The Life and Selected Letters of Lyle Saxon,

Chance Harvey

• Publisher: Pelican Publishing
• Year: 2003
• Print ISBN: 9781589801097
• eBook ISBN: 9781455607365
• Topic: Literature
• Subtopic: Literary Biographies
• Index: Literature

"[Harvey's] use of Saxon's letters... provide a unique and objective way of analyzing this fascinating individual while allowing Saxon to speak for himself." -Louisiana Libraries

"Pays him the respect he deserves and uncovers the essential loneliness of the most convivial of men." -New Orleans Times-Picayune

"Saxon's life makes an interesting story and Harvey's prose brings it fully to life." -Brookhaven Daily Leader

Here is the first full biography of the legendary writer known as Mr. Louisiana and Mr. New Orleans. Lyle Saxon's life was colorful, busy, and full of contrasts. He presented himself as the perfect Southern gentleman, but he grew up fatherless in modest circumstances. As host of a French Quarter salon, Saxon dispensed drinks, anecdotes, loans, and advice to many friends, including William Faulkner, Oliver La Farge, and Sherwood Anderson, yet he was often lonely and retreated to his solitary cabin at Melrose Plantation. While Saxon was ambivalent toward his work with the WPA Writers' Project, begrudging the time it took from his own writing, the Louisiana division was, under his direction, the most productive in the United States. Though Saxon's history books bought him fame and a place in New York literary circles, he was deeply insecure about his talent and mourned his inability to write novels.

A Southern-literature scholar and a longtime fan of Lyle Saxon, Professor Harvey has researched the facts behind Saxon myths and presents the reality behind his legend. This volume also contains excerpts from Saxon's correspondence with family and friends, including letters from Grace King, William Spratling, and Sherwood Anderson.

Lyle Saxon wrote history books, Father Mississippi, Old Louisiana, Fabulous New Orleans, and Lafitte the Pirate; a novel, Children of Strangers; and a memoir, The Friends of Joe Gilmore. He was a coauthor of the folklore collection Gumbo Ya-Ya. All are available from Pelican.

Table of contents

• Front Cover
• Preface
• Acknowledgments
• 1: The Solitary Spirit and the Comic Mask
• 2: Setting the Stage: 1918-22
• 3: Playing the Part: 1923-26
• 4: Changing the Scene: 1926-30
• 5: Writing the Play: 1931-37
• 6: The Final Performance: 1938-46
• 7: Conclusion
• Letters
• Abbreviations
• Notes
• Selected Bibliography
• Index