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Al Devlin, a professor of English at Mizzou, has spent the
last 10 years of his life on research for his books containing
letters by playwright Tennessee Williams, also a Mizzou
alumnus. Justin Kelley photo
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Tennessee Williams' Historic Letters Unveiled
By Jeff Neu
Tennessee Williams, considered by many to
be one of the greatest playwrights in U.S. history, was a man
who battled with his creative genius and depressive tendencies
throughout his life. The author of such plays as A Streetcar
Named Desire, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and The
Glass Menagerie, Williams has had his professional and personal
life examined and scrutinized for years. However, perhaps no one
has been able to shed more light on this legendary figure than
University of Missouri-Columbia English Professor Albert Devlin.
Devlin's new book, The Selected Letters of Tennessee Williams:
Volume II, 1945-1957, published by New
Directions Publishing, features 350 of the 800 collected letters
Williams wrote during that time period. It was during these years
that Williams was at the height of his career, working with the
world's top actors, directors and set designers. Devlin says Williams
was a prolific correspondent, and his letters contain intimate
details about his life.
“Hollywood and Broadway love his plays
because they're made for a great deal of interpretation, which
makes them stay fresh and vibrant,” Devlin said. “Williams
gives directors the professional challenge they dream of tackling.
He's like an exotic plant in the American culture.”
Devlin's book is scheduled for a staged reading March 21
at the Manhattan Theatre Club in New York. Above, Richard
Thomas, who played John-Boy in the television series The
Waltons, will portray Tennessee Williams. Charles Erickson
photo
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In 1995, the Williams' estate agreed to give Devlin and Nancy
Tischler, professor emeritus at Pennsylvania
State University, exclusive rights to the letters. The researchers
reviewed thousands of Williams' letters written to friends, family,
editors, agents and critics during a span of 60 years. The letters
begin in the 1920s and span Williams' entire career, from his
time as a young MU graduate writing home to his parents to just
before his death at age 71.
“To Williams, the alternative to writing was death,” Devlin said.
“The process of writing and promoting each play was extremely
debilitating physically for him and led to a great deal of depression.
His success became his catastrophe.”
Devlin notes that Williams' time spent at
MU was “a very rewarding time for him.” The campus
became a sanctuary for him and he carried the fondness he had
for the University with him throughout his years, Devlin said.
A staged version of Devlin's publication will be presented as
part of the “Writers in Performance” event at the NY
Manhattan Theatre Club on March 21. A third volume of Williams'
letters is forthcoming from New Directions.
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April 1, 2008
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