Friday, September 27, 2013

Redux for Highsmith Week: FFB 1952: Marijane Meaker (as Vin Packer): SPRING FIRE (Fawcett Gold Medal); Patricia Highsmith (as Claire Morgan): THE PRICE OF SALT (Coward, McCann)


























The first startling thing about these two novels, pioneering lesbian Bildungsromans, first published in the same year, under pseudonyms, by two writers who would go on to have a two-year affair seven years later, is how even more similar they are than this would suggest.

For more of this vintage review, please see here...and for fresher and rather less sloppily-written reviews, try Patti Abbott's page. 

Then there's this!

I'll be back...even if only to remind you of the New Season of Borgen...

5 comments:

Kelly Robinson said...

I actually like Meeker's young adult work as M.E. Kerr. I still read them as an adult. When I was recently reading Stephen King's Joyland, it struck me as very much like her work as Kerr.

Good to see you around.

pattinase (abbott) said...

Hope the situation is improving, Todd. We are thinking about you.

Todd Mason said...

I keep wanting to make her a relative of Ralph Meeker, too...I was very gratified to find out that "M. E. Kerr" actually wrote for adults, as well, considering how much I liked DINKY HOCKER SHOOTS SMACK! and the other works I found by her back in my salad days.

Thanks for the benisons, folks! I wish things were improving, but at least the nature of the tasks is taking some shape...

Prashant C. Trikannad said...

Good to see you post, Todd. Hope things are working out well. I have never read Highsmith as herself or as Claire Morgan but I'll check out the vintage review.

Sergio (Tipping My Fedora) said...

A great double bill Todd - I went off and got her memoir on Highsmith on your say so in fact (and nearly reviewed it for the FFB but decided it was too oblique an approach) - all the very best chum.