Carson McCullers

Auden (a literary mentor), Mann, Britten, and the Bowles lived communally in the same Brooklyn house. She and Williams were longstanding close friends and fellow-spirits; he visited her during her final coma. Albee was another close friend. Her sister introduced her to Capote, sure they would get on well (they did, until he was accused of stealing her plots). Dinesen only met McCullers once (and they didn’t dance on the table with Marilyn Monro), but wrote, and sent flowers when she was ill. McCullers’ relationship with Welty is best described as a rivalry, while her childish obsessiveness embarrassed Porter.