Taking a cue from Dennis Schebetta (If you don't read his blog, you definitely should. especially if you are working or want to work on a solo play.) I'm going to start recording what I'm reading. Because as he reminds us, what you are reading informs what you are writing. Plus, who better to learn from than already published authors?
So, what am I reading?
Well, I should be reading Great Expectations as it is the nice play coming up at Book-It. So, in theory, that's what I am reading. And I am...sort of. It stays in my purse and I pick it up now and then. I read most of it in college so it's really just playing catch up. I'll get there, but it is slow going.
What has really been on my mind lately is Letters to a Young Poet by Rainer Maria Rilke. So far, it's incredibly insightful. I tend to really like books like this. There is something about an established writer encouraging a young, up-and-coming, struggling writer that is comforting to me. (That is also one of the reasons why I think Letters to a Young Artist by Anna Deavere Smith is a must have on any theatre artist's bookshelf.) No, I don't always agree with the advice given in these contexts but it is important to me to see how a person got to their advice. Their journeys are just as important to me as my own. We are interconnected by the simple nature of the craft. And I can always learn from a journey.
Next up: Wrecks and Other Plays by Neil LaBute. I must admit that Neil LaBute occupies a lot of space on my shelf. It is not always because I like his plays (Reasons to be Pretty, c'mon!) but because I relate to his style. And this book is some of his solo work so I'm interested to see how he approaches that.
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