1 - Wow! Not familiar with this play. Very dark, very creepy and very well staged. If it's running now I may have to go to find out what happened. Thanks for putting this up, Tom...but how about another one of your short stories or poems? Need a Tessier "fix." --Trish (Comment this)
2 - Trish, the production was directed by Atom Egoyan. He also directed the movies The Sweet Hereafter and Felicia's Journey (superb Bob Hoskins performance), based on novels with the same titles by Russell Banks and William Trevor, respectively. The novels are better than the films -- as usual -- but all well-worth seeing and reading. Tom (Comment this)
3 - I saw "The Sweet Hereafter" but not "Felicia's Journey"...but will have to, since I'm a Bob Hoskins fan. Will also look for the books, although I have to admit that "The Sweet Hereafter" hit right to the bone. --Trish (Comment this)
4 - Yes, The Sweet Hereafter movie was definitely disturbing. But I want to push Felicia's Journey more. Trish, and anyone else reading this -- especially some of my young writing friends -- if you haven't read it, read William Trevor's novel, and read it first if you intend to see the movie. Trevor is one of our greatest living authors, and Felicia's Journey is brilliant -- for its suspense, it's portrait of a psychopath, its few but utterly engrossing characters, and for its magnificent writing. In that last regard, it is a creative writing PhD course all in itself, and in less than 300 pages. Trade paperback copies are available at Amazon for a penny and up, so, no excuses!
Trevor's collected short stories are a vault of gems, full of surprises and sly, casual horrors.
6 - This isn't related to to your post at all, but, can I just say how nice it is to have found you. I'm 24 years old from Dublin, Ireland and ever since I can remember, "Shoestring Serenade" has been been my absolute favourite poem. I sits in a beaten up "Various Poets" book entitled, Capella. My mother said she heard you recite it in Trinity College circa. 1970- she read it to me when I was very young and of course, I completely missed the point at the time, but loved the numbers in it. "1. One of those new refrigerators, 2. One of those new Televisions"...etc.
It's only now that other poems such as Passage and Winter Journeys keep me hooked. Just to say thanks for the amazing writings and experiences I've had reading, being read to, en acting your words
7 - Jamie, thank you very much for your kind words about my writing. And for the wonderful story about your mother. I read "Shoestring Serenade" many times in various venues in Dublin back then, including an expanded, alternate version at Mansion House (the Mayor of Dublin's official residence), with Thin Lizzy's Phil Lynott and Eric Bell providing sometimes-relevant:-) musical accompaniment between the stanzas.
Much, much love to those mothers (and fathers, significant others, relatives) who do take the time to read poems and stories to children. It is so important. Peter Straub's wife Susie runs a great, highly regarded program called Read To Me in NYC. Check out the Oprah mag piece on it at http://www.oprah.com/article/omagazine/uyl_omag_200205/1. If you want to take part, contact Susie at susan@readtomeprogram.org. If you know people with young kids, or who may be expecting to become parents, please spread the word. Tom (Comment this)
Trevor's collected short stories are a vault of gems, full of surprises and sly, casual horrors.
Tom (Comment this)
It's only now that other poems such as Passage and Winter Journeys keep me hooked. Just to say thanks for the amazing writings and experiences I've had reading, being read to, en acting your words
Kind regards,
Jamie (Comment this)
Much, much love to those mothers (and fathers, significant others, relatives) who do take the time to read poems and stories to children. It is so important. Peter Straub's wife Susie runs a great, highly regarded program called Read To Me in NYC. Check out the Oprah mag piece on it at http://www.oprah.com/article/omagazine/uyl_omag_200205/1. If you want to take part, contact Susie at susan@readtomeprogram.org. If you know people with young kids, or who may be expecting to become parents, please spread the word. Tom (Comment this)