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Patrick O’Connell to Bare His ‘Demons’ in a Memoir on Building The Inn at Little Washington

On Tuesday, Celadon Books announced it will publish Patrick O'Connell's memoir Main, Middle & Gay on September 15, detailing his transformation of an old garage into The Inn at Little Washington.
O'Connell said he had to wait until most of the characters were dead, shaping the memoir's candor, and described the process as freeing, resulting in a haunting, southern‑gothic portrayal.
In 1978, Patrick O'Connell opened The Inn at Little Washington after converting an old garage, earning a James Beard Foundation lifetime achievement award and a National Humanities Medal.
Anchored in Washington, Virginia, the title Main, Middle & Gay references the streets where the Inn and hotel sit, and editors describe the project as eight decades in the making.
Beyond recipes, the book offers a literary, haunting account of a life in food, documenting The Inn at Little Washington’s origins and Patrick O'Connell’s championing of regional farmers and flavors for broader cultural and literary audiences.

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