Understanding Sam Shepard (Understanding Contemporary American Literature)
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | 4.67 (777 Votes) |
| Asin | : | 1611171067 |
| Format Type | : | paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 144 Pages |
| Publish Date | : | 2016-03-16 |
| Language | : | English |
DESCRIPTION:
. James A. Crank has written on artists as diverse as James Agee, Sherman Alexie, and Eudora Welty. Crank is an associate professor of English and the director of undergraduate studies at Northwestern State University in Natchitoches, Louisiana
Focusing first on Shepard's early plays, which showcase highly experimental, frenetic explorations of fractured worlds, Crank discusses how the techniques from these works evolve and translate into the major works in his "family trilogy": Curse of the Starving Class, the Pulitzer Prize-winning Buried Child, and True West. Crank's comprehensive study of Shepard offers scholars and students of the dramatist a means of understanding Shephard's frequent experimentation with language, setting, characters, and theme. James A. Augmented with an extensive bibliography, Understanding Sam Shepard is an ideal point of entrance into complex and compelling dramas of this acclaimed playwright.. Understanding Sam Shepard investigates the notoriously complex and confusing dramatic world of Sam Shepard, one of America's most prolific, thoughtful, and challenging contemporary playwrights. Beginning with a brief biography of Shepard, Crank shows how experiences in Shepard's life eventually resonate in his work by exploring the major themes, unique style, and history of Shepard's productions. Shepard is a recipient of a Pulitzer Prize for Drama, eleven Obie Awards, and a Chicago Tribune Literary Prize for Lifetime Achievement. Shepard often uses elements from his past--his relationship with his father, his struggle for control within the family, and the breakdown of the suburban American dream--as major starting points in his plays.
Four Stars Mr. Vazrik Der-sahakian Great book for any fan of Sam Shepard.. Great! Really fantastic read! A must for anyone who loves or is just interested in Sam Shepard! I highly recommend this book.
Schvey, professor of drama and comparative literature, Washington University in St. Louis . James A. Crank unearths Shepard's buried children and their cursed families in all their complexity and mystery, making a compelling case for the unity and profundity of Shepard's mythic vision of America."--Henry I. Because of its subtlety and depth of textual analysis, the book is equally valuable for the scholar. "Written with great lucidity and wearing its considerable erudition lightly, Understanding Sam Shepard is the perfect introduction to Shepard for both beginning and advanced students of American drama