Sam Halpert - Raymond Carver: An Oral Biography

Raymond Carver has become a literary icon for our time. When he died in 1988 at the age of fifty, he was acclaimed as the greatest influence on the American short story since Hemingway. Carvers friends were the stuff of legend as well. In this rich collectiongreatly expanded from the earlier When We Talk about Raymond Carverof interviews with close companions, acquaintances, and family, Sam Halpert has chronologically arranged the reminiscences of Carvers adult life, recalling his difficult Bad Raymond days through his second life as a recovering alcoholic and triumphantly successful writer. The result is a spirited Irish waketoasts, anecdotes, lies, songs, confessions, lamentsall beautifully orchestrated by Halpert into a very readable and moving narrative.These funny, poignant, intensely remembered interviews juxtapose personal anecdotes and enlightening criticism. Memory mixes with analysis, and a lively picture of Carver emerges as we hear different stories about himof the same story told from different viewpoints. He is here presented as hero, victim, and even villainCarvers readers will recognize the woof and warp of his stories in these affectionate narratives.