James Agee

In this first full-scale biography, Bergreen makes judicious use of unpublished letters and manuscripts and extensive interviews with people in Agee's life, presenting a compelling account of the personality and career of the novelist, journalist, screenwriter, film critic and poet. Rich in incident and implication, this volume sympathetically depicts his life, hurtled in a storm of marriages, liaisons and heavy drinking, and torn by the conflicting demands of journalistic success and a more private muse. ISBN 0-525-24253-8 : $20.00.