Description
Book SynopsisWith his distinctive brand of humour and insight, acclaimed playwright and beloved actor Wallace Shawn takes his readers on a revelatory journey through high art, war, culture, politics and privilege with his first non-fiction collection, which received immense critical acclaim when published in hardback in 2009. The personal and the political become one. Shawn often focuses on contradictions, even when unpleasant, and finds humour in the political and personal challenges of everyday life.
Table of ContentsCONTENTS Introduction 9 PART ONE: REALITY ONE The Quest for Superiority 19 TWO After the Destruction of the 29 World Trade Center THREE “Morality” 33 FOUR An “American” Publishes a Magazine 49 FIVE Patriotism 53 SIX Interview with Noam Chomsky 55 SEVEN Bush Proposes Preemptive War 71 EIGHT The Invasion of Iraq Is Moments Away 75 NINE Up to Our Necks in War 85 TEN Israel Attacks Gaza 95 PART TWO: DREAM-WORLD ELEVEN Myself and How I Got into the Theatre 101 TWELVE Reading Plays 117 THIRTEEN Aesthetic Preferences 121 FOURTEEN Interview with Mark Strand 129 FIFTEEN Writing about Sex 155
