‘Writers, even the most socially gifted and established, must be outsiders of some sort, if only because their job is that of scrutiniser and witness.’ – Laing
In The Trip to Echo Spring, Olivia Laing recounts the life and work of six remarkable authors: F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, Tennessee Williams, John Berryman, John Cheever, and Raymond Carver. Aside from literary esteem, all these men have something else in common: alcoholism.
Part travel narrative, part literary biography, Laing explores the link between drink and creativity while traveling across America.
Making her way through Cheever’s NewYork, Williams’ New Orleans, and Carver’s Port Angeles, Laing recounts her experience as she retraces their steps. Among her lyrical depictions of key places frequented by the authors, Laing weaves biographical research through her travel narrative while exploring the psychology behind alcoholism.
Laing investigates along-established stereotype with awareness and sensitivity while providing insight into the personalities behind the writing in her own beautifully written pages.
This book is for anyone curious about extraordinary lives, the human psyche, and the smoky bars of old Americana.
