Joseph Hamilton Basso (September 5, 1904 – May 13, 1964) was an American novelist and journalist.Born in New Orleans, Louisiana, Basso worked as reporter for several newspapers in New Orleans, wrote 11 novels, primarily about the South and was an associate editor at The New Yorker for more than 20 years. His best-known work is the novel The View from Pompey's Head, a story of a New York attorney who returns to his Southern home to investigate a mystery surrounding a famous writer.