[5] Born in Duluth, Minnesota in 1926,[6] Williams and his family moved to New Hampshire when he was a child and he spent most of his life working and writing in that state, although he attended the Iowa Writers' Workshop, the University of Chicago, and studied briefly in Paris.

[9] Because he'd received one of the major US book awards in 1975 and because he was admired as a university writing instructor (as some of his former students can attest), Thomas Williams was a figure of some regard during the 1970s and 1980s when it seems his reputation had reached its peak.

[8] Today, Williams continues to be remembered and admired among many writers and students of the craft, but into the 21st century he remains all but unknown to the general reading public.

All of his books were out of print until 2011, when The Hair of Harold Roux was reissued, sparking a renewed interest in his work.

[10] Stephen King, who had earlier dedicated his 1993 story collection Nightmares & Dreamscapes to Williams, said in a 2011 interview that The Hair of Harold Roux has remained, over the years, one of his favorite books,[11] and one he returns to "again and again.