A painted theatre mask on a stick leaning against a stemmed glass containing amber wine.

Original artwork, not a still

"I am widely regarded as the ghost of a writer," 1977 essay,

Tennessee Williams

Most of the confidence which I appear to feel, especially when influenced by noon wine, is only a pretense.

Behind the line

What it means

Our interpretation.

A frank confession: whatever confidence the speaker seems to have is mostly an act, especially around midday wine. The self-deprecating tone admits that the bold front covers uncertainty, and that a drink makes the show look more convincing than it is.

Context reviewed

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