The Politics of Reputation researches the critical reception of Tennessee Williams's work to challenge the conventional wisdom that the later plays (1961 to 1983) represent a failure of his creative powers. This book demonstrates that what has been characterized as a failure is in fact a conscious departure from the essentially realistic forms that had established Williams's reputation. This reassessment of Williams's career offers a direct and thorough exploration of the much-neglected later plays and concludes that Williams deserves a central place in American experimental drama.