Interview with Elizabeth Hardwick, May 8, 1978

Interview Summary

Hardwick loved her experience at the University of Kentucky earning her BA and MA degrees and felt very prepared for her further graduate work in New York. Phillip Rahv of Partisan Review interviewed Hardwick and hired her to review books. Hardwick describes meeting a group of people interested in politics at Phillips Rahv's house, and describes the time as a "Jewish intellectual whirl." She and her husband then lived abroad for two and a half years, in Italy and the Netherlands. Hardwick's boyfriend of 6 years did not associate with Hardwick's Partisan Review crowd. Hardwick describes how the wives of the Partisan Review men did not receive much attention in the meetings. Hardwick's mother worked very hard taking care of her family, and her father did not like to work much. Hardwick describes poverty, and gives the view that poor people don't have time to have friends because they are always working. She describes being close with her family, but she did not have a very intimate relationship with her family.

Interview Keyword

New York Columbia University Phillip Rahv Partisan Review Susan Sontag Cancer Fiction writing

Interview LC Subject

Authors, American--Kentucky Intellectual life Literature New York (N.Y.) Susan Sontag Universities and colleges--Graduate work Netherlands Heart--Diseases Herrington Lake

Interview Rights

All rights to the interviews, including but not restricted to legal title, copyrights and literary property rights, have been transferred to the University of Kentucky Libraries.

Interview Usage

Interviews may be reproduced with permission from Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, Special Collections, University of Kentucky Libraries.