On the Southern Literary Trail discussion

Born in Atlanta in 1920, Donald Windham became a novelist, playwright, and memoirist, but - despite praise from the likes of E.M. Forster, Thomas Mann, and Andre Gide - never enjoyed more than low-key literary fame. "Hard work and no success" was his own, rather bitter verdict on his career. He died, aged 89, in 2010.

He was an early friend of Tennessee Williams, with whom he co-authored a play, and a lifelong friend of Truman Capote.

His first novel, The Dog Star published in 1950, has been reprinted as a "southern classic", though that is perhaps over-egging it. Set in prewar Atlanta, it tells the story of a teenager trying to create a life for himself after the suicide of his best friend.

Later novels concern gay themes, but it has been claimed that some of Windham's best writing is in his memoirs of his Atlanta childhood, Emblems of Conduct, and also his memoirs of his southern friends, Lost Friendships: A Memoir of Truman Capote, Tennessee Williams, and Others.

It seems worth starting a thread for Windham - in case anyone has already or may in the future read these memoirs - as well as his short stories and other pieces.

I have only read The Dog Star, which is an interesting but hardly essential piece of southern literature (review at https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...). Has anyone else encountered his writings?