Patricia Highsmith

Dear Mr Katz,

...In answer to your questions, I never discussed THE PRICE OF SALT with any reporter.  I came to write it as I came to write any story or novel, by an inspiration that interests me. Since I'd no intention of writing other books in this vein, I used another name. So what I write here is not for publication in your new volume (since you give me a choice) but to answer your personal questions.

SALT was very popular in paperback in 1953, I remember. It was the first (I think) such book to have a happy ending.

The anti-homosexual witchhunt is by no means over, and I think (as does Larry Kramer, I believe) that the Christopher Street paraders are doing the Cause no good.

Yours sincerely, Patricia Highsmith