That hat

I hope someone who read the biography on which the film is based, will answer this; because I want to know, too.

That confused me as well. At first it took me aback because I was a child of the 1980s, even then my cousins (male) absolutely never sat down to eat with their hats on, at least not with the extended family, my grandma would have slapped it off their heads. They generally did not even wear them in the house.

I thought it was a horrible oversight at the beginning when we see Max Perkins, a gentleman in the 1950s sit at the dinner table with a hat on. Later he is wearing it with his pajamas, of course by then I realized it was a character trait, and apparently it was accurate one:

http://chicago.suntimes.com/entertainment/a-scott-bergs-maxwell-perkins-book-is-now-genius-film/


http://lithub.com/on-max-perkins-one-of-americas-greatest-editors/

The last paragraph of the first link particularly addresses the hat issue. The second article references it, but is always describes a moment between he and Wolfe where Perkins had hung the hat up with his coat. Both of these articles are very good, whether you are interested in the hat or not.


To anne – I am hoping to read the bio by the end of the year. I am backlogged on reading right now, but this is definitely on my list