Patricia Highsmith Comics. When Highsmith wrote the psychological thriller novel "The Talented Mr. Ripley" (1955), one of the title character's first victims is a comic-book artist named Reddington: "Tom had a hunch about Reddington. He was a comic-book artist. He probably didn't know whether he was coming or going." Highsmith's first novel, "Strangers on a Train", proved modestly successful upon publication in 1950, and Alfred Hitchcock's 1951 film adaptation of the novel enhanced her reputation. Highsmith's second novel, "The Price of Salt", was published in 1952 under the "nom de plume" Claire Morgan. Highsmith mined her personal life for the novel's content.
Shelby Highsmith Shelby Highsmith Shelby Highsmith (January 31, 1929 – December 2, 2015) was an American lawyer and a United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida. Highsmith was born on January 31, 1929 in Jacksonville, Florida. He graduated from Georgia Military College with an Associate of Arts degree in 1949. He served in the United States Army from 1949 to 1955. Highsmith graduated from the University of Kansas with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1958 and from the University of Missouri–Kansas City School of Law with a Bachelor of Laws in 1958.