Shepard, Sam (Vol. 169) - Ann Wilson (essay date 2001)
Ann Wilson (essay date 2001)
SOURCE: Wilson, Ann. “Great Expectations: Language and the Problem of Presence in Sam Shepard's Writing.” In Modern Dramatists: A Casebook of Major British, Irish, and American Playwrights, edited by Kimball King, pp. 257-72. New York and London: Routledge, 2001.
[In the following essay, Wilson examines the issue of linguistic “presence” in Shepard's plays, exploring the theological dimension of Shepard's dramatic language.]
Walt Whitman was a great man. He expected something from America. He had this great expectation.
—Sam Shepard, Action
Sam Shepard is the pre-eminent playwright of the contemporary American theatre. His work has received numerous awards including the Pulitzer Prize in 1979 for Buried Child. Despite his success, Shepard has not always felt comfortable identifying himself as a writer. In the program note to Cowboy Mouth,...
[The entire page is 6867 words long]
Join eNotes
Over 3,500 study guides, question and answer forums, literature criticism, reference content, and much more!
Navigate
