First published 1965
Lawrence Durrell chronicles his remarkable correspondence with Henry Miller that began when Durrell, just twenty-three, wrote a passionate fan letter about Miller's Tropic of Cancer. The forty-three-year-old American author responded from his Paris villa, recognizing a kindred spirit and asking if Durrell was a writer himself. Their exchange sparked an animated friendship that lasted twenty-five years. Miller called the young Durrell a "stinking genius," the highest praise Durrell had ever received. The two writers shared their turbulent pasts, with Durrell confessing his chaotic upbringing and habit of fleeing schools when unhappy. They debated censorship, discussed their creative struggles, and offered each other encouragement through the isolation that writing demands. Miller reminded Durrell that solitude was a writer's advantage, not a burden. This collection captures two literary minds in conversation, revealing how their friendship shaped both their lives and their art.
Genres: biography, literary-criticism, literary-fiction, 20th-century, memoir
Vibes: atmospheric, emotional, intimate
Tropes: epistolary, found-family
Period: 20th-Century
400 pages · Hardcover · E. P. Dutton & Co.