Speed Lamkin

Speed Lamkin
Born	Hillyer Speed Lamkin (1927-11-02)November 2, 1927 Monroe, Louisiana,U.S.
Died	May 3, 2011(2011-05-03)(aged 83) Monroe, Louisiana, U.S.
Resting place	Old City Cemetery, Monroe, Louisiana, U.S.
Occupation	Novelist playwright
Nationality	American
Alma mater	Harvard University
Parents	Ebb Tyler Lamkin Eugenia Layton Speed

Hillyer Speed Lamkin(bornMonroe, Louisiana,November 2, 1927–Monroe, Louisiana,May 3, 2011) was an American novelist and playwright. He is best known for his first novelTiger in the Garden(1950) and was called "the poor man's Truman Capote" by the composerNed Rorem.He was a recipient of a 1950O. Henry Awardfor his short storyComes a Day.

Early life and education

Lamkin was the son of Ebb Tyler Lamkin (1893–1958) and his wife, the former Eugenia Layton Speed (born 1901). He was named for his maternal grandfather, Hillyer Rolston Speed, an insurance executive. Lamkin graduated fromHarvard Universityin 1948, which he had entered at the age of 16. He had one sibling,Marguerite,who became avoice coachfor Southern-themed films such asBaby Doll,Cat on a Hot Tin Roof,The Long, Hot Summer,andRaintree County.

Literary career

Described as "short, porcine, [and] effeminate" by biographerFred Kaplanand a "niggery, flirty, shrewd, frivolous, perceptive young person" byChristopher Isherwood,Lamkin was often compared toTruman Capotebecause of his Gothic prose and literary precocity.Tennessee Williams,however, observed, "He doesn't write as well but is more agreeable". Similarly jaundiced wasDodie Smith,an English novelist and playwright, who described Lamkin as "a nice bright child but with an ounce of talent only, and not a reliable critic".

He became a sensation at age 22 with the publication of his 1950 novel,Tiger in the Garden.The New York Timescalled the Southern tale "a diffuse examination of the retirement of aristocrats before the vitality of 'new' crude opportunists" but criticized its "overall sense of a low-powered, highly polished Hollywood product".

Lamkin and his friend Gus Field wrote a dramatic adaptation of Isherwood's storySally Bowlesbut it was rejected in favor of an adaptation byJohn van Druten.He also contributed fiction toMademoiselleand wrote a 90-minute television script about the life of Washington, D.C. hostess and ambassadorPerle Mestain 1956; its intended star wasRosalind Russellthough the role was eventually played byShirley Booth.In 1950 he was hired to write an English-language version ofLa Otra,a Mexican film starringDolores del Río;it was reportedly being written as a vehicle forJoan Crawford.

He also wrote for television and Broadway, notablyComes a Day,a 1958 play that starredJudith Anderson,Brandon deWilde,Michael J. Pollard,Eileen Ryan,andGeorge C. Scott.Produced byCheryl CrawfordandAlan J. Pakula,the play was not a success, being described byThe New York Timesas "a puzzling drama" that was "uneven [and] baffling" and which bore "a surface resemblance to art in theTennessee Williamsmanner. "TheHarvard Crimson,in its review, called the play's dialogue "spotted with clichés" and observed that the plot echoed other dramatic works of the day.

AfterComes a Dayclosed, Lamkin returned permanently to Monroe, Louisiana.

Published works

• Tiger in the Garden(Houghton Mifflin, 1950)
• Comes a Day,short story, winner ofO. Henry Award,1950
• The Easter Egg Hunt(Houghton Mifflin, 1954)
• Midsummer,a television play forMatinee Theatre,1955
• The Hostess with the Mostess,a television play, 1957
• Comes a Day,a three-act play, 1958
• Out by the Country Club,a short story turned play, written with Eva Wolas, 1961

External links

• "In Good Taste", a profile of Speed Lamkin in The (Monroe) News-Star, 13 July 2008