Charles Portis at Oxford American the Oxford Americans

  • Rett Peek

In advance of the Coens’ film adaptation of “True Grit,” Charles Portis gets a loving tribute in the New York Times Magazine. It’s a tribute, not a profile because, while the Times writer does interview Portis in Little Rock, Portis gives the interview with the condition that he not be quoted, though as he tells a mutual friend of the Times writer, “it pained him to impose such conditions, because he didn’t want to be the kind of guy who imposes conditions.”

Advertisement

We got a first hand look at wary-of-attention Portis back in April at the Oxford American gala.

From the Times Magazine piece:

Advertisement

In November, I met him in a bar beside the Arkansas River in Little Rock. Portis, a hardy-looking fellow of 76, wearing jeans and a tan Members Only jacket, seemed ill at ease — not his normal state, especially in a saloon. A veteran of the Korean War and the newspaper trade in Arkansas, New York and London, he has long enjoyed a reputation in newsrooms and barrooms as a world-class raconteur and collector of characters, and he was described by Tom Wolfe (who worked with him at The New York Herald-Tribune in the 1960s) as “the original laconic cutup,” but this time he appeared to be torn between the wish to be present and the wish to be elsewhere. It occurred to me that he did not want to turn into one of his own characters, making himself ridiculous by trying to perform the role of Big-Deal Southern Littérateur.

Help to Keep Great Journalism Alive in Arkansas

Join the fight for truth and become a subscriber of the Arkansas Times. We've been battling powerful forces for 50 years through our tough, determined, and feisty journalism. With over 63,000 Facebook followers, 58,000 Twitter followers, 35,000 Arkansas blog followers, and 70,000 daily email blasts, our readers value great journalism. But we need your help to do even more. By subscribing and supporting our efforts, you'll not only have access to all of our articles, but you'll also be helping us hire more writers to expand our coverage. Together, we can continue to hold the powerful accountable and bring important stories to light. Subscribe now or donate for as little as $1 and be a part of the Arkansas Times community.

Previous article The caged bird sings Next article Did Johnny Cash crush on a male Canadian crooner?