With the publication of The Price of Salt in 1952, Highsmith introduced the idea that lesbian novels no longer needed to be forced into rigid plots doomed to end in tragedy. Because of this groundbreaking acheivement, Highsmith forever changed the face of gay and lesbian fiction. This dramatic change paved the way for later lesbian classics such as Desert of the Heart by Jane Rule, and Rubyfruit Jungle by Rita Mae Brown, whose uplifting endings could not have been written without the previous sucess of The Price of Salt.

Outside of the gay and lesbian community, though, Highsmith never had great commercial success or literary praise in the United States. Now, over fifty years after her first novel was published, that has begun to change. W. W. Norton Publications is rereleasing many of her out-of-print works, as well as her Uncollected short stories. In the past two years, two books about Highsmith have been released: Beautiful Shadow: A Life of Patricia Highsmith, by Andrew Wilson and Highsmith: A Romance of the 1950s by Marijane Meaker.

Also, since the MIRAMAX Films' release of The Talented Mr. Ripley in 1999, Highsmith's Ripley series has gained new attention in the world of Hollywood. New Line released the film Ripley's Game, based on Highsmith's novel of the same name, in 2003, and a film based on Ripley Under Ground is set for release in 2005, featuring William Dafoe, Tom Wilkinson, and starring Barry Pepper as Tom Ripley.

While Highsmith has managed to slipped under the radar of mainstream American literature, she has managed to effect the American canon for all time. Her amazing contribution to gay and lesbian literature with The Price of Salt, and her critical eye for the "anxiety [which] boils beneath the surface of the properous facade of American living," will continue to have a lasting impact on literature in all facets.

*Collage: images compiled from Amazon.co.uk, W.W. Norton Publishing, and www.nashlinks.com