Memorable Days - by James Salter & Robert Phelps (Paperback)

About the Book

James Salter had written two novels, "The Hunters" and "The Arm of Flesh," but it was his third, remarkable novel, "A Sport and a Pastime," together with his film "Three" and a script he had written for "Downhill Racer," that in 1969 elicited a letter of admiration from a writer and critic he did not know--Robert Phelps. The correspondence that resulted went on to span two decades. The letters themselves are exceptionally alive, uninhibited, gossipy, touching, and brilliant. The success of Salter and the struggles of Phelps are fully explored by the writers themselves in an honest exchange only letters can divulge. Along with an insightful foreword by Michael Dirda, this book gives voice to a nearly forgotten figure and his friendship with a man he admired.

Book Synopsis

"[A] well-edited collection . . . More than friends and less than lovers, Salter and Phelps were literary soul mates." --Publishers Weekly

It was James Salter's third novel, A Sport and a Pastime--together with his film Three and a script he had written for Downhill Racer--that in 1969 prompted Robert Phelps to write a letter of admiration. Though the two writers didn't know each other, their correspondence went on to span decades.

The letters themselves are exceptionally alive, uninhibited, gossipy, touching, and brilliant. The successes of Salter and the struggles of Phelps are fully explored by the writers themselves in the kind of honest exchange only letters can divulge. With an insightful foreword by Michael Dirda, this book gives voice to a nearly forgotten figure and his friendship with a man he admired.

Review Quotes

Praise for James Salter

"Salter particularly rewards those for whom reading is an intense pleasure."-Susan Sontag

"Sentence for sentence Salter is the master."-Richard Ford

"Salter inhabits the same rarefied heights as Flannery O'Connor, Paul Bowles, Tennessee Williams, and John Cheever.-The Washington Post Book World

About the Author

James Salter was a novelist, short story writer, screenwriter, and essayist. Born in 1925, Salter grew up in New York City and was a career officer and Air Force pilot until his mid-thirties, when the success of his first novel The Hunters led to a fulltime writing career. Salter's potent, lyrical prose has earned him acclaim from critics, readers, and fellow novelists. He was the recipient of a PEN/Faulkner Award and the PEN/Malamud Award, among others. His novel A Sport and a Pastime was hailed by the New York Times as "nearly perfect as any American fiction." His other books include Cassada and Light Years. He died on June 19, 2015, at ninety years old.