Clifford Odets (playwright in the 30s and 40s – inspiration to Arthur Miller, Tennessee Williams, and more – immortalized a second time by the Coen Brothers in “Barton Fink”) kept a journal throughout his tumultuous life.
One year of that journal has been published – 1940 – and the title of the book is The Time Is Ripe: The 1940 Journal of Clifford Odets : With an Introduction by William Gibson
Unfurling below you are many quotes from this great little book. I’ll post more when I have a bit more time.
A couple biographical notes:
Clifford Odets was catapulted into fame in the early 30s with his play Waiting for Lefty. He became a resident playwright with the influential Group Theatre – and they put on many of his plays – which are now considered classics: Awake and Sing, Paradise Lost, Golden Boy – just to name a few. His work is very much of a time and place – although the writing is good enough for ALL times. But his plays all have “the Great Depression” as an extra character. Without understanding that context, his plays may seem … trite, or small, or naive.
The Group Theatre lasted almost a decade – from 1931 to 1940.
The Time is Ripe describes the year of the demise of the theatre. Night Music, Odets’ latest play (which I absolutely ADORE – it is very difficult to find, and never produced anymore – my dad found it for me in the library and Xeroxed me a copy – Great play.) – was a huge flop. This was devastating for him – the critics were very cruel. They had come to expect a certain kind of play from him, and didn’t know what to do with this light-hearted romantic comedy.
They crucified him, the play was a huge flop, and the theatre ensemble folded.
All members scattered to the 4 winds – John Garfield, Morris Carnovsky, Stella Adler, Lee Strasberg, Elia Kazan – and yet they were forever linked, they forever had a relationship with one another – because of their experiences in the 1930s.
One other thing:
Clifford Odets’ idol was Beethoven. Odets felt that any aspiring artist, any artist at all, only needed to study Beethoven – in order to figure out how to do it. He felt that Beethoven had ALL the answers, and most of the entires in this journal have SOMETHING to do with Beethoven. I’ve posted a bunch of those. I love them.
Second of all:
I don’t post all of these because I agree with each and every sentiment. I post them because they are interesting.
“I don’t post all of these because I agree with each and every sentiment. I post them because they are interesting.”
Okay, but if we disagree with one of them, may we express that disagreement, on the understanding that it’s the quote with which we disagree, not your possible approval of it?
Also, you should comment more on Abu Ghraib.
HAHAHAHA
Oh God, that took me by surprise – even though I should have seen it coming!!
Oh disagree all you like. Half of the stuff I just think is inspiring – even if I don’t know the artist he discusses (like Berlioz – or Haydn).
The only thing I don’t want to hear is disparaging comments about what is so important about art anyway that someone would devote so much time in his journal to writing about it.
Clifford Odets made many many enemies. He had a huge ego – and some of it was because of the press he got (he was going to “save” American theatre).. but also some of it was because he was not just ambitious – I mean, to call Odets ambitious is to completely miss the point. This man was RAVENOUS for success.
He would do ANYTHING to get it, even betray his dearest held principles – which is eventually what happened to him.
Anyway. Disagree away.