''Emblems of Conduct'' is a book by American writer

Donald Windham Donald Windham (July 2, 1920 – May 31, 2010) was an American novelist and memoirist. He is perhaps best known for his close friendships with Truman Capote and Tennessee Williams. Born in Atlanta, Georgia, Windham moved with his then-boyfriend F ...

, first published in 1963. It is a personal memoir, an account of his early life in

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,71 ...

Background

After publishing ''The Hero Continues'', a novel based on the life of

Tennessee Williams Thomas Lanier Williams III (March 26, 1911 – February 25, 1983), known by his pen name Tennessee Williams, was an American playwright and screenwriter. Along with contemporaries Eugene O'Neill and Arthur Miller, he is considered among the thre ...

, in 1960, Windham started publishing recollections of his childhood in Atlanta in the ''

New Yorker New Yorker or ''variant'' primarily refers to: * A resident of the State of New York ** Demographics of New York (state) * A resident of New York City ** List of people from New York City * ''The New Yorker'', a magazine founded in 1925 * '' The ...

''. The series of recollections grew into the personal memoir ''Emblems of Conduct''. It was first published in book form by

Scribner Scribner may refer to: Media * Charles Scribner's Sons, also known as Scribner or Scribner's, New York City publisher * ''Scribner's Magazine'', pictorial published from 1887–1939 by Charles Scribner's Sons, then merged with the ''Commentator ...

in 1963. The book is thus an account of him growing up in the city of Atlanta, and it follows ''The Warm Country'', a collection of stories about the same city, published in 1962.

Plot

The book tells about Windham growing up in Atlanta during the Depression, as his family, which had once been prosperous, gradually becomes impoverished. The Victorian home of the family, a remainder of their prosperous past, is demolished, and young Donald keeps a piece of stained glass as a reminder of "fading grandeur". Meanwhile his mother is struggling to cope with the situation, and is forced to rely on her relatives. The book covers Windham's childhood, through his graduation from high school and his decision to move to

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the U ...

thereafter. It evokes "with faint but unmistakable nostalgia the Atlanta of the early decades of the modern century."

Reception

''Emblems of Conduct'' is a highly-regarded personal memoir by Windham. The book was warmly received. The success of this work allowed Windham to publish the collection of short stories ''The Warm Country''.

References

American autobiographies 1964 non-fiction books Books by Donald Windham {{memoir-stub