Published by W. H. Allen, London; 1976. 8vo. 264pp. First British edition, first printing. Condition: Near Fine/Near Fine
Bound in original beige cloth boards with title in gilt to the spine. The binding is square and tight and in excellent condition, with no marks and just some darkening to the edges, particularly to the top rear edge. Inside, the pages are clean and bright, free from blemishes and just a touch of toning to the edges
The book is housed in its original, first issue dust jacket, which is in equally smart condition, with slight shelf wear to the edges and sunning to the spine and top edge.
In all, this is a smart example of this British first edition of Tennessee Williams' Memoirs. Upon its publication, this work caused a stir in the media, for although Williams had long self-identified as a gay man, his candour when talking about his love life, sexual encounters and drug use, was shocking in and of itself for the time, with The New York Times calling it "a raw display of private life". However, Williams' reflections of his life is not as scandalous as it once was . He remembers his childhood in St. Louis and Mississippi, his prolonged struggle as a 'starving artist', the 'overnight' success of Glass Menagerie in 1945, the death of his long-time companion Frank Merlo in 1962 and his confinement to a psychiatric ward in 1969, and subsequent recovery from drug and alcohol addictions, all with the same directness, compassion and insight that his plays are known for. This work gives a truly fascinating insight into one of the twentieth century's most notable playwrights.