"With the publication of Under the Volcano, Lowry became a cult hero in literary circles on both sides of the Atlantic. This collection explores the life of the man - including memoirs by people Lowry knew at important stages of his life - and offers critical insight into his writings. The writing discussed includes his novels and poetry, as well as three letters written when he was a schoolboy and undergraduate, and two that he wrote in the last months of his troubled life."--Jacket.