"The Sunset Limited" Article "Beyond the Border: Cormac McCarthy in the New Millennium"

The Cormac McCarthy Society has popped up again! That's so funny because I swear when I put that link to their homepage in my last blog post I didn't know one of the articles we'd be reading was from them. Furthermore, I am so interested in the fact that Cormac McCarthy has a society dedicated to him. Before this class I had never heard of him before. I'd heard of No Country for Old Men, but never Cormac McCarthy specifically.
Also on that note, I think this article ("Beyond the Border: Cormac McCarthy in the New Millennium") has to be taken with a grain of salt because it is very clearly biased. It has nothing but great things to say about Cormac McCarthy and his works, and I guess what else can you really expect from the cult - er, society - dedicated to him?
What I found most interesting about from this article is that the play was very successful in the theatre community, but had little recognition from the press (pg 9). I speculate that this is due to the play's touchy subjects. I don't think the press would have minded the suicidal aspect of the play, but I think maybe they minded the religious debate aspect of the play. Or maybe it simply was just that the press had bigger and better things to worry about at the time. I personally am very impressed that "The Sunset Limited" made it all the way to Ireland! I love Ireland.
Oh shit you guys! In looking for a video of somebody performing the play on Youtube, I found this: the Sunset Limited crashed! Ironic? I think so. (Sorry the video is so long.)
Anyway, this article was interesting, but I think the other two are way more helpful.

About "The Sunset Limited"

What a depressing play. It makes me wonder what sort of things Cormac McCarthy was grappling with himself when he wrote it. Maybe we can find out.
Here's the official website of the Cormac McCarthy Society: http://www.cormacmccarthy.com/. Interesting. I'm a little concerned for the society. I just don't know if there should be a society based on such a disturbed guy. Kinda sounds like a dangerous cult. The Wikipedia on him is much more informative. Still, it doesn't say much about McCarthy's mental health. Maybe it's none of our  business. And maybe I shouldn't judge him so harshly. Supposedly you're supposed to write about what you know, though.
Anyway, I am very interested in the theme of education in this play. I think I would like to write my paper on this theme. Something showing the other side of "Ignorance is bliss" which must be "knowledge is hell".
Another thing I thought about writing on is the motives of Black. Why is he so determined to "save" everybody. Just calm down and leave people alone. Damn. Moreover, I found it very comical when Black was trying to persuade the professor to Christianity with "everlasting life". Why would you offer a man who just attempted suicide everlasting life? Clearly the last thing he wants is everlasting life! He doesn't even want to finishing living out the life he's got! Stupid. I also thought it was interesting that Black thought attempting suicide was the worst thing the professor had ever done. I never understand why Christians think that suicide is the greatest sin. Obviously there was something wrong with whoever committed suicide. They were suffering and unhappy and obviously thought that God's gift of life was actually a curse.
McCarthy's play is soething easy to get heated up over.

Belated Bathanti Blog

For more information on Joseph Bathanti check out Wikipedia.

I really enjoyed hearing Bathanti speak. I like the way he reads his poems, and what he writes his poems about. I was impressed with him overall, mainly because he was the opposite of what I expected. For whatever reason I assumed he would be a snotty, stuck-up, entitled person. He did not come off that way at all though. (He did come off maybe a little sexist, though, talking about how awful it is that children can't see their imprisoned moms. Where's the program for children to visit their imprisoned fathers?)
His reading inspired me to write this poem:

Poet Laureate

Poet laureate, poet laureate, nice fantacy,
But let's be honest: something I could never be.

I don't have some awe-inspiring story.
I'm not living the American dream.
Not a big fan of North Carolina,
and I really, don't like, baseball.

My father's from New York,
got some Italian in him.
Must be some immigrants in
our family history somewhere.

My mother's a lesbian,
does that count?
Both are hard workers, as am I,
but really, none of us, like baseball.

I must be too young, maybe too wild.
It doesn't help I'm not a man.
But I do have one saving grace.
I've got one shining hope:

I really, do love, Chevies

Plays (namely "Trifles")

I love plays! I like the way they are written, all in dialouge with some notes on action and setting. Plays are like more straight-forward short stories. Reading plays is interesting and enjoyable because the way they are written keeps the reader involved and in the moment. The reader can either put herself in the play or in the audiance of the play. Either way, the action of the plot is happening first-hand to the reader, keeping her interested the whole way through.
On the other hand, plays can be hard to understand if they are set in unfamiliar times or places. "Trifles" by Susan Glaspell is a short play set in the ealy 1900s in some small rural town. There is a very interesting article about the play here. The play is very clever. As the article says, the theme of the play is that men do not appreciate women. This is can be seen in the way Mr. Wright was unkind to his wife as well as in the way the men ignore and make fun of the women while they investigate the house. I appreciate this play for its theme as well as its ability to prove a point so briefly. My mother always told me that the best way to communicate anything is short, sweet, simple, and to the point. She would like this play.
Turns out, though, that this play is more than just a short little play. This is another very informative article about Susan Glaspell and about the play. Turns out she rewrote the play into a short story titled "A Jury of Her Peers." You can read this short story here. I am very glad to know, actually, that there is a short story that elaborates on this plot because the play, while short and simple and to the point, leaves much to be desired! I want to know more about Minnie Foster and her story. I definitely want to know if she is found guilty or innocent. I am looking forward to reaing "A Jury of Her Peers."
Finally, here is a picture of the author: