He hailed from Mississippi, set his most famous play in New Orleans and settled in the Florida Keys, so what’s in a name Tennessee Williams?
It’ll be 40 years later this month since the great Deep South playwright got off the Streetcar for the last time.
And for those who want to retrace his steps in The Big Easy Williams helpfully pointed us in the direction of Desire.
‘No 632 Elysian Fields Avenue, “running between the L & N [railroad] tracks and the [Mississippi] River,” adjacent to the French Quarter.
The Big Tennesseasy
While Galatoire’s, a Parisian brasserie which specialises in French/Creole food is where Williams would dine out.
It probably helped Williams’ career being the only man on Earth called Tennessee.
Although by rights he should have been called Mississippi… or maybe not.
The fact is Thomas Williams only became Tennessee when he was 28.
Given the name by a student friend who loosely identified as a Southerner, hence Tennessee.
And because his father hailed from The Volunteer State.
All of which adds up to Williams being a well-travelled Man of the South.
Miss is a hit
Hailing from Columbus, Mississippi Williams, the town naturally celebrates its favourite son.
At the Tennessee Williams House Museum & Welcome Center.
This home was the rectory of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, where grandfather, the Reverend Walter Dakin, served.
And it could have been lost to the developers when 30 years ago it was set to be torn down to make room for a church expansion.
So, in typical Southern fashion (think WC Handy in Beale Street, Mississippi) the home was loaded onto flatbed trucks and taken to its new site on Main Street.
If Columbus, Mississippi, was the start point then the Florida Keys was where Williams made his later life.
Key to Williams
He spent three decades in the Keys which this year marks its bicentenary (who knew?).
And Williams certainly made his mark alongside another literary heavyweight and peer Ernest Hemingway.
The Keys are marking Williams’ imprint on their corner of Florida with next month set aside to him.
Festivities include a fundraising garden party on 5 March, at the Key West home of Dennis Beaver and Bert Whitt.
Just Williams
Yes, only the founders of the exhibit that became the Tennessee Williams Museum.
Guests can get exclusive tours on 10 March, highlighting Williams’ The Rose Tattoo and 24 March, highlighting The Glass Menagerie.
Museum exhibits include personal photographs, rare memorabilia, a scale model of Williams’ Key West home.
And other items that chronicle his years on the island.
March of history
The celebration concludes with a ‘birthday party’ on 26 March — the 112th anniversary of Williams’ birth.
At the Tennessee Williams Museum.
So get on board, it’s the Florida Keys but hey, what’s in a name Tennessee Williams?