In Search of Willie Morris: The Mercurial Life of a Legendary Writer and Editor [Hardcover]

Larry L. King (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 6, 2006

Willie Morris, the famously talented—and complex—writer and editor, helped to remake American journalism and wrote more than a dozen books, with several classics among them. His time at the head of Harper's magazine, where he was made editor at age thirty-two, is legendary. With writers like David Halberstam, Norman Mailer, and author of this book, Larry L. King, Harper's became the magazine to read and the place to be in print.Morris was friend, colleague, or mentor to a remarkable cast of writers— William Styron, James Jones, Truman Capote, George Plimpton, Gay Talese, and later in life, Barry Hannah, Donna Tartt, John Grisham, and Winston Groom. In Search of Willie Morris is a wise, sometimes raucous, and moving look at Morris that conveys the energy and activity of the years at the top and the troubles, talents, late rallies, and mysteries of his later life. Written with the affection of a close friend and the critical insight of a fellow writer, it is an absorbing biography of an extraordinarily gifted literary man and raconteur who inspired both wonder and frustration, and who left behind a legacy and a body of work that endures.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

To read this loving, loquacious, warts-and-all tribute to the famed Harper's editor and author (My Dog Skip) who died in 1999 is to be a fly on the wall at a high-spirited wake attended by literati like Norman Mailer and David Halberstam. The prolific King (The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas), a friend of almost 40 years who wrote for Morris at Harper's, reconciles the brooding loner with the extroverted golden boy who at 32 revitalized America's oldest magazine. Morris's vast ambition and self-destructive alcoholism, according to King, can be traced to his overbearing, socially insecure smalltown Mississippi mother, who was a secret drinker. Most noteworthy is the description of Morris's colossal fall from grace and rash resignation from Harper's in 1971, where he was blamed for diminished profits. Other standouts are accounts of Morris's close friendship with the dying James Jones, celebrated author of From Here to Eternity, and his tumultuous affair with socialite Barbara Howar, who publicly accused Morris of ripping off her life in his poorly received novel The Last of the Southern Girls. This insider's memoir will be savored by Morris's friends and fans, but won't make him essential to a new generation of readers. Photos not seen by PW. (Mar. 1)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

At the relatively young age of 32, Morris, Mississippi-born editor of the Texas Observer, was named editor in chief of Harper's magazine. His tenure saw a modernization of that venerable periodical ("sweep the decks clean both fore and aft"), and he brought in many writers new to the magazine, including the author of this personal biography of Morris. But Morris' time at Harper's was rocky and didn't end well. From an early age, Morris demonstrated complexity, moodiness, charm, a tendency toward obfuscation (note the title of this book), an inability to confront when necessary, and a reliance on alcohol. Obviously, a good editor does not necessarily make good manager material. Nonetheless, from King's admiring but not whitewashing biography emerges a figure who, as a novelist and a writing teacher as well as an editor, left an indelible impression. Morris died in 1999, at age 64. That his accomplishments should not be forgotten is both the point and the effect of King's engaging account. Brad Hooper
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 384 pages
• Publisher: PublicAffairs; 1St Edition edition (March 6, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1586483846
• ISBN-13: 978-1586483845
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,888,933 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Ineluctable, Ineffable, Inexhaustible, April 10, 2006

By 

Richard Houston - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: In Search of Willie Morris: The Mercurial Life of a Legendary Writer and Editor (Hardcover)

Willie Morris was many things, but how he ended up said less about him and more about the culture from which he sprung. By that I mean the South can take a heavy toll on its sentient sons and daughters. Larry L. King provides us with Willie's story in fine fashion but does miss that ineluctable truth- to use a favorite word of Morris'. Now let me say a thing or two about this Mississippian whose work I have read in full.

I would like to defend Willie Morris against two types of readers. There is the one kind who sees him as a defender of the South and another who remarks only upon his descent from the literary heights. He did do both, but that was only part of his odyssey.

Morris wrote North Toward Home, perhaps the finest autobiography produced by the last of the southern gentleman. The book holds no punches and reflects unflinchingly on what it means to be both southern and American. It should be required reading for everyone here in these United States. We might be a better country for it, and you cannot say that for many books.

After that work, Willie didn't come close in his writing efforts. However, North Toward Home endures and will endure. Most big time editors cannot say that, and I am struck by how the famous folks who surpassed him- Halberstam, for example- have never written anything on the level of North Toward Home. The Best and the Brightest is a fine book, but it is a far remove from literature. North Toward Home reminds me of C. Vann Woodward's comment, "all historians are failed novelists." A last gentleman as well, Woodward could write those words from the marrow of his bones. Our present age is too literal for that to still ring true, but it does in Morris's case, even if it be autobiography, not history per se.

Finally, a word about Willie's last years. Yes, I heard him called a drunk. I grew up only about 75 miles from Oxford in the Delta town of Tunica. His alcoholism didn't cut much ice with me, though. After all, Faulkner was called the same. You would be hard pressed to find a southern writer worth his salt who didn't have a fondness for the bottle. Maybe Willie was more fond than some, but I bet Faulkner would have drunk him under the table- even if they never actually met. My hunch is Willie had said it all and then some in North Toward Home. There wasn't much more for him to say. That would be a tough burden, especially if you were the genius Morris was. Even Faulkner didn't produce much quality after his torrid pace in the late '20's and early '30's.

Moreover, Willie came home. He may not have been the finest teacher, but his influence on Oxford, Ole Miss, and Mississippi was enormous. He inspired Donna Tartt, wrote about Chucky Mullins, assigned pretty coeds Pery's "The Moviegoer", and helped put Square Books on the map. Yes, indeed, Willie's legacy endures. For my money, despite his lack of material fame and fortune, "the bitch goddess success", that his peers may have gained, Morris did as well in a larger sense, if not better.

RIP, Willie, and thanks from a fellow Mississippian.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Decoding Willie Morris, June 10, 2006

By 

Glenn Buchan (Redondo Beach, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

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This review is from: In Search of Willie Morris: The Mercurial Life of a Legendary Writer and Editor (Hardcover)

I would like to thank Larry King for introducing me to my former brother-in-law, Willie Morris. (If that sounds a little bizarre at first blush, it will seem less so to those who read Larry King's book.) I always liked Willie and respected him for his achievements, but I never had any illusions that I really knew him. While I was aware of most of the "facts" -- albeit after they had passed through some dubious filters -- that was clearly not enough to understand Willie Morris. Larry King supplies many of the missing pieces, and he does so with frequently lyrical prose, wit, and keen insight. Those who want to know about Willie Morris and his times should read this book and "North Toward Home," sparing themselves the subsequent "dueling autobigraphies" of Willie and Celia Morris.

Larry King accurately captures the famous Willie Morris charm. I learned about it first hand in one of our rare private moments. Willie told me that he had never had a brother and was looking forward to the experience. Although I was aware at the time that this probably wouldn't really work out, I was quite taken by this gesture to the "kid brother." After all, I was certain that however our relationship evolved, it HAD to be an improvement over having an older sister. Meanwhile, I was already impressed that he had been a baseball player and that my parents clearly didn't really approve of their daughter's choice of husbands. Thus, his "charm offensive" certainly worked on me and apparently on many others as well.

King also explores Willie's dark side at some length, but does so sympathetically. At the minor end of that scale, King notes Willie's propensity for isolating himself from the outside world, ignoring letters, messages, or other forms of contact. I understand better now why ne never responded to the occasional notes I sent him complimenting him on this or that piece that he had written. (My wife had somewhat better luck.) At least I learned from Larry King that I was in good company and, in retrospect, don't take it as personally as I did at the time. As Larry King makes clear, Willie had much more serious problems to worry about.

As good as the book is, I have to wonder how broad an audience it will attract. (Of course, the question is somewhat academic at this point.) To be sure, Willie Morris achieved much, especially in the early part of his life, and he certainly rubbed elbows with the famous and powerful. Moreover, there has always been a Willie Morris "cult" -- or, more precisely, cult(s) -- that will dutifully read the book. Still, in the grand scheme of things, that is a relatively small and somewhat rarefied audience. While there's nothing inherently wrong with that, I think Mr. King may have missed an opportunity to introduce a broader audience to Willie Morris. That is too bad because Willie has indirectly affected many people who have probably never heard of him. In that vein, I think that Larry King's basic conclusion that Willie Morris should be remembered mainly for his literary contributions is wrong. Instead, I think Willie should be remembered primarily for those whose careers he helped nurture, including Larry King himself. For example, in martial arts, the measure of a master is the skill of his students. Without extending the metaphor too far, to the degree that Willie Morris helped make it possible for David Halberstam, Larry King, and others to create their magical works and reach wider audiences, we should all bow to his memory. The world owes him a debt. THAT should be Willie Morris' legacy.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Willie We Hardly Knew Ye, May 7, 2006

By 

A Southern Reader (New Orleans, LA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: In Search of Willie Morris: The Mercurial Life of a Legendary Writer and Editor (Hardcover)

To readers in Mississippi and throughout the South, Willie like Elvis doesn't need a last name.

I first learned of and became a fan of Willie Morris when in the 70's I read his mid life memoir of sorts, North Towards Home. It was one of those books I never forgot. I was less impressed with Morris'later works, especially New York Days.
( Boy talk about industrial strength name dropping. But I digress. )

In this book, Morris' long time friend Larry King provides a lot of info about Morris, his carrer, his friends and enemies, his ups and downs, his affairs, etc. While it is an informative and enjoyable read, it is kind of streange in that the author in many instances seems to abandon his "search" for Willie to indulge in a search for himself since he was so close to Morris. That may be a not unacceptable price for the reader to pay to get the huge number of intimate insights into the life of someone who was nothing if not over the top interesting.

As with any such book, there are places where detail gets out of control and scanning is in order, but they are minimal.

Willie Morris, warts and all, will always be remembered fondly by Mississippians as someone who never lost his love for the state ( and its considerable number of "warts" ).

You might have to be a Mississippian to really enjoy the book, but then again you never can tell. Definitely worth a spin.