The Company They Kept: Writers on Unforgettable Friendships

When some of Stravinsky’s disciples suggested that Robert Craft write the great composer’s biography, Craft countered that long friendship disqualified him: “I was too close to Stravinsky to do this.” Precisely because they value a perspective that brings us closer to a great creator than a biographer ever could, Silvers and Epstein have assembled a remarkable set of essays by friends of prominent musicians, scientists, poets, and novelists. Only the close proximity of friendship allows readers to glimpse Einstein taking rare delight in a day of sailing, Roethke playing tennis with fierce abandon, and Kesey playing enchanting melodies on the wandering bus he shared with his Merry Pranksters. Seeing through the eyes of friends permits readers to glimpse titans up close, without the often–dehumanizing lenses of theory or ideology. Even the political passions of Mary McCarthy part long enough to disclose a woman too spontaneous to keep a diary, too homespun to let others grind her coffee beans. These wonderful reminiscences will renew readers’ appreciation for those unpredictable joys shared between all close friends