Novelist/humorist (notjealousnotjealousnotjealous) Kevin Guilfoile talks about writing, and cites Percy as his favorite novelist. Major points for the following:
“When I was in college and started to read these other Southern writers and began to understand and I read the biographies of him and maybe the best book I have ever read on writing, which is the correspondence between Shelby Foote and Percy.”
I’ve been intrigued by the letters, but never read them. I started with Foote before Percy – thought it an interesting relationship since Foote is more popularly known as a historian than a novelist.
Maybe I never read the letters because I feel a little guilty – I stalled out on the Civil War somewhere after Centreville (midway through Vol. 2). Excellent writing, excellent reading, but dense. Slightly different take on the Guns & Garden theme, though…
Me, I plowed through volumes one and two in a matter of months, then took about two years to finish volume three. By the end, it was pure willpower – I. Will. Finish. This. But I’m glad I did. Yes, dense. The letters are great fun.
I am saving all our email and blog correspondence for some future volume. Better safe than sorry.
Ahh…
JOB