Understanding James Leo Herlihy

"Robert Ward's Understanding James Leo Herlihy is an appealing introduction to this neglected gay American author. Talented and charismatic, Herlihy told sympathetic stories of outsiders and pushed the envelope of acceptable material on the stage and page. Herlihy journeyed through the U.S. Navy, Black Mountain College, Pasadena Playhouse, Broadway, Key West, hippie communes, and Los Angeles, and on the way befriended luminaries Anaïs Nin, Tennessee Williams, and Tallulah Bankhead. This first book on Herlihy incisively discusses his work within its socio-cultural contexts and positions Herlihy in dialogue with his better-known contemporaries such as James Purdy, Carson McCullers, and Williams. Robert Ward's thoughtful and concise monograph represents a notable contribution to the study of post-World War II and gay American literatures."—Michael Snyder, PhD, Professor of English at Oklahoma City Community College