Author William Styron’s daughter tells of his life’s highs and lows

NORTH CANAAN — For readers of American literature, William Styron is the famed 20th century author who gave the world such masterpieces as “Sophie’s Choice” and “Lie Down in Darkness.” For readers suffering from depression, and the families of those people, Styron is also the author of “Darkness Visible,” the nonfiction account of his lifelong crippling affliction.For Litchfield County residents, he was one of the celebrity residents of the town of Roxbury.For Alexandra Styron, he was Dad, in all his complexity. An author herself, the 45-year-old Styron’s most recent book is a nonfiction account of what it was like to grow up in Roxbury with a father who was, as she puts it, “one of the lodestars of 20th century literature.” He was a great man but not so much a great parent, and her book, “Reading My Father,” is an honest portrayal of the highlights of the family history as well as its low points.On Feb.23, she will return to Litchfield County (from New York, where she now lives) and read from the book at Geer Village at 6:30 p.m.Although she isn’t sure which sections she’ll read, she said she does try to choose portions that will have relevance to her audience. Her father will of course be familiar to many of the residents of the retirement home, because his fame peaked in their lifetimes. “A lot of the audience for this book is quite a bit older,” she said in an interview last week with The Lakeville Journal. “They are readers who come to this book because they loved my father and were fans of his work. Part of the impulse to write this book came from my wanting to explore and explain my father and the scope of his life to people interested in the American arts.”He will also be remembered by some for his years in Roxbury. Although “Reading my Father” begins on Martha’s Vineyard, where Styron was buried after his death in 2006, much of it takes place here in Connecticut.“I spent my whole life in Roxbury,” the author said.“In fact, we only recently sold our house there. I went to Rumsey Hall. I feel very closely identified with Litchfield County.”People who knew him here do seem to recognize and remember him, and sometimes share their memories at her readings in the area. The book also resonates with a younger generation, she said, “because it’s the story of a father and a daughter. One of the most gratifying things is how much younger people have responded to this book.”A particularly strong response has come from people affected by mental illness, because of the impact that “Darkness Visible” had on them. “‘Darkness Visible’ came out when I was a young adult,” Styron said of her father’s book. “It had a huge impact on a lot of people. I knew I was taking on an awesome responsibility by speaking to that audience again, and I’m telling them more of what happened in my father’s life — and that it didn’t end happily. I think it’s important for people to know that and to understand why and how. And I find that they come to this book with a curiosity and a desire and a need to know.”But, she promises, “Reading My Father” is about much more than the rough patches of their lives. It also recalls extraordinary and happy times, hanging out with celebrities of the day, from Frank Sinatra to John and Jacqueline Kennedy.“It’s not all gloom and doom,” she said. “There is some tough material in the book but it’s also meant to be a more nuanced exposé of the life of a great artist and his rise and fall. I hope I have told it with some lightness and humor and I would hope that anyone interested in it wouldn’t think it was all heavy sledding.”