8-2-08
The River Writers Group of Manhattan has decided to create a blog. Maybe that will force me to stay more current with my journal--or maybe I’ll blog there instead of here. We’ll see. The production of Couple of the Century at the Downtown Urban Theater Festival went very well (one performance only - June 25 - at the Cherry Lane Theatre in Greenwich Village). The house was sold out--with people standing, sitting on the floor, etc--not that this necessarily means much, but it’s nice to have a full house. The cast and direction were excellent--everyone said so. For the purposes of the festival, I had to cut about a fifth of the script. I’ve decided to keep some of the cuts, though not all. The new length will be around two hours, including intermission. I’ve started sending the post-festival version of the play around. Let’s hope for the best. Meanwhile, I’m working on a new play (working title: Migrations) -- it’s the play inspired by my trip to Mexico City referred to in the 2-26-08 entry below -- and pulling together a collection of short stories for a contest. Oh, and a brand new last scene for Scenes from the Dakota. Have a good summer. 

5-1-08
It’s been a busy time--so no journal entries. Two weeks ago, there was the reading of my new play, The German Lesson, at the Dramatists Guild. I was very pleased by Wendy Peace’s direction and by the performance of the cast. Hearing it out loud helped me tweak the script a bit. In two weeks, I’m reading a short story at the Cornelia Street Cafe. Then on June 25, for one performance only, a production of my full-length play, Couple of the Century, at the Cherry Lane Theatre as part of the Downtown Urban Theatre Festival. Also putting finishing touches on The Last Nights of the Sunshine SAGE Club. And 3 other plays in the very early stage of development. Plus the rest of my life. No time for sleep. Stay tuned.

2-26-08
Just back from my first visit to Mexico City, an amazing city with stunning museums and other cultural attractions. I also visited Teotihuacan, the pyramid site about an hour north of the city. The largest of these pyramids (Pyramid of the King) is the 3rd largest pyramid in the world. This mammoth site was just discovered in 1901. It was built between 100BC and 750 AD and had a population of 200,000 or so--all of whom vanished around 750AD. Mexico City itself has layers of civilizations--somewhat akin to Rome. This layering of civilizations and cultures, as well as the violence that accompanies most of the transitions, gave me an idea for a new play I’ve begun to work on. Something about how “delicate” people survive or don’t through such upheavals--and how the world continually changes, or doesn’t. Stay tuned as my thoughts develop. The current characters (father, mother, son, daughter) all have “I” names, including Ivor (my middle name), Ilona, Ike, and Inez.

Speaking of names, here’s a clarification: Bill Fowkes and William Fowkes are the same person. My full name is William Ivor Fowkes. As an author, I use the name William Fowkes. (My book on Hegel used William I. Fowkes.) Most people, however, know me as Bill Fowkes (or Billy, before college). I wouldn’t think any of this would be confusing, except that I’ve learned that many people don’t know that Bill and William are related (i.e., that Bill is a nickname for William). The world of Dick and Jane and Bill and Sally has clearly faded and been replaced by a world full of innumerable first names, many of which are unique to the person who possesses them. And so we can no longer assume that people know about James/Jim, John/Jack, Richard/Dick, Robert/Bob and so on. Not a big deal--it just means we have to remember to Google both names in pairs like these. 

1-12-08
A couple of good developments this week. Buffalo Carp: Quad Cities Arts’ Journal emailed me apologizing for getting back to me so late and asking if my story, The Cross County, was still available. Happily, it was and will now appear very soon in volume 5, scheduled to come out on March 14, 2008. Then I was invited to read my story Wallpaper at the Cornelia Street Cafe in Greenwich Village on March 10 at a monthly variety event called Serial Underground. Another member of the River Writers Group (Deborah Atherton) will be reading there in February.

A couple of weeks ago, I joined an interesting networking site for writers called Inked In. The founders are the same couple who run the Burryman Writers Group, who published my story, A Proper Bed, at the Edinburgh International Intertnet Festival a few years ago.

Some recent theatergoing of exceptional note: the Steppenwolf production of August:Osage County by Tracy Letts at the Imperial Theater and Things We Want by Jonathan Marc Sherman and directed by Ethan Hawke at Theater Row. An excellent cast and script in both cases. These are the kinds of plays that keep me inspired and motivated to continue writing for the theater.

Submission update: I continue to send my plays around. In some cases synopses, in other cases excerpts--at the preference of each company. In recent weeks I received requests for the full script of The German Lesson and The Seeker.

11-08-07
Sadly, a planned reading of my play, Scenes from the Dakota, has fallen through. It was to be scheduled first for this fall and then, more likely, for January or February as part of a weekly members reading series at a prominent off-Broadway theater company. Because I ‘m not a member, the reading was going to be sponsored by someone who, unfortunately, had to pull out when a medical matter required her attention. She passed the project along to another member who was all set to schedule the reading until she realized she hadn’t read the script and didn’t even know what the play was about. After I mailed her the script, I received a phone call in which she said she found the play bold, but not really her kind of play, further explaining that she was ”basically just a nice old Jewish lady”--and wished me well with it. I was surprised by her reaction--which, to my understanding, was one of shock at the play’s content. Are New York actors really so easily shocked? Then I thought about the fact that much of what I write may indeed be unacceptable to many people throughout the country. Just the presence of gay characters in a play--which this play had--may be problematic for some people. Living in the bubble of New York, I just assume that all topics are fair game and that any approach to a topic--as long as it is honest and well-written--will find its audience. Perhaps this is a rude awakening. Shortly afterwards, I learned about a theater company in Kentucky where they will simply not do plays in which the lord’s name is taken in vain. You can say “fuck” all you want, but one “God damn” will get the play thrown out. So what’s the lesson here? I’m not sure. I’m not about to write a sequel to The Sound of Music. I suppose the lesson is to proceed with the writing of plays that matter to you, but don’t be surprised when some people cannot or will not handle the content or language.

10-13-07
This afternoon I saw the revival production of Terrence McNally’s The Ritz at the Roundabout.  I saw the original production in 1975 and enjoyed it, but it was even better this time than I remembered. Great large cast--and set. Afterwards there was a talk-back with the playwright. I had no idea this was going to happen, so the Gods must be shining down on me. (To see/hear Edward Albee and Terrence McNally the same week is mind-shattering. I also just learned that Edward and Terrence were partners once upon a time--back when Terrence was just barely starting out. So what a strange alignment of the stars this all seems to be. And a reminder of how incredibly lucky I am to be living in New York and have all of this at my disposal. The city and theater community are really starting to feel like a comfortable small community to me. I asked McNally about the differences between writing plays and writing books for musicals, since he does both. He said the process was the same--except for the collaboration with the lyricist and composer. He still has to write a play, which is then musicalized where appropriate. I assumed, apparently wrongly, that the musical book writer wrote scenes in which he indicated where characters would sing songs. Rather, it appears that he writes the book and the the songwriters then “cannibalize” the script looking for lines, speeches, situations, etc. that can be replaced with songs. Afterwards, I went up to him and told him about the Egyptian student who is working on a master’s thesis on him. I explained that this student had somehow found my website and wrote to me saying that he wanted to write his thesis (in Egypt!) about my work. I suggested that I was too minor (at least at this point) to be worth writing about in this way, but suggested a few names of good American playwrights who probably haven’t had a lot of theses written about them yet. From the list he selected McNally. Occasionally I receive emails from him about his progress. McNally and I both commented that this student might get in trouble if and when the authorities realize the nature of some of McNally’s work. Oh, well--we’ll see.

10-12-07
Last night I attended another “duologue” at the Dramatists Guild--this time with Edward Albee and Emily Mann (who is directing his new play, Me, Myself, and I, at the McCarter Theatre in New Jersey). I was first of all struck by how agile and charming Edward Albee was. He turns 80 next March--and I’m not saying that’s old anymore, because judging by all the people I know in their ‘80s, it really isn’t. Though, in fairness, the people I know in their ‘80s tend to be active Manhattanites, generally in the arts. 80 elsewhere may indeed be old. But I found Albee quite boyish--less professorial than I found him to be the only other time I ever saw him in person (at a panel in the lobby of the Vivian Beaumont Theatre at Lincoln Center). Anyway, his comments about the writing and directing processes were insightful and compelling. His banter with Emily Mann was charming and fascinating. Her insights about playwriting were helpful, too. If these Duologues are meant to inspire playwrights, they’re working. Albee answered my one question--how do you experience the process of writing now as opposed to 20, 30, or 40 years ago? Has anything changed?--by saying that every time he sits down to write a play, it’s as if it were the first play he’s ever written. Emily Mann agreed. I also enjoyed hearing him talk abpout getting to know characters very well before writing a play--letting the play germinate for a while.

9-23-07
Last night I saw a preview of a new play, “Mauritius” by Theresa Rebeck, at the Manhattan Theater Club (Biltmore Theater). Even at this stage, it’s in excellent shape--with very strong performances by a compelling cast. The scenery is perfect. I constantly hear that theater companies are mostly interested in plays with one set these days (In fact, the last play I saw at MTC had just one set.)--which is a problem for me, because only one of my full-length plays has a unit set--but this one had three. However, they were meshed together in a very effeicient way--split in half with a revolving platform on each side so that you could move quickly from set to set.  The central conceit of the play is simple enough (two sisters fighting over who has the right to a stamp collection after their mother dies--plus a second conceit about the value of some of the stamps in the collection), but the play takes several surprising turns. It also veers into violence once or twice in a way that’s truly shocking, but not exploitative. Lots of “fuck” in the dialogue, too--but not quite at the Mamet level. Sometimes it really IS funny to hear someone say “fuck” for the tenth time. I don’t mean this to be a review--just some random observations. But I think it’s an excellent play. 

9-22-07
I’ve finished my play, The German Lesson, and sent it off into the world--meaning I’ve sent it (or at least an excerpt) to a few places. My writers group loved it. Maybe I can put that in the ad. I’m very happy with it, too. We’ll see what happens.

9-21-07
Last night I attended a “duologue” with A.R. Gurney and Theresa Rebeck at the Dramatists Guild. I learned many interesting and valuable things. One was confirmation that it’s virtually impossible to make a living as a playwright these days. (I didn’t really expect to be able to give up my day job at Showtime, but this helped make me feel grateful to have a day job that is by many standards a very good one.) In Gurney’s case, he was a professor at MIT for many years--he went there after graduate school at the Yale School of Drama. He used his playwriting to maintain his job--that is, as a credential to justify being kept on, for otherwise he would have had to get a Ph.D. In Rebeck’s case, after getting a Ph.D. in English and deciding not to become a professor (fearing that academic entanglements would prevent her from writing plays) and after working in an assistant-level corporate job with low pay, she became a TV writer, which was very lucrative--and which, despite the warnings of friends, did NOT prevent her from keeping up her playwriting. Another valuable lesson was hearing how frustrating it is to write for TV--even for very successful shows. Work by committe can be enjoyable, but is ultimately  frustrating--not to mention the infuriating constant interference by management. All in all, it made me feel good about the path I’ve travelled--first the Ph.D and college teaching experience (allowing me to get that out of my system), then the series of pretty good paying corporate jobs which ultimately put me in a position where I could live a decent life (and send 2 daughters to private school in the process) and start writing seriously these past almost 10 years. At the same time though, it is sad to think that even if I eventually broke out as a playwright, I would still need another source of income. 

Another important lesson--the need to keep the size of the cast down. I’ve noticed this often enough in the calls for submissions I read, but it was helpful to be reminded by these playwrights that your work is much more likely to be considered if the cast is small. I took the need for a simple set seriously when I undertook The German Lesson--it’s my first full-length play with just one set. But now I better focus on cast size. The German Lesson has a cast of 6--too big for many companies. Couple of the Century has a cast of 4, but requires 5 sets. The play I’m currently working on has a unit set, but I don’t know the cast size yet--I’m up to 5 so far. Maybe I can keep it to that.

8-19-07
I spent a week in Provincetown earlier this month and had two wonderful theatrical “experiences.” The first was seeing a production of a “lost” play by Tennessee Williams, “The Parade, or Approaching the End of a Summer.” (At the Provincetown Theater. The full credit reads: “New Provincetown Players present Shakespeare on the Cape at the Provincetown Theater.”) Begun while Tennessee was living in P’town one summer (one of the 4 summers he spent in P’town), it’s very autobiographical--about his obsessive love for an undeserving object, a self-involved (and probably not very good) dancer. It’s really a one-act and should probably be paired with something else in future productions, but it’s pretty good, though not as good as “Something Cloudy, Something Clear,” a longer and more complex play also set in P’town and covering some of the same terrain. I’m now reading Tennessee Williams in Provincetown by David Kaplan--a fascinating look at Tennessee’s time in P’town. Must-reading for anyone as addicted to Williams’s work and life as I am.

The other theatrical “experience” was reading Marian Seldes’s The Bright Lights: A Theatrical Life. I came across this book in Tim’s Used Bookstore in P’town last summer and brought it up with me to read this year. I couldn’t put it down. Most amazing to me was the fact that this book was written in 1978 while Ms. Seldes was appearing in Equus on Broadway--amazing because that was before what I consider her greatest triumphs on stage, Albee’s Three Tall Women, The Play About the Baby, Beckett/Albee, and all the rest. The book is written from the perspective of someone who is not a star or leading actress but who is deeply committed to a life on the stage and fortunate to have had one for many years. The book is filled with insights about the theater as well as a first-hand look at many of the great actors who appeared on stage with Ms. Seldes from the 40s to the 70s. It’s written with great charm and passion--not to mention a wry sense of humor. By the time I finished reading it, I felt both as if I knew Ms. Seldes intimately (which, of course, I don’t) and as if I had to make it my mission in life to get her to write a sequel--one that brings us up to her very active present. (She completes her co-starring run in Terrence McNally’s Deuce on Broadway today.)

I decided I had to go back to see Deuce, if only to take a closer look at her performance now that I’ve read her book. I went last night, the next-to-last performance, and as luck would have it, was seated in the front row practically at her feet. When I saw Deuce the first time during previews many months ago, I though Ms. Seldes and Angela Lansbury gave wonderful performances in what is really a rather mediocre play. This time I discovered that the play was even weaker than I remembered--and it pains me to say this, because I’m such an admirer of McNally’s work. (For example, I thought Some Men, which played at Second Stage this past season, was excellent.) Once again, though, I felt that the two stars gave wonderful performances--even more nuanced than when I first saw them. But Ms Seldes, who was great, was underutilized. Every now and then, one of her line deliveries would remind me how magnificent she can be. She deserves better. How about starring in a Broadway production of Albee’s The Lady of Dubuque, in which Maggie Smith just appeared successfully in London?

After the show, I stood by the stage door because--I don’t know, because it was there, I had time on my hands, and it was so easy to do. When Ms. Seldes came out and generously spent as much time with each admirer as they requested, I looked on not really intending to say anything until she wound up just two feet away--so what could I do? I blurted out that I had just read her book, thought it was wonderful, and wanted to know when she was going to write the sequel. (Should I have brought the book with me for an autograph? I don’t really collect autographs.) She talked about how the book was written long before all of this--pointing to the crowd and the marquee--and I was reminded that she really still sees herself as a supporting player and not a star. Having these huge crowds waiting for her outside the stage door (and, all right, probably mostly there for Angela Lansbury) is a new and surprising experience for her, I guess. And it’s true that she isn’t a household name. But she’s clearly one of the very best stage actresses in America right now. At least those who follow or work in the theater (including the many generations who studied with her at Juilliard) know that this is the case. When I pointed out that her greatest triumphs had happened since the book was published, she self-mockingly said “Greatest triumphs?” I said, “Really. Three Tall Women and all the rest came later.” She looked at me and reached out to hold my hand for a split second. (At the time, I thought the gesture meant, “Thank you, dear theatergoer,” but I realize now it might have meant, “Get a life, sir.”) [UPDATE: A friend of mine who knows Marian Seldes assures me that the former is more than likely the intended meaning.]

 So now I sound like a gushing fan, but I can’t help enjoying this “brush with greatness” and can only hope that some of my work will be performed by some of the next generation’s great actors and actresses (from my mouth to God’s lips....)

6-28-07
I’m just putting the finishing touches on my new play, The Seeker, which is based on my novel, The Nonbeliever. The River Writers Group was very helpful in providing input--it took several sessions to read the whole thing to them, 20 minutes or so at a time. It calls for a cast of 8 (6 men, 2 women) playing a variety of roles. I think it might appeal to groups interested in plays that are somewhat experimental in form, since it all takes place in the mind of a man in a coma--although this only gradually becomes clear. In the final scene, a wide variety of characters--real and imaginary--attend his death scene, including Peggy Lee, whose most famous song title (“Is That All There Is?) serves as a challanege to the main character. This play encompasses many of my attitudes about organized religion, though I hope it still puts across a somewhat spiritual point of view.

On a separate note, there’s a strong possibility that a reading or staged reading of my full-length play, Scenes From the Dakota, will be held in October, with Richard Seff reprising his starring role as Earl Mumford. Stay tuned for details.

6-19-07
I read my short story,“Wallpaper” at an authors’ panel at my class reunion at Yale two weeks ago. (I was planning to read, “Twin Towers,” but a friend convinced me to read something lighter--i.e., more in keeping with the spirit of the other festivities.) It was gratifying to present myself as an author to my fellow classmates, who knew me in quite different roles. It was also fun talking to other current and prospective writers in the class.  I also attended a reception at which Larry Kramer (class of 1957) presented his papers to Yale. Also present was his friend and fellow classmate, Calvin Trillin--a reminder that every Yale class has its share of writers. (Regarding the reading at the Mercantile Library in Manhattan--it’s been postponed until the fall.)

5-4-07
Two upcoming readings: Another River Writers Group reading at the Mercantile Library in Manhattan--sometime in June. And I’m on a writers panel at my reunion at Yale in a few weeks. More details to follow.

4-14-07
Last week I saw a play called Monks, by Des Dillon, a Scottish playwright, at the Royal Lyceum in Edinburgh, Scotland. This was the world premiere. A very interesting play filled with colorful characters on a striking set of a mountain top. (I’m still always struck by the fact that at theaters in the UK, vendors come out into the audience during intermission to sell Haagen-Dazs ice cream. But my daughter loves it.)

3-31-07
A few weeks ago, I saw Tall Grass by Brian Harris at the Beckett Theatre at Theatre Row in New York. This off-Broadway play is an evening of 3 one-acts, the second of which (“The Gerbil”) was a finalist along with my play, “The Session,” at the Strawberyy One-Act Festival Winter 2005. (“The Gerbil” was the winner.) I was curious to see how this production would differ from the one at the Strawberry Festival. It was definitely better, as you would expect, largely thanks to an excellent cast. I was also curious to see how to take 3 one-acts to create one play. The answer--you just do it. The unifying thread in this case was that in all 3 plays, people turn out to be quite different from what you are first led to believe. At any rate, it’s definitely reassuring to see a fellow festival member get his play produced off-Broadway. Inspiration for us all.

2-4-07
A month into the new year, and there are already too many projects swirling around. My play about academia, All in the Faculty, is finished and ready to be circulated--though I don’t know where yet. (I’ve posted an excerpt on this site.) A first (or second) draft of my play about organized religion, The Seeker, is ready to go, too, but I’m in the process of reading it piece by piece to my writers group and incorporating their feedback. If all goes well, I expect it to be ready for circulation by the summer. Meanwhile, I’ve begun work on a brand new full-length play, The German Lesson. Hard to describe at this point--it’s about deceit and making amends, I suppose. Very comedic so far, despite its serious themes. And then there are the short stories and all the submissions (stories and plays.) It’s a wonder I have any time for my day job--where I’ve recently been given expanded responsibilities, by the way. Well, as they say, if you want to get something done, give it to someone who’s busy. Meanwhile, I’m starting to wonder if I should be looking for a theatrical agent rather than submitting my plays all over the place. Belated Happy New Year!

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12-25-06 Waiting for my daughters to get up and attack the pile of presents scattered around the living room, I decided to go through the pile of mail that had accumulated over the past few days. Included were two very thin SASEs. I’m learning, however, that thinness does not necessarily equate to rejection. And sure enough, one of the thinnest envelopes I’ve ever received with one of the slimmest strips of correspondence was an acceptance slip (a new term--acceptance slip) from The Chariton Review, announcing their intention to publish my short story, Lincoln Towers, in Volume 31, either Number 1 or 2. Watch for it some time next year. And Merry Christmas to you, too.  12-10-06 I’m in the midst of holiday craziness--good craziness as well as stress. Too much to do; everything has to be perfect; the occasional unexpected welling-up of emotions of various stripes, etc. etc. etc.  A few rejections in the mail. The usual. Then yesterday another of my SASE enevelopes arrives--with the usual letter of one paragraph. I know what that means. But wait--this one has a hand written note attached. These are usually interesting--anything from an apology, or the claim that my work almost almost almost made the cut, etc. This time the writing said something about sending a document by e-mail--so I read the printed paragraph and discovered that the journal, The Distillery, wanted to publish my one-act play, The Session. (This is my first published play--a milestone of some sort.) So now the holidays can begin. Happy Holidays! 10-31-06 Happy Halloween! Speaking of scary things, I just finished reconstructing my site using new software. (See 10-7-06 entry below.) Pushing the “Publish” button--meaning that the new site would replace the former one--was more than scary. It was also frustrating. It was much more difficult than I expected. It required a phone call to India--but the woman was very helpful and things went smoothly from then on. I discovered through trial and error that the key is to Simplify, Simplify, Simplify! (Thank you, Thoreau.) Where the old site had four separate but connected sites, the reconstructed site keeps everything under one roof, though some pages have off-shoots. At any rate, please let me know if you have any thoughts about the redesigned site. The staged reading two weeks ago of my one-act play, The Next Move, went extremely well. Nancy Franklin and Ed Setrakian were magnificent in the play. Wendy Peace’s direction helped make this staged reading stand out from the others in Octoberfest 2006, because most of the others had minimal staging and rehearsals. Wendy treated this as if it were a full production, though one with scripts in hand. People seemed genuinely moved by the material, and this encouraged me to move forward with the play. I’ve started sending it out around the country to various festivals and theater companies. After the first performance, some friends and I were discussing hypothetical ideal casts for this play and hit upon the pairing of Marion Seldes and Brian Murrary--who have worked together so beautifully before. I was all set to send the script to Ms. Seldes until I read about her impending appearance with Angela Lansbury in a new Terrence McNally play on Broadway about former tennis pros. In her comments, Ms Seldes remarked that they were both thrilled at the opportunity to appear in a play about women their age who are vital, because most scripts they receive about older women are about nursing homes or Alzheimer’s. (One of the characters in The Next Move is in the early stages of Alzheimer’s.) Oh,well--never mind, Marion. Though I still think you would be wonderful in the role. 10-7-06 I’m in the process of recreating my entire Web site using a new software program--NetObjects Fusion 8. The current software--Website Builder--is a difficult and frustrating program. It has caused me many hours of pain. It inexplicably alters things after they’ve been in place for a while. It only follows some of your instructions--when it feels like it. The simplest of tasks can sometimes take hours to complete. This new program seems to be much easier to work with--and more flexible. We’ll see what happens when I publish the revised site. Maybe the whole thing will fall apart. (One key difference is that the current program is on the Net, while the new one is on my hard drive--meaning I may only be able to work on the new one on my main computer, whereas the other can be used on any computer in the world with Net access.) Stay tuned. 9-16-06 Everything is finally falling into place for the presentation of my one-act play, The Next Move, at the Ensemble Studio Theatre's Octoberfest 2006. This play was written for and is dedicated to Richard Seff and Dolores Sutton (who gave a magnificent private first reading in my garden a few weeks ago). Dolores is sponsoring its appearance at Octoberfest. Unfortunately, Dolores and Richard both have conflicting projects and won't be able to appear in this first public presentation. Fortunately, however, we've found two other excellent actors-- both members of EST--Nancy Franklin and Ed Setrakian. We're presenting the play as a staged reading. Depending on how things progress, we may be able to offer something more --meaning the actors might be partly or fully off-book--but we'll see how it goes. (Most of the presentations at Octoberfest are readings.) It's been a year since I've had a play in production, so this is very exciting. Meanwhile, I've been actively sending out my full-length plays, so we'll see what hapopens on that front. 9-2-06 I'm working on a new full-length play based on my unpublished novel, The Nonbeliever--tentatively titled, The Seeker. The plot concerns one gay man's spiritual journey. The play takes place in New York, Ohio, Maine, India, and in his mind. 7-5-06 Today I completed another draft of my full-length play, All in the Faculty (based on my novel, The Academy). This play is falling nicely into place. It has colorful characters and a good sense of place (the fictional Humbert College). I also like the framing device I've created for it. This will be a fun play to put on. (A director's dream?) With a cast of 9, however, it may have a hard time seeing the light of day. For now, I think I'll keep tweaking it and think about how to arrange a first reading. Meanwhile, I'm very eager to get started on a dramatized version of my novel, The Nonbeliever--something I think the world needs right now as an antidote to all the religious fanaticism around us. 7-2-06 Unfortunately, my play, Couple of the Century, didn't make it from the semi-finalists to the finalists in the 8th Annual Open Book National Readers Theatre Playwriting Competition (announced today). However, the announcement stated that all 10 semifinalists were excellent plays and deserved to be produced--so I'm taking them at their word and stepping up my efforts to send it out in search of a production. I feel good about this play, so I think that's the best response. 5-28-06 I received word today from The Open Book that my full-length play, Couple of the Century, was named one of 10 semifinalists in their 8th national readers theatre playwriting competition--my first nibble on any of my full-length plays. Feels great! The 2 finalists will be named in a couple of weeks. Even if I don't make it to the finals, it feels good just to be a semifinalist (isn't that what we're supposed to say?). This comes as I've just stepped up my efforts to send around 3 of my full-length plays: Couple of the Century, Marriages of Inconvenience, and Scenes From the Dakota. I think I'll bask in this little moment of semi-glory for a few days. (Sadly, this kind of encouragement keeps me writing.) Meanwhile, at a Memorial Day Weekend party in Tarrytown this afternoon--six degress of . . . -- I met former actor Arnie Walton (Wish You Were Here on Broadway) who, it turns out, knows both Richard Seff (from both productions of The Dakota) and Dolores Sutton (the sponsor of The Dakota at Ensemble Studio Theater). He and his partner, Chum Dale, shared wonderful backstage stories of the Golden Age. 5-22-06 I finished making revisions to my play Scenes From the Dakota last week. Thanks to a day of jury duty, I had some time to comb through the Dramtists Guild Resource Directory and identify theater companies that might be receptive to it. Now I'm in the process of sending out queries, synopses, or the full script (depending on their preference) -- for this play as well as a couple of others. 5-12-06 The reading at the Mercantile Library was well attended and went very well. The Director of the library opened up the event with a brief history of the library and a description of its facilities and services. Deborah Atherton then introduced each reader. Andrew Kaplan read two improbable Guiness Book world records. Claudia Carlson read 7 poems, including a couple from her Cloud City collection. Deborah read one of her stories about the challenges and intricacies of dating in middle age in the big city. Allan Jaffee, an honorary member of the group, then played a guitar rag. Hillary Beckett then read a series of poems, including "porch" poems and "improbable pet" poems. I followed with my reading of Wallpaper--it took several revisions to get it down to 10 minutes or so. About a third of the story had to be cut. Allan returned for one more guitar rag, and the event came to a close. 5-9-06 I've settled on "Wallpaper" for the Mercantile reading tomorrow night. I've cut it down by a third to fit the allotted time slot. It's the last reading on the program. Since the story is about a struggling writer, it might make a fitting finale for the evening. Hope to see you there! 5-3-06 Yesterday we held a first (closed) reading of Scenes From the Dakota--an expanded, full-length version of my one act play, The Dakota. Richard Seff (Earl Mumford) and Jeff Talbott (Mark Mayfield) reprised their roles from the original production of the one-act. It was wonderful to see these parts come to life again (I've missed them) and to see them branch out into the new scenes. (All sorts of surprises there.) Dolores Sutton read the role of Marjorie Mumford in a scene that shows what Earl's life might have been like if he had gone ahead and married the woman to whom he was engaged 40 years earlier. Hearing Dolores read these lines--lines I've only heard in my head or out loud in my own voice--brought all sorts of new shadings to the character. It was quite amazing. And when she and Earl Mumford have their confrontation, it was so moving--I think we have something here. (But see below.) Wendy Peace, the director of the original (and second) production of The Dakota, read the part of Lucy, a 20-year old film studies major enthralled with the Dakota, and proved that she can be convincing as a 20-year old. In our feedback session at the end of the reading, however, the group felt that the scene with Marjorie would have greater impact and meaning if she interacted with one of her children instead of this Lucy character. (So, I'm in the process of re-writing the scene with her daughter, Elizabeth Mumford.) Elizabeth is 38--so I bet Wendy could play her, too. Peter Townsend played the 3 remaining roles, most significantly the role of Tony, a "hot 20-year-old" who goes to bed with Mark in a scene that shows what Mark's life might have been like if he had not stayed married and closeted. There's also a scene between Earl and Mark that's rather creepy--i.e., a scene in which their alternate versions meet. But it needs to be creepy, because that's what Earl's life would have been like under those circumstances. (As for Mark--you'll have to see the play.) Meanwhile, the final scene between the "real" Earl and Mark takes their relationship in a new direction. The cast had some great suggestions for fine-tuning the ending. My next step is to digest the input from this session, make all the changes, and submit the new draft to a couple of places later this month. Stay tuned. 5-1-06 The reading at the Mercantile Library is coming up in 9 days. Choosing a story to read has been difficult. We're each allotted 10 minutes, and I'm discovering that you can only ready 7 or 8 pages in 10 minutes, but most of my stories are in the 11-13 page range. Then there's the question of whether to read a published or unpublished story? A gay or straight story? R-rated or G? (Some staff members from the Girl Scouts may attend.) In some ways, "Twin Towers," is the best choice, but I already read an excerpt (though only an excerpt) from it at the Dirty Goat reading. "A Better Solution" is the right length, but may be too graphic. "Park Avenue"--though a bit graphic--is the current leading contender. But then there's "Wallpaper." 4-19-06 Haven't added to this journal lately. I've been busy writing and/or dealing with life. Fortunately, I seem to have the ability to pick up a project where I left it off and continue as if I never left, as well as the ability to juggle several projects at once. I'm not sure this is a strength rather than just a form of Attention Deficit Disorder, but that's the way I work. Most recently, I've completed a revised version of Scenes From the Dakota, the expanded, full-length version of my one-act play, The Dakota. I'm now trying to put together a closed reading of the new script, including the original cast, plus 3 new actors to play the additional roles. I also finished a draft of All in the Faculty--the new name for the play based on my novel, The Academy. In the coming weeks I plan to get back to it and continue polishing it until I think it's ready to be seen by someone else. I've also made significant revisions to the play, Marriages of Inconvenience, based on input from the director, Stephen Nachamie, and have started to send the play around. I've also started to send Couple of the Century around. Finally, I need to make a few changes to the one-act play, Unintended Lives, based on input from my colleagues in the River Writers Group of Manhattan. On the short story front, I'm about to send out a new short story, "Chamber Music," based loosely on a party I attended on the 250th anniversary of the birth of Mozart. I also need to decide what I'm going to read at the upcoming public reading at the Mercantile Library. (See the News section for details.)   3-24-06 I received word that the editor of Queer Ramblings Magazine had been very sick for months, and that's why she was unable to send me a copy of the journal. Oh, well--who knew? Anyway, the journal is now in hand, including a much-too-large photo of me. It's quite a quirky, but fun, publication. I was sad to read on their website that they will no longer publish the journal in print and that all future issues will be published only on-line. The survival rate for literary journals is discouragingly low. The journal that published my first story, "Power to the Pulpit," no longer exists. Quick--while you can-- buy a copy of a literary journal in print. Or, better yet, buy a whole journal and become its patron. (Or, even better, sponsor the production of some of my plays. I can dream, can't I?) 2-24-06 Last night, the international literary journal, The Dirty Goat, held a reception to celebrate the publication of their 15th annual issue. The event was held at the Fifth Avenue home of the publisher in Manhattan. Several of the contributors to this issue did brief readings--including several poems read in their original language (Polish, Portugese, and Yiddish) as well as in translation. (I read an excerpt from "Twin Towers.") The entire event was a wonderful act of appreciation for the contributors as well as a celebration of the arts. It would be great if all other literary journals could sponsor events like this that make the relationship between writers and publishers less anonymous. 2-4-06 I'm puzzled by how differently literary journals treat their writers. The Dirty Goat is an example of one publication that seems to treat its writers well. They accepted my story, "Twin Towers," in December, and the issue is coming out nice and promptly in February. And they're hosting a party at the publisher's home to celebrate the publication of this issue (and the journal's 15th anniversary) -- providing me with an opportunity to read an excerpt from my story. By contrast, I've mentioned before that some publications take forever to publish your work once they've accepted it. My beef tonight is about publications that fail to follow through on their promise to send you a copy of the issue your story appears in. It's bad enough--but part of the reality of being a fiction writer today--that the only "payment" a writer receives from most literary magazines is a free copy or two, but when they don't even have the decency to send you the issue, how is the author supposed to feel? I'm currently having this problem with Queer Ramblings Magazine. Not only did they never send me a copy of the publication, they also failed to follow through when I pointed out that I hadn't received one yet and they wrote back with a sincere apology and promise to send it out right away. That never happened. Nor have they yet responded to my latest reminder that I'm still waiting to receive a copy. Is there a Better Business Bureau for literary magazines? Shame on you Queer Ramblings! 1-30-06 Attended a Directors/Dramatists Exchange at the Dramatists Guild--an opportunity for directors and playwrights to meet. Found it a little overwhelming. Who knew there were so many playwrights out there trying to get their work produced? And this was just the tip of the iceberg, I'm sure. Fortunately, I met a few directors interested in seeing the script for Marriages of Inconvenience. 1-24-06 Attended a staged reading of a new play at the Abingdon Theatre Company last night--Innocence by Bruce J. Robinson. An excellent reading with a great cast and a follow-up open discussion with the cast, author, and director. Abingdon seems to have a wonderful format for developing and cultivating new full-length plays. The facility is also very nice. 1-20-06 Received word today that the 15th annual issue of The Dirty Goat (in which my story, "Twin Towers" will appear) is coming out in February (and will be commemorated at a party in New York 2/23). This is great turnaround, since my story was just accepted in December. Turnaround times seem to vary dramatically. In my own experience with journals, it has ranged from 2 months to well over a year. Members of my writers group report that sometimes the turnaround is as long as 18 months or 2 years. What has your experience been? 1-19-06 Heard Rod McLarty (author of The Memory of Running) speak at Barnes & Noble tonight. This author wrote for 35 years before getting anything published, supporting himself as an actor, but always thinking of himself as a writer. He wrote 10 novels before the current one was published. (He wrote this one in 1988.) Although it was unpublished, he managed to get it recorded as an audiobook. Then, serendipitously, Steven Spielberg happened to hear it, and, with Spielberg's endorsement, it was quickly published (and immediately picked up by publishers in 14 countries). McLarty spoke about all the people he knew who were excellent at their craft but just one lucky break away from making it and disputed the notion that the best works eventually get published. He also spoke about the fact that The Memory of Running started out as a poem and then became a play before being turned into a novel (I've been working the other way around.). He thinks the novel format was a better fit for the material. 1-12-06 I'm working on a play adapted from my novel, The Academy. Working this way has its drawbacks and its advantages. On the one hand, it's tedious transfering the novel from narrative form to dramatic form, and editing the whole thing down to a manageable size. On the other hand, it's great to work with already-fleshed-out characters and plenty of back story. The challenge will be making the whole thing come alive on stage--and keeping it to 2 hours or so. I'll also need a different title, since titles for plays are a very different animal from titles for novels. 1-6-06 Today I finished a revised draft of my full-length play, Marriages of Inconvenience. (This play is adapted from part of my novel, A Father's Place. It concerns two next door neighbors and best friends who pay the price for leading double lives in a time of social change. The story spans 29 years and is set against a background of tremendous change regarding the treatment of gays in America.) Now the question is what to do with it. I had great luck with one-act plays in 2005, getting 3 productions up in New York--but there seem to be fewer outlets for full-length plays. So that's my current challenge--finding places to submit this, as well as my other full-length plays. Any suggestions? 1-5-06 The editor of Eureka Literary Magazine forwarded the following comments from another author to me today: Dear Ms Perry-- Received my copies of ELM today and I am very happy with them. I am reading through them right now. I love the first story. I have written a couple in the same vein--one rather long and quite obscene. It concerns selling my soul to the devil. I kept my first thousand rejects so I have enough to paper a fair sized room. I once knew a guy who saved a bunch of them, made them into papier mache and made a coffee table of them. Clever fellow that. Please pass my congratulations and condolences to Brother Fowkes along with my best wishes. G. LLoyd Helm 12-31-05 Just before heading out today to attend a New Year's Eve party way out in the Hamptons, I received a package containing 2 copies of the Fall 2005 issue of Eureka Literary Magazine. This was the best possible--well, maybe not the very best--New Year's gift. (Should we start a New Year's gift tradition? Could help the whole economy.) This issue contains my story, "Wallpaper." Eureka accepted my story over a year ago, and I was beginning to think it might never appear--or that I had imagined the whole thing. I was particularly thrilled to see that the story was placed right up front--though when you read it, you might understand why that's a good place for it, given the subject matter.   To return to Home Page, click here.

William Fowkes, Playwright & Author