June 1983 Issue [Palpitations] Blowing smoke into the zeitgeist Adjust Share The well-deserved resurrection of Jean Stafford by James Wolcott, This article is only available as a PDF to subscribers. Download PDF Tags 20th century American fiction Biography History and criticism Jean Stafford Women authors, American More from James Wolcott Philip Larkin’s enormous yes A connoisseur of doom whose wit refuses to die Hammett’s long goodbye A deferential biography of literature's Marlboro man The prince of finesse Nine hundred pages of criticism prove that John Updike is no air-dancing dandy Adjust Share