How William Kennedy found his beat By Kasia Boddy Discussed in this essay: The Albany Trilogy, by William Kennedy. Library of America. 768 pages. $40. We’re barely two sentences into William Kennedy’s novel Legs when we learn that Packy Delaney has only four teeth left and that Flossie has roaches in her liver. They’re talking about the time when their pal Bones tripped and landed on the corpse of Jack “Legs” Diamond, getting “blood all over the seat of his pants.” Jack has three bullets in his head, but since he survived four previous shootings, it’s hard to believe he’s dead. His face is intact; only the back of his skull has been blown away. …