Here’s a secret: a lot of famous authors are, well, kind of badass. That is, they’re even more badass than you assume, if you’re the kind of person who thinks it’s already fairly cool to be a great writer. Or maybe they just got caught in some really good light. Either way, here are some extremely badass photos of famous authors, from Joan Didion to Harry Crews. What qualifies as badass for this group of images? Well, just like good writing, we know it when we see it.
Kathy Acker + amazing tattoo + motorcycle.
Anaïs Nin, eternal badass. [via]
Yukio Mishima + books + sword. [via]
Edward Gorey, glamorpuss.
Tove Jansson playing accordion on a boat. [via]
There are almost no non-badass photos of Colette. [via]
Photo Credit: Dafydd Jones
Christopher Hitchens, 007. [via]
Maya Angelou is cooler than you. [via]
Obligatory Hunter S. Thompson pretending he’s in Mad Max. [via]
Obligatory Papa with shotgun.
China Miéville, all the time. [via]
Theodora Keogh with oh yes, her pet wildcat. [via]
Ian Fleming after climbing an Austrian mountain. [via]
Patricia Highsmith, mistress of the evil eye. [via]
Photo Credit: Julian Wasser
Joan Didion part one… [via]
…and part two. [via]
None but the most supreme badass could pull off that hat. Kudos to Richard Brautigan. [via]
Harry Crews, outdoorsman. [via]
Toni Morrison looking like she just walked out of Pulp Fiction. [via]
Peter Matthiessen, explorer extraordinaire. [via]