William Styron

Styron’s modest output was in inverse proportion to the ripples his books made. Gary and Baldwin (who encouraged him to write from a black perspective) were among friends made in Paris in the 1950’s; he was generous to both. Bernstein played piano at his parties, Mailer and he feuded for 25 years but made up, and Capote urged him to marry. His glittering array of friends included literature-loving presidents: Marquez, a good friend, brought Fuentes to lunch with Clinton, while Mitterand had him by his side at his inauguration. Faulkner slipped away when Styron went to the toilet at their only meeting.