Shepard In an Hour Book

In 1962, a nineteen-year-old Sam Shepard escaped from his dysfunctional home in Duarte, California and headed to New York City, where he launched his successful career as an actor, director, and playwright. Though he left his family, the memory of his family—especially his father, a World War II veteran, alcoholic, and recluse—never left him. In plays like Holy Ghostly, Curse of the Starving Class, and Buried Child, Shepard masters the age-old Oedipal theme, but with a modern twist.

Setting the playwright in context to his personal life, social, historical and political events, other writers of influence, and more, you will quickly gain a deep understanding of Sam Shepard and the plays he wrote. Read Shepard in an Hour and experience his plays like never before. Know the playwright, love the play!

The book features:

• Shepard in an Hour, the primary essay in the book

• Shepard In a Minute, a snapshot chronology

• A complete listing of Shepard's work

• A list of Shepard's contemporaries in all fields

• Excerpts from Shepard's major plays

• An extensive bibliography grouped according to type of reader

• An index of the main essay.

Playwrights in an Hour is a series devoted to the most produced and studied playwrights in the English language, from the Greek masters to contemporary writers, and written by leading authorities in the field. Each short book places the playwright and his or her work in historical, social, and literary context.