tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-256801828148573136.post7369830470811442812..comments2024-01-26T17:29:53.415-05:00Comments on Reader's Almanac: The five playwrights in The Library of AmericaThe Library of Americahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17586915922688562543noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-256801828148573136.post-4087898200053298422011-03-02T16:41:26.969-05:002011-03-02T16:41:26.969-05:00yeh, I forgot--sorry!yeh, I forgot--sorry!calamityjjhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11801160295412083173noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-256801828148573136.post-56329340733589669712011-03-02T03:31:54.932-05:002011-03-02T03:31:54.932-05:00Calamity, Caryl Churchill is a noted British playw...Calamity, Caryl Churchill is a noted British playwright. The Library of America is for -- ahem -- American writers.Rodger Jacobshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10304919234100807226noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-256801828148573136.post-72648979003158377982011-03-02T03:28:31.994-05:002011-03-02T03:28:31.994-05:00Incidentally, congrats on adding Mr. Kushner to th...Incidentally, congrats on adding Mr. Kushner to the board of directors, a fine writer indeed.Rodger Jacobshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10304919234100807226noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-256801828148573136.post-62464758159041805412011-03-02T03:26:57.864-05:002011-03-02T03:26:57.864-05:00The problem with Hellman is that the authorship of...The problem with Hellman is that the authorship of her own plays has always been in dispute, the largest chunk of evidence being that she never penned another play after the death of Hammett, who was widely acknowledged as a rewrite "consultant" on her plays. As Mary McCarthy said, "Every word she writes is a lie, including 'and' and 'the'." Hellman sued over McCarthy's comment for $2.25 million but the suit was still pending at the time of Hellman's death. <br /><br />In any event, reading her memoirs,"Pentimento" and "An Unfinished Woman" -- works that she did write on her own without Hammett's assistance, since he was long in the ground -- do not reveal the same talent on display in, say, "The Children's Hour."Rodger Jacobshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10304919234100807226noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-256801828148573136.post-43057422406971864262011-03-01T20:48:57.437-05:002011-03-01T20:48:57.437-05:00had to add CARYL CHURCHILL!!!had to add CARYL CHURCHILL!!!calamityjjhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11801160295412083173noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-256801828148573136.post-58514857057262362752011-03-01T20:15:55.943-05:002011-03-01T20:15:55.943-05:00More fantastic suggestions! In fact, the only thin...More fantastic suggestions! In fact, the only things that has kept us from proceeding with several of these are licensing restrictions and rights negotiations. <br /><br />Incidentally, Tony Kushner was recently appointed to our Board of Directors.The Library of Americahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17586915922688562543noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-256801828148573136.post-79423749276708803842011-03-01T19:14:33.329-05:002011-03-01T19:14:33.329-05:00How about Paddy Chayefsky, A.R. Gurney, William In...How about Paddy Chayefsky, A.R. Gurney, William Inge, and Lanford Wilson.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16732716272491152288noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-256801828148573136.post-76588370791065669972011-03-01T19:03:42.939-05:002011-03-01T19:03:42.939-05:00I agree with the others and would certainly want t...I agree with the others and would certainly want to emphasize Neil Simon, Horton Foote, Hansberry, Hellman, and Odets. But I'd also add Wendy Wasserstein, Chris Durang, Lanford Wilson, and terence mcnallyMartha R. Mahardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00857142879855080902noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-256801828148573136.post-2997464940581859172011-03-01T18:41:21.757-05:002011-03-01T18:41:21.757-05:00It's great to hear about the Miller and Willia...It's great to hear about the Miller and Williams editions. The suggestions above are great, and certainly LOA should consider Albee, Mamet, August Wilson, and Shepard. And how about Clifford Odets, Lillian Hellman, and Lorraine Hansberry (apart from A Raisin in the Sun, her other plays are neglected, and her drama might be combined with her journalism/other writings)? In addition, LOA should look at more recent writers like Maria Irene Fornes, Neil Simon, Horton Foote, John Guare, and Tony Kushner.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02594770464622164145noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-256801828148573136.post-60342463670859709332011-03-01T15:26:26.347-05:002011-03-01T15:26:26.347-05:00Indeed, Miller the actor and the playwright are on...Indeed, Miller the actor and the playwright are one and the same. He received an Academy Award nomination as best supporting actor for his portrait of the tortured Father Damian Karras the same year as his Pulitzer for writing "Championship Season". He is a part of that long lineage of dissipated, Jesuit-suffused Irish-American writers who peak early and brilliantly and then fade to black too soon. His last play, "Barrymore's Ghost", is in many ways, far better than "Championship".Rodger Jacobshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10304919234100807226noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-256801828148573136.post-21095334948674711712011-03-01T15:02:29.404-05:002011-03-01T15:02:29.404-05:00All of these are great ideas. (On Twitter, August ...All of these are great ideas. (On Twitter, August Wilson is in the lead.) <br /><br />And I didn't know (until I just googled him) that Jason Miller the playwright is the same Jason Miller from The Exorcist, for which he received an Oscar nomination.The Library of Americahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17586915922688562543noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-256801828148573136.post-64815626946227493192011-03-01T14:59:21.655-05:002011-03-01T14:59:21.655-05:00Edward Albee and David MametEdward Albee and David MametUnknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15245581534517710534noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-256801828148573136.post-3355880913919721892011-03-01T14:39:38.527-05:002011-03-01T14:39:38.527-05:00The late, great Pulitzer and Tony award winner, Ja...The late, great Pulitzer and Tony award winner, Jason Miller of "That Championship Season" fame, would be a good selection. Most of his plays have been out of print for a long time, as I discovered last week when I attempted without success to find a used Samuel French version of "Nobody Hears a Broken Drum" through the online used books consortium, Alibris.Rodger Jacobshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10304919234100807226noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-256801828148573136.post-62732322044819182472011-03-01T14:35:29.533-05:002011-03-01T14:35:29.533-05:00I loved the Kaufman volume and hope to see more li...I loved the Kaufman volume and hope to see more like it. I'm sure that Sam Shepard and Woody Allen will get the LOA treatment, and I'd also love to see an anthology of screenplays.Roberthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00729550924081448031noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-256801828148573136.post-63872712372041931532011-03-01T14:04:43.575-05:002011-03-01T14:04:43.575-05:00My first choice would be August Wilson.My first choice would be August Wilson.Lorna Elswinthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14339711903392958387noreply@blogger.com