Essays from the Miller Centennial Conference in Brooklyn and other contributions. Includes bibliographical references and index.
Contents:
Arthur Miller: a career of commitment / Joshua Polster. Situation normal, and the transformation of Arthur Miller / Brenda Murphy -- Gold, football, and Arthur Miller's Death of a salesman / George Monteiro -- From "universal" to "global" Miller: re-writing the history of American drama (historian at work) / RamoĢn Espejo Romero -- The salesman at sea: aquatic imagery in Death of a salesman / Brian Mazeski -- "The lightning of my being": the Byronic struggle and apotheosis of John Proctor / Matt Lorenz -- Pragmatism and the common man / Richard Brucher -- "That world fallen to stones" / Garin Cycholl -- Arthur Miller unzipped / Stefani Koorey -- "I don't need you any more": the past in Arthur Miller's fiction / Sylvia Kasey Marks -- Nadryv in New York: Dostoevskian lacerations in Arthur Miller's The price / Paul J. Contino -- The creation of the world and other business: archetype and the rhythm of decorum / Frank Bergmann -- "The times, they are a-changin'": time and politics in Arthur Miller's Broken glass and Harold Pinter's Ashes to ashes / Ann C. Hall -- The last Yankee: tragedy and two kinds of pride / David Palmer -- Empty chairs, pools of light: absent characters in Arthur Miller's drama / Jane K. Dominik -- Brooklyn's Shakespeare / Stephen Marino -- Miller and Morath in collaboration / Susan C.W. Abbotson -- Arthur Miller: a career of commitment / Joshua Polster.
Summary:
"Arthur Miller was one of the major American dramatists of the twentieth century, clearly ranking with other truly great American playwrights, including Eugene O'Neill, Tennessee Williams, and Edward Albee. The centennial of Miller's birth in New York City on October 17, 1915 was celebrated around the world with a panoply of staged productions, theatrical events, media documentaries, and academic conferences. Miller earned his reputation during a career of more than seventy years, in which he achieved critical success in the 1940s and 1950s with the dramas All My Sons, Death of a Salesman, The Crucible and A View from the Bridge. He was also notable for his refusal to "name names at his appearance before the House Un-American Activities Committee", his marriage to the film actress Marilyn Monroe, and his spell as president of the literary organization, International P.E.N. Arthur Miller was not only a literary giant, but also one of the more significant political, cultural, and social figures of his time. He was a man of conviction and integrity who frequently took stands, popular and unpopular, on the ethical issues that engaged societies throughout the world. This collection includes eclectic essays from Miller scholars who provide detailed discussions of text and performance, of Miller as a political and cultural figure, and of his connection to other playwrights. The contributions explore the trajectory of Miller's career, his most famous and frequently produced works, such as Death of a Salesman and The Crucible, the dramas of his later career, and his fiction. The collection appeals to a broad American and international audience and a cross-section of readers, including undergraduates, graduates, emerging scholars, drama and theatre specialists, as well as theatre-goers who flock to revivals of Miller's plays." -- Back cover.
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.