Conversations with Edward Albee

Publisher Marketing: Edward Albee has reigned over the American theater since 1959. By transporting the techniques of European absurdism to American soil, he ushered in a new era in the American theater. He has said he won two and one-half Pulitzers---one for "Delicate Balance," one for "Seascape," and the one-half supposedly for "Virginia Woolf," which the Pulitzer committee denied to Albee in 1962 because they objected to the language of the play. Albee's numerous roles and achievements are reflected in the lively interviews in this collection. These reveal the many sides and responses of one of the most significant dramatists of our age. In them we see the poised and guardedly amiable Albee; the angry Albee; the speculative and philosophical Albee; the historical-critical Albee; and the witty Albee. Albee talks knowledgeably and frankly about every phase of staging his plays---the many personalities involved in the process and the playwright's prerogatives, which he jealously guards. These twenty-seven interviews contain a rich sampler of Albee's own scathing wit, his wry humor, and his sometimes biting, sardonic innuendo. His targets are many---the New York theater critics, television, Hollywood and films, complacent America, and lazy audiences.

Contributor Bio:  Kolin, Philip C Philip C. Kolin, the University Distinguished Professor of English at the University of Southern Mississippi for nearly 30 years, teaches courses in composition, business and technical writing, literature, and drama. He has served as editor of two major scholarly journals and as founding co-editor of STUDIES IN AMERICAN DRAMA (1945-present). He received the Conference of Learned Journals award for the best new journal. In addition, he was also named Southern Mississippi's first Distinguished Professor in the Humanities. Dr. Kolin has published almost 30 books and 200 scholarly articles covering a variety of subjects, including writing, drama, linguistics, and folklore. He also has written a book and articles on professional writing for nurses and lawyers and has conducted workshops on technical writing. He received his Ph. D. from Northwestern University. Contributor Bio:  Albee, Edward Tennessee Williams (1911-1983) is the acclaimed author of many books of letters, short stories, poems, essays, and a large collection of plays, including The Glass Menagerie, A Streetcar Named Desire, Camino Real, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Orpheus Descending, The Night of the Iguana, and The Rose Tattoo.