Lyle Saxon (1891-1946) is renowned as one of Louisiana’s foremost authors. He was the central figure in the state’s literary community during the 1920s and 1930s and well-known as a raconteur and bon vivant. He divided his time between his house in New Orleans and a cottage on the Melrose Plantation near Natchitoches. During the 1930s he headed the Louisiana WPA Writers’ Project, which produced the WPA Guide to Louisiana and the WPA Guide to New Orleans. According to Chance Harvey in The Life and Selected Letters of Lyle Saxon (available from Pelican), Saxon was also the local patron to fledgling artists who flocked to him with great devotion. Each of Saxon’s works is a look into the lives of real people through personalized narratives. His books chronicle the lives of individuals and legends that emerged from the bayou country. Lyle Saxon held a deep affection for Louisiana, as clearly evidenced by his prolific writings.