The imperfection of genius can be inspiring but occasionally off putting. I was reading a biography of Jean Genet years ago and couldn't finish it because I was so revolted by him.

[Kd5000]

I remember reading a review when the book first came out how it goes into details about T. Williams "one night stands" and tawdry things like that which diminished from the book.  Who needs to read about such stuff!  Do tell if the book talks about that.   

[Shakesthecoffecan]

I will put that one on my list, which unfortunatly is like Jack Twist's address book, all in my head.

[Kd5000]

You should check out our local library Truman. It's a very common book and it's much cheaper at the library.   I have so many books on my Amazon.com  "cart" and "wishlist" that it's eight pages long.  Of course, I update my Amazon lists with additions and deletions as I sometimes lose interest in the subject matter.

[retropian]

Well, I finished the book the other day. I can highly recommend it. It's very well written and insightful into his psychology, motivations and inspirations. The bio ends soon after the success of "The Glass Menagerie."  I think Kd5000 above must have been thinking of another Tennessee Williams bio, because this one was not tawdry or salacious at all. Yes, it discussed his sexuality but doesn't delve too deeply into his process of self-acceptance as gay. Nor, does it list or describe in any detail his sexual encounters, just that he did alot of cruising and was quite promiscuous for a while. In his diary he referd to sex as the "Nightingale". "The Nightingale sang sweetly last night". he's write. He was raised in a very puritanical and repressive household and didn't loose his virginity until is late twenties. I think that's rather common for a person who is sexually repressed to um, "party hard" once they discover sex. The book was mostly about his creative life and his internal struggle with that and with the duality of being both "Tom" and "Tennessee".