By Tony Narducci, $21.95; iUniverse, Inc.; 302 pages
"Would you like a kind stranger to help?"
The year that defined Tony Narducci's life started with words he borrowed from his literary hero's work when he spotted Tennessee Williams stumbling on the stairs at a nightclub in Key West, Fla. in February 1982 and offered him an arm.
Narducci's memoir, titled In the Frightened Heart of Me: Tennessee Williams's Last Year, narrates the significant and complex friendship he and Williams had until the playwright's untimely death a year after they met. It is a story with what seems to have lasting impacts for the author according to what the author writes.
At 14, Narducci fell in love with Williams' poetry; 20 years later the famous 71-year-old poet fell in love with him. Narducci was drawn in as the playwright's confidant providing him with platonic friendship and assistance through his declining health, while Williams constantly craved companionship and love, often addressing the author endearingly as "baby."
The famous playwright came to relish the young man's company so much so that he proposed Narducci be his live-in companion and accompany him abroad. However, Narducci faced the ongoing pressure of wanting to follow his own artistic aspirations as opposed to feeding off Williams' celebrity and accomplishments and completely devoting his life to him.
"Like Blanche in 'Streetcar,' he was wrapping us in illusion," Narducci writes in relation to his and Williams' differing expectations.
Together, the two men viewed Williams' last plays together, allowing Narducci to witness his dramatic reactions and hear his strong opinions on the various actors portraying roles he created. Off the stage and throughout the book, Narducci insightfully recognizes fictional characters that come to existence through Williams' emotions and actions. Play references are scattered throughout the novel.
Other adventures include traveling together in Florida, Boston, New York and Narducci's hometown of Chicago; attending events such as an honorary doctorate degree ceremony at Harvard University; and being at a performance Williams and Vanessa Redgrave staged in Boston during which Williams read an essay, garbling his words due to his loose denture bridge. Their outings also included wining and dining with others including Narducci's friends.
Narducci's debut book is based off his journal from that particular time in his life with the title taken from the last scene of Williams' "The Night of the Iguana." He provides readers with detail of his own perceptions surrounding the time period.
The heart becomes even more frightened when Narducci writes about gay life that year in which little was known about the AIDS epidemic and unprotected sex was rampant, resulting in numerous deaths among his close friends.
The authenticity of the memoir is furthered with reproduced letters Williams sent Narducci as they corresponded when apart. The author illustrates Williams' unfiltered qualities including needy, demanding, dedicated to writing, tearful over his fear of dying alone and loveless, gracious, flirtatious and lustful.
Toward the book's end, the tension is rather high as Williams' and Narducci's relationship dwindles and he eventually passes. Narducci further experiences fear of relationships and losing friends to AIDS. Written with great detail and raw emotions on close friendships, readers will get a more colorful image of the literary icon beyond the plays, poetry and press.
