LION IN THE GARDEN

A cleverly annotated and discreetly selective series of interviews with William Faulkner, by a variety of questioners over a period from 1926 through 1962. As the editors point out, Faulkner jealously guarded his privacy, but a gifted, intelligent interviewer or, later, a growing sense of responsibility on the part of the novelist, could bring forth considered and illuminating responses about his work and methods. Faulkner, when addressing an audience which brought to the occasion a special concern or a fresh foreign view, was often courteously attentive, often vigorously explorative and adventurous. However, there were other situations, particularly in the early years, when he could lie with savage abandon, and deliver car-scorching opinions, particularly on the matter of Southern race problems. (The French journalist Margaret Chapsal, in 1955, provided an amusing view of the novelist at bay and retreating his icy distance.) Some of Faulkner's more controversial statements about race problems and American literature--and their disclaimers--are included in this collection. A valuable and essential record of the Lion rampant and ruminating.