Introduction: an American-American writer -- "Not unmusical clangor" -- "Chateau-en-Espagne" -- "Plenty of work to do writing" -- Chasing desperadoes -- "My mistress perforce" -- Words into blows -- "Running in a groove" -- A literary president -- "No single, simple note" -- "Paying for his fun" -- Out of Africa -- Writing from Armageddon -- "Unknown possibilities" -- "The last great fight".