Donald Windham (July 2, 1920 – May 31, 2010) was an American novelist and memoirist. He is perhaps best known for his close friendships with Truman Capote and Tennessee Williams. Born in Atlanta, Georgia, Windham moved with his then-boyfriend Fred Melton, an artist, to New York City in 1939. In 1942 Windham collaborated with Williams on the play, You Touched Me!,[1] which is based on a D. H. Lawrence short story with the same title. Windham received a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1960.[2]
Carl Van Vechten (1880-1964)/LOC cph.3c31415. Donald Windham and Sandy Campbell, 1955
Windham became estranged from Williams after Williams published his book Memoirs (1975).[3] Windham later published a volume of their correspondence, which Williams claimed was done without his permission. Windham remained a friend of Capote until Capote's death. Windham also met and befriended such diverse figures as Lincoln Kirstein, Pavel Tchelitchew, Paul Cadmus, Gore Vidal, Christopher Isherwood and Montgomery Clift, who became a lover of Windham's during the 1940s.[4][5]
In 1943, Windham met Sandy Campbell, an undergraduate student at Princeton University. In 1943 they began a relationship that would last until Campbell's death in 1988. Campbell frequently helped Windham publish books through the Stamperia Valdonega in Verona, Italy. Partially because Windham was influenced by his own life, homosexuality is one of many themes treated in his work.
Windham's novels include The Dog Star (1950),[6] which was praised by André Gide and Thomas Mann, The Hero Continues (1960), which is likely based on Williams, Two People (1965) which is about a love affair between a New York stockbroker whose wife has left him and a 17-year-old Italian boy in Rome, and Tanaquil (1972), which is based on the life of George Platt Lynes. In the 1960s, Windham published a series of recollections about his childhood in the New Yorker. These were collected in the autobiography Emblems of Conduct, published in 1964. The book was warmly received.[7][8]Lost Friendships, a memoir of his friendship with Capote and Williams, was published in 1987. It is regarded by some as his best book.
Donald Windham materials in Robert A. Wilson collection from Special Collections, University of Delaware Library
January 01, 1970
donald, windham, july, 1920, 2010, american, novelist, memoirist, perhaps, best, known, close, friendships, with, truman, capote, tennessee, williams, born, atlanta, georgia, windham, moved, with, then, boyfriend, fred, melton, artist, york, city, 1939, 1942, . Donald Windham July 2 1920 May 31 2010 was an American novelist and memoirist He is perhaps best known for his close friendships with Truman Capote and Tennessee Williams Born in Atlanta Georgia Windham moved with his then boyfriend Fred Melton an artist to New York City in 1939 In 1942 Windham collaborated with Williams on the play You Touched Me 1 which is based on a D H Lawrence short story with the same title Windham received a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1960 2 Carl Van Vechten 1880 1964 LOC cph 3c31415 Donald Windham and Sandy Campbell 1955 Windham became estranged from Williams after Williams published his book Memoirs 1975 3 Windham later published a volume of their correspondence which Williams claimed was done without his permission Windham remained a friend of Capote until Capote s death Windham also met and befriended such diverse figures as Lincoln Kirstein Pavel Tchelitchew Paul Cadmus Gore Vidal Christopher Isherwood and Montgomery Clift who became a lover of Windham s during the 1940s 4 5 In 1943 Windham met Sandy Campbell an undergraduate student at Princeton University In 1943 they began a relationship that would last until Campbell s death in 1988 Campbell frequently helped Windham publish books through the Stamperia Valdonega in Verona Italy Partially because Windham was influenced by his own life homosexuality is one of many themes treated in his work Windham s novels include The Dog Star 1950 6 which was praised by Andre Gide and Thomas Mann The Hero Continues 1960 which is likely based on Williams Two People 1965 which is about a love affair between a New York stockbroker whose wife has left him and a 17 year old Italian boy in Rome and Tanaquil 1972 which is based on the life of George Platt Lynes In the 1960s Windham published a series of recollections about his childhood in the New Yorker These were collected in the autobiography Emblems of Conduct published in 1964 The book was warmly received 7 8 Lost Friendships a memoir of his friendship with Capote and Williams was published in 1987 It is regarded by some as his best book In June 2011 it was announced that Yale University would administer the Donald Windham Sandy M Campbell Literature Prizes References editKellner Bruce Donald Windham A Bio Bibliography Greenwood Press 1991 ISBN 0 313 26857 6 Internet Broadway Database entry Retrieved December 29 2014 Donald Windham 1960 US amp Canada Competition Creative Arts Fiction Archived from the original on September 21 2012 Retrieved June 16 2011 Williams Tennessee Memoirs New Directions Publishing 1975 ISBN 9780811216692 Windham Donald 1987 Lost Friendships A Memoir of Truman Capote Tennessee Williams and Others W Morrow p 64 ISBN 978 0 688 06947 6 Donald Windham www telegraph co uk 16 July 2010 Retrieved 2023 04 03 Windham Donald The dog star Doubleday 1950 Donald Windham and Sandy Campbell Windham Campbell Prizes Retrieved 18 January 2022 Grimes William 4 June 2010 Donald Windham Novelist and Memoirist Dies at 89 The New York Times Retrieved 18 January 2022 External links editDonald Windham A Full Length Portrait of the Writer Archived 2006 12 09 at the Wayback Machine GLBTQ Encyclopedia Entry on Donald Windham Obituary in The New York Times Donald Windham and Sandy Campbell Papers Yale Collection of American Literature Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library Donald Windham materials in Robert A Wilson collection from Special Collections University of Delaware Library Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Donald Windham amp oldid 1176225248, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
