Tennessee Williams, Popular Playwright of the South
Tennessee Williams (1911-1983) adored New Orleans, which profoundly influenced his writing. His two homes there are not open to the public (and he did not live in either very long), but if you are walking in the French Quarter, you will be following his footsteps and experiencing his inspiration.
New Orleans has changed since then, having endured one of the most destructive hurricanes in US history, but it is still a place that blends together the French, Cajun, and Southern cultures. The historic New Orleans streets and some of its 18th century buildings still stand. Street entertainers are a daily occurrence. Currently, the population of New Orleans is equivalent to an average-sized city, and the French Quarter is one of its 71 neighborhoods.
Read more about this major writer here: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/tennessee-williams.
His Writing
The writer’s most popular five works are described here: thoughtco.com. They include A Streetcar Named Desire, Cat On a Hot Tin Roof, The Rose Tattoo, the Glass Menagerie, and A Streetcar Named Desire.
“I have found it easier to identify with the characters who verge upon hysteria, who were frightened of life, who were desperate to reach out to another person. But these seemingly fragile people are the strong people really.” — Tennessee Williams
Feature Films
Several of his works were adapted for major feature films. Read about them here: https://ew.com/movies/tennessee-williams-movies.
More US Places to Visit
You can read more about Tennessee Williams through our Florida, Mississippi, and New York (Hotel Elysee) pages, which all offer sites to see with a connection to this beloved literary soul. In addition, an interesting walking tour of his life in Iowa can be found here: http://litcity.lib.uiowa.edu/person/tennessee-williams.
The French Quarter in New Orleans, Louisiana, is the first stop on our Louisiana Author Adventures Trail.
Patricia Smart
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