Larry L. King: A Writer's Life in Letters, Or, Reflections in a Bloodshot Eye

by Richard Holland and Larry L. King

Book Overview

From the archives of the Southwestern Writers Collection at Southwest Texas State University, former curator Richard Holland has selected from among thousands of Larry L. King's letters dealing with the daily warp and woof of an American writer alternately giddy with success and doubting his own talents. The result is a crazy ride of almost fifty years on a roller coaster of many dips, loops, and steep climbs.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0875652034
• ISBN13: 9780875652030
• Release Date: September 1999
• Publisher: Texas Christian University Press
• Length: 404 Pages
• Weight: 1.95 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.4" x 6.4" x 9.4"

Customer Reviews

An irreverent look at life from a literary raconteur

Judging from these often humorous, sometimes poignant, but always brash and candid letters, it is probably safe to assume that few writers have had such widely varied experiences as has Larry L. King. Spanning over 40 years, King's fascinating and provocative letters--along with his no-holds-barred reminiscences interspersed among them--provide a virtual autobiography of this novelist, playwright, essayist, and commentator. What makes this epistolary volume especially interesting is that King suffers no fools lightly, appears to be intimidated by no one, and is always ready to prick the balloons of the famous--and oftentimes pompous. (His accounts of working with actor Burt Reynolds and dancer Tommy Tune are particularly hilarious.

Not for parents of small children

Parents of small children desperately need sleep, so I cannot recommend that they read this book--it has kept me awake for two nights in a row. It's as hard to put down as any thriller, and a whole lot funnier than most.

An hilarious and candid look at the writing life

King's book of letters take you inside the heart and head of one of America's most perceptive and humorous writers. Roy Blount once said that King writes like an angel would if it grew up in West Texas and drank. It's hard to improve on Blount's assessment. King's rollicking missives, directed to friends, family, politicians, critics, and fellow writers offer a fascinating portrait of the writing life. There's also the vicarious thrill of reading someone else's mail. Stories range from fellow author William Styron's run-in with "Mexican boo-smoke" to King's feud with the "alleged actor Burt Reynolds." The fact that a book this interesting has been published by a university press instead of a major trade house is as indicative as anything of the sorry state of affairs in the publishing industry these days. King's book, like himself, defies the mold.

A fascinating view of a writer's life

This book takes the reader inside the head and heart of a working writer and reveals the triumphs and the despair that are staples of a writer's life. There are a lot of famous people in it, too.

A terrific read

Larry L. King is an American hero. His work should be required reading for anyone who even thinks about the writing life. He ought to win the Nobel Prize, but then, he's a Texan so probably doesn't qualify.