The Self-Portrait of a Literary Biographer

Givner, an English professor in Canada and the biographer of writers Katherine Anne Porter and Mazo de la Roche, here offers her own memoir, organized into short serendipitous diary-like paragraphs that span large stretches of time and varied settings. Frank and occasionally harsh in tone, English-born Givner's most interesting entries deal with her father's death and a troubled, ambivalent relationship with her mother. She devotes a good deal of space to defending herself against the criticism that erupted after Katherine Anne Porter: A Life was published. Included is a description of a meeting between Givner and writer Eudora Welty, who was a friend of Porter's, when Givner was researching Porter's life. Welty's letter expressing her reservations about Givner's intentions is reproduced here, along with other correspondences related to the Porter biography. (Jan.)