A Tip for the Hangman

A Tip for the Hangman by Allison Epstein, 374 pages

Christopher Marlowe is probably best known for being a contemporary of Shakespeare, for dying in a bar brawl, and for writing controversial plays such as Doctor Faustus, and, in some circles, probably in that order. A Tip for the Hangman sheds light on other elements of his life, including his rise from the poor son of an indebted cobbler to a poet who was the toast of London; his career in espionage for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth I; and his long relationship with solicitor Tom Watson. Yes, this is definitely historical fiction — Epstein makes no bones about messing with timelines or boosting Marlowe's importance to the spymaster — but it's so interesting and compelling that it makes me want to learn more about Kit Marlowe. An excellent book, and highly recommended.

Spy of the First Person

Spy of the First Person by Sam Shepard  82 pp.

Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright and actor, Sam Shepard died in July of 2017 due to complications of ALS. He began working on this book a year earlier, first writing by hand and then recording his words for his family to transcribe. Before he died his friend, Patti Smith, helped him with editing. It was published posthumously. The book is a collection of vignettes and short chapters that comprise memoir, commentary on his condition, and observations of "the man in the rocker on the porch". The man Shepard describes is actually himself dealing with the gradual physical deterioration caused by his disease. The memoir parts are random and interspersed in the observations of the "porch man". This is a touching, if somewhat confusing effort of a talented man at the end of his life. (Note: the cover photo is not of Sam Shepard.)

Gielgud: An Actor and His Time

Gielgud: An Actor and His Time, a memoir by Sir John Gielgud  255 pp.

This memoir, written twenty-one years before the actor's death, chronicles his life in the theater up to 1979. He was born into a family of actors (the Terrys), with grandparents, great uncles, great aunts, aunts, uncles and cousins who were all well known on the English stage. Gielgud divided the book into chapters each covering 10-15 years of performances he acted in or directed. There are anecdotes about particular actors he worked with as well as technical discussions of various productions. Frequently mentioned is his work with friend and fellow actor Ralph Richardson on the stage and in motion pictures and the book is dedicated to Richardson and his wife, Mu. Gielgud mentions nothing about his personal relationship with impresario, Hugh "Binkie" Beaumont except in terms of their professional life. His partner of thirty-five years, Martin Hensler does not appear in the book at all. Many photos of the actor in his various roles are included.

Beatrice and Virgil

Beatrice and Virgil by Yann Martel  197 pp.

How do a novelist, a taxidermist, a donkey, and a howler monkey come together in a story about the Holocaust? In this odd little book, Henry is a novelist whose second book, a Holocaust story, is deemed unpublishable. Henry receives a letter from another man named Henry who sends him a story by Flaubert and a short but intriguing portion of a play and asks for help. Author-Henry goes to meet the other Henry and learns he is a taxidermist by trade. Beatrice, it turns out is a donkey in Taxidermist-Henry's shop. Virgil is the howler monkey sitting on her back. The donkey and monkey are the main characters in the play that Taxidermist-Henry is writing. The two Henrys end up collaborating on the play which is ultimately a tale of genocide. I had a hard time getting into this story and became determined to finish it since was so short.

Wendy and the Lost Boys

Wendy and the Lost Boys by Julie Salamon  460 pp.

While this book may sound like a Peter Pan sequel, it is subtitled "The Uncommon Life of Wendy Wasserstein." Wasserstein was a Pulitzer Prize winning playwright (for "The Heidi Chronicles") and the first woman to win a solo Tony Award for a writing the same play. She was also named after Wendy in Peter Pan by her oldest sister. This book chronicles her life from her childhood in Brooklyn through her death of lymphoma at the age of 55. She was an uncommon talent but constantly dealt with the demon of not being "good enough." Her mother, Lola, was an important presence in her life and the main source of Wendy's insecurities. Her siblings were highly successful in their chosen fields, due in part to Lola's prodding. But Wendy was never pretty enough, thin enough, stylish enough, never married a nice lawyer or businessman, and, in spite of her talent and success, didn't meet Lola's expectations and therefore her own. Wendy was also haunted by the fact that she had a brother she didn't know about until adulthood. Her brother Abner (one of the "lost boys" of the title) was institutionalized before she was born and essentially treated as a non-entity by the family. Wasserstein had a string of relationships that never resulted in marriage. Her chosen family were her friends in the theater world but she remained close to her blood family. She gave birth to a daughter, Lucy Jane, at the age of 48 but never revealed the name of the baby's father. Wasserstein's career included writing for the stage, screen, and television (even Sesame Street), as well as novels and books of essays.