David Stacton?

Has David Stacton been considered for inclusion in the series? From what I've read he was once considered quite a luminary, name dropped with the likes of Philip Roth and John Updike. He turns up in literary magazines in those "most underappreciated author" pieces. He seems to be almost entirely out of print now. Although F&F reprinted some of his novels in paperback just a few years ago, even most of those are now hard to find. Seems like a perfect fit for LOA's mission.

Never heard of Stacton before your post. Thanks for the heads up.

Favor returned: a while back (on one of the threads created for suggestions), I made mention of Wilbur Daniel Steele, a writer who -- in his time -- was as popular and as important as Stacton (perhaps even more so). He had as many (if not more) short stories chosen for "Best American Short Story" anthologies as well as the "O. Henry Award" collections (prestigious, mainstream, awards, both). He was highly paid, as well ($10,000 for a "Ladies Home Journal" story). He co-wrote at least one play, with his wife. He was also nominated for an Edgar. Most, if not all, of his novels were bestsellers. And he frequently rubbed elbows with the likes of Sinclair Lewis and Eugene O Neill.

But, as DCloyceSmith pointed out, even all those accolades and such don't necessarily mean a wrier will "make the grade" with those who ultimately decide to include them in the LOA. Go figure (for my own part, I've enjoyed reading Steele's fiction, which is well written and frequently moves from mainstream to fantasy and mystery and crime).

Wilbur Daniel Steele repeated here for touchstone.

NYRB Classics has a Stacton title, The Judges of the Secret Court: A Novel about John Wilkes Booth.