Walker Percy (1916-1990), the reclusive southern author most famous
for his 1961 novel
The Moviegoer, spent much of his adult
life in Covington, Louisiana. In the spirit of traditional southern
storytelling, this biography of Percy takes its shape from candid
interviews with his family, close friends, and acquaintances. In
thirteen interviews, we get to know Percy through his lifelong
friend Shelby Foote, Percy's brothers LeRoy and Phin, his former
priest, his housekeeper, and former teachers, among others--all in
their own words. Over the course of the interviews, readers learn
intimate details of Percy's writing process; his interaction with
community members of different ethnic, religious, and socioeconomic
backgrounds; and his commitment to civil rights issues. What
emerges is a multidimensional portrait of Percy as a man, a friend,
and a family member.