William Goyen was the author of luminous novels, including Arcadio, The House of Breath, and Half a Look of Cain, as well as short story collections and a collection of poems. This book brings together essays by well-known Goyen scholars, as well as appreciations of his work by fellow writers, including Madison Smartt Bell, James Merrill, Joyce Carol Oates, and W.D. Snodgrass. These complementary pieces provide a substantive introduction to the themes and concerns of. Goyen's writing. The essays offer close but accessible readings of individual novels and stories, while the appreciations give tantalizing personal glimpses of the author and his method of working.