It Starts With Trouble : William Goyen and the Life of Writing by Clark Davis

Austin : University of Texas Press, 2015

I first became aware of Goyen's writing with The House of Breath (1950). The writing, although prose, has such a poetic quality about it that it isn't easily forgotten. His style is not easily defined and he, himself did not believe that he fit into any of the genres that were often ascribed to him (Southern Gothic, modernist, magical realist, etc.).

Although not always appreciated by family members, Goyen seems to have used the events of his life, particularly life in east Texas, as subject matter for his writing. This allows Davis to tell the story of Goyen's life through his published novels and stories as well as manuscript materials from collections at two universities.

Goyen's primary relationships were with men until he was in his mid-40s and these relationships find their way into a number of his works. He met and later married the actress Doris Roberts in 1963.

Not having read Goyen's other work, this biography is a great introduction to his entire oeuvre. I hope to explore some of his other novels in the future. I'm particularly interested in Half a Look of Cain (1994), the novel that was written after The House of Breath but could never find a publisher in Goyen's lifetime.