The Drama of Hospice and Plays about Death and Dying
H-O-S-P-I-C-E. Being given a hospice prognosis is dramatic. Period. The word itself evokes both a hospital stay and the peace most hope will accompany death. But don’t let the suffix–H-O-S-P– mislead you. Hospice patients are (almost always) beyond the repair of a hospital. In my own experience, the suffix more accurately alludes to the hospitable treatment … Read more
The Cult of Sarah Kane
The Cult of Sarah Kane (1971-1999) Sarah Kane has become to the theatre world what Ian Curtis of Joy Division has long been to the alternative music world: a beloved cult icon. Their darkly inspired works remain as dark and inspiring today as they did when they were first created. Both Kane and Curtis … Read more
Sunflowers for My Sister
Sunflowers for My Sister This month, October 20th to be exact, marks the one year anniversary of my sister Ginger’s death from colon cancer. All these months later, her death still hardly seems real. I have written about the dramatic experience of losing my sister in previous posts, namely, “Death’s Dramatic Prelude” and “The Dead: … Read more
The Dead: Big Pink Elephants Not in the Room
The Dead: Big Pink Elephants Not in the Room I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: death is dramatic. I never imagined I would find Molly Ringwald’s name on a NYT byline, but it seems the death of John Hughes, the director whose films helped her rise to stardom, has allowed her another career … Read more
Pushing the Frame: When Your Favorite Actress Tangos with Taboos
Pushing the Frame: When Your Favorite Actress Tangos with Taboos I am someone whose favorite actresses are, for the most part, dead, departed, immortal on the silver screen only: I am referring to golden age Hollywood divas such as Clara Bow, Marlene Dietrich, Greta Garbo, Jean Harlow, and Myrna Loy. My list of living breathing … Read more
The Abbreviated Joy of Joy Division’s Ian Curtis
The Abbreviated Joy of Joy Division’s Ian Curtis This coming May 18th will mark the 19th anniversary of the death of Ian Curtis, a Cheshire, England native and the lead singer of the post-punk band Joy Division, whose life was recently immortalized in the 2008 film Control. The film is based largely on the memoir of … Read more
Death’s Dramatic Prelude
Death’s Dramatic Prelude The following excerpt is taken from chapter 4 of Villette (1853) by Charlotte Bronte: “Is it a fine night?” she (Miss Marchmont) asked. I (Lucy Snowe) replied in the affirmative. “I thought so,” she said; “for I feel so strong, so well. Raise me, I feel young … Read more
Chalk it up to coincidence…
Chalk it up to coincidence… Your sister battles end-stage colon cancer for 5 ½ years and finally succumbs to the disease in late October of last year. You still haven’t gotten a colonoscopy. It all weighs heavily on you, daily. You review punctuation use with your students, the uses of semi-colons and colons. … Read more
