My own University, Denison, resolved these issues long before I arrived my Freshman year, 1973. But the University of the South, owned by the 28 dioceses of the Episcopal Church covering what was once known as The Old South, still wrings its hands over its Confederate Heritage.
But while Chancellor Cunningham acknowledges that "we benefit from the literary tradition, the warmth, the friendliness," he makes no mention of Tennessee Williams' friendliness or the gift the playwright left Sewanee. The bequest, now worth approximately $150 million, includes responsibility for the administration of the intellectual property rights (The plays! The plays!).
With two friends and the encouragement of Denison University's administration, I started the first gay student group there in 1972. I'd be afraid to try that at Sewanee. Even now. In 2009--almost 2010.
From The New York Times, November 30, 2005:
"The flags from Southern states disappeared from the chapel. The ceremonial baton dedicated to a Confederate general who helped found the Ku Klux Klan vanished. The very name of the University of the South was tweaked, becoming Sewanee: The University of the South, with decided emphasis on Sewanee."
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/11/30/education/30sewanee.html?pagewanted=print
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Monday, December 28, 2009
Letter to the Trustees of The University of the South
Dear Trustees of The University of the South,
I had not meant to contact you about this matter, but since only Donna Pierce, the university's lawyer, has responded to me (but not in my opinion definitively), I felt the administration has not taken my questions seriously enough. Perhaps I am in error, and I hope so, but the letter Ms. Pierce sent me in answer to my letter to the administrators, has been rebutted point-by-point by Williams scholars, using Ms. Pierce's own words as published in the press over the years. Perhaps she was tired when she wrote me. I've done as much myself at times, but my questions are important, and my list of interested parties (which has grown to over 200 now), is eager to know some answers. I felt y'all, as Trustees, should be made aware of the questions before the story breaks in the press.
I'll send, pasted in, what I wrote them. If you want originals, I'm sure Ms. Pierce could provide them to you, as well as the letter she sent me. Since she was concerned that I might leave myself open to a legal charge of defamation and she has not sent me a legal definition of that as I requested, I'll redact the things I suspect she found possibly defamatory, and perhaps she could fill them in for you if she feels you have a right to know. The University's counsel and agents fiercely guard copyrights, so since I do not have Ms. Pierce's permission, you'd need to ask her for a copy of the letter she wrote me as well.
Please understand that I am only a friend and former employee of Tennessee Williams, and want only to get answers to some questions. I do NOT want Sewanee to be relieved of the Williams estate. Tennessee gave it to the university with good reason, and his will should be respected. But his codicil was, if not overturned, at least not respected, and he was quite precise in his instructions as to how the proceeds should be spent. If, as Ms. Pierce alleges, The University of the South has complied with all Tennessee's wishes both legally and ethically (as would be expected of an Episcopalian institution), then surely all legal and informal documents showing signatures and such should be made public and this matter could be laid to rest once and for all.
Some have told me that an independent accountant should audit the books of your agents (not the school's employees, like Ms. Pierce), but I have no opinion on that matter. Just "a word to the wise," as I've been asked to mention to you, and really, it's just a standard business practice.
You see, it is not just Tennessee who has supported your very fine school, but the Kenan family foundations as well. And although I am only distantly related to those who hold the purse-strings, I do have Thomas S. Kenan III's ear. We have spoken on the phone before and I expect will do so again. He is a man of the highest calibre and I'm proud to know of the Kenan Foundations' support of your school.
I salute you for all your good work, both spiritual and temporal!
Best regards,
Scott D. Kenan
*********************
From: Scott Kenan
Subject: Stewardship of the Tennessee Williams estate
Date: December 22, 2009 2:13:13 AM EST
To: Donna Pierce
Cc: (Sewanee's top administration officials)
Bcc: (The List)
Hi Donna,
I haven't heard back from you if you felt I had dealt with the Tennessee Williams/Sewanee matter on my blog properly. I did remove the posting as you respectfully requested I remove. You were right. In my concern about what has happened to and with the estate of my former employer and friend, I had become overcome by emotion and a bit out of line there. After I read your letter to me, I feel any questions about legal or ethical issues I might have about how the will and codicil were dealt with have not to do with Sewanee, you, or any other of the University's employees.
Also, I should clarify that I do not bring a single one of these issues up in my book. Not one. I never did. There is/was nothing to cause concern or offense to Sewanee in the book, and, in fact, my publisher was a bit mystified by your letter. I explained to him that it had to do with things I will be bringing up in the press if my curiosity is not satisfied soon. All I mentioned is completely beyond the scope of my book, which you will see when you buy a copy. You can pre-order a copy of it here now:http://www.amazon.com/Walking-Glass-Tennessee-Williams-Publications/dp/1593501714/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1261450734&sr=8-1 .
Having found a number of published articles quoting you over the years on your/Sewanee's handling of the rights, position on how to interpret Tennessee's explicit instructions on how the proceeds of the estate should be used, his demand that no word in his plays should be changed in performance, etc., I'm rather appalled by what has been allowed over the years—things that have been well documented. This is probably not a legal matter, but a matter of opinion. I expect I'll be making my own opinion about them quite well known to the press. Indeed, I already have. Of course, unless there is some unusual development, nothing will be coming forth publicly about any of this before publication.
I am currently making my way back to Georgia after a week in New York City, where, among other things, I met several national and cable TV show hosts. Walking on Glass has generated quite a bit of interest. Three friends told me NPR discussed its upcoming publication a week or so ago. Anyway, Delta canceled my flight, can't get me on another, and I am taking a leisurely road trip home now. Not long after I sent the first of my letters to the Sewanee Administration, I began getting phone calls for a Theresa Kenan who supposedly lived at my address, had my phone number, and when i asked, was told her email address is Theresa@London.com . Someone had apparently given this fictitious person's contact info to a company that distributes such info to other companies that call one to enroll in various at-home business activities. Of course this was probably pure coincidence, however, the day before I left for NYC, samples of products that "Theresa" had ordered began arriving via US Mail. I contacted a few of the companies that had called me (caller I.D. records), explained the entire situation as I in good faith understood it, and they are cooperating in putting a stop to this. As a precaution, I have saved the samples as evidence.
While I was in New York, an artist friend of mine put me in touch with his lawyer, who after hearing my story, said he has knowledge of similar kinds of things happening more frequently than most would imagine, and that if I felt the need for legal counsel, he would be more than happy to hear from me. I sure hope my lawn is not littered with samples when I finally get home!
Again, to be clear, I DO NOT accuse you or Sewanee of such silliness. I did mention others (not on Sewanee's payroll, although possibly involved in the management of Williams estate/rights), in the first of my letters, and they might have gotten wind of my concerns. I DO NOT accuse them of silliness either. You mentioned in your letter that I should beware leaving myself open to a defamation lawsuit. While I do have a layman's understanding of the definition of the word, I am completely unfamiliar with its legal definition. Perhaps I should google it—or you could send me a link so that we know we are on the same page.
I remain transparent in my interests, and so, distribute widely what I write. My only interest is that Tennessee's will and codicil be respected. He respected his grandfather and The University of the South enough to entrust your Episcopalian institution with their stewardship. You mention that the university must sock-away enough to continue to provide support to writers. Just how many writers is that? Don't you have another 25 years of continued income before rights begin to expire? Have you set a goal for the massiveness of wealth you hope to accumulate through the continued sale of rights, compounding of interest and dividends, but niggardly distribution (at least of the type TW specified)? The estate has grown from $10 million to approximately $150 million now—how much more do you need? Money is God in Action, not God tied up in the bank. Does anyone at Sewanee understand the work of Tennessee Williams or care about his deep spiritual values that led him to honor his grandfather—a man who proudly represented the love of God and poetry instilled in him during his days at The University of the South?
I dare say that there will some day be a reckoning. Not all things are illegal. I accuse no one and no institution of illegal doings. Too many people have contacted me concerned about these matters, so I am confident that even if I now said nothing further, this search for the truth will continue.
Please forgive me. I am diagnosed with bipolar disorder, and lately, I've had some inconsistencies in medication. I hope I do not offend, but sometimes I just have to speak my mind. I hope I have not put myself at risk of prosecution by The University of the South, as your letter seemed to suggest.
Best regards to you and Sewanee at Christmas. May the Spirit of Christ infuse you and the University of the South. And may I and the soul of Tennessee Williams come to understand exactly what happened and why Sewanee and her representatives make the decisions that you all do. I have an appointment to see my psychiatrist right after the first of the year to see if I need a medication adjustment.
Thank you for listening. No reply is necessary.
Best regards,
Scott D. Kenan
****************************
From: Scott Kenan
Subject: Regarding the will of Tennessee Williams
Date: December 4, 2009 9:49:16 AM EST
To: Dr. Joel Cunningham
Cc: (The top Sewanee administrators)
Dear Dr. Cunningham,
I hope I am writing to the right person; I assume you are the equivalent of the COO of the University of the South. I thought it would be best to contact the administration rather than the trustees. Forgive me if I am injudicious in copying several. Perhaps you will understand why as you read further.
I worked for Tennessee Williams near the end of his life, and I have written a book which will be released this coming April, hardcover, Walking on Glass: A Memoir of the Later Days of Tennessee Williams. You can read a bit about it here: www.walkingonglass.net . In it, I include much, but not all, of the mostly circumstantial evidence I am first-hand witness to, and, additionally, much of my discovery from research. I came across nothing that contradicts the long-rumored contention that agents of the University of the South (REDACTED) persons close to Mr. Williams to testify that he was incompetent when he signed the codicil to his will which would have given Harvard control over decisions concerning his intellectual property rights as well as the proceeds from his assets. Of course Tennessee never deviated from his intention that Sewanee, the alma mater of his beloved maternal grandfather Walter E. Dakin, have actual ownership of his assets.
I hope you can understand that in the last few years of Tennessee's life, Reaganism had come to full flower. Christian leaders were calling AIDS God's righteous punishment of gays. They publicly thanked God for that! Few politicians, clergy, or Christian institutions denounced them. Perhaps TUOTS did. I don't know and I don't think Tennessee knew of your university taking a courageous stand. Tennessee was adamant that gay people needed to take practical steps to protect themselves from these demagogues and Christian institutions who at least gave their tacit consent by their silence. I couldn't testify to Tennessee's motivation, but I believe this had much to do with his change of heart over which type institution should control his intellectual rights, especially.
During the time I worked for Tennessee, we were often on the verge of visiting his friend, Maria St. Just. Tennessee knew that Maria could help him in some areas of his life, but he cancelled plans each time, declaring she was so greedy she'd try to have him declared legally incompetent and take over his business interests as well. As Tennessee often lamented, she had done exactly that to the Lord St. Just almost immediately after they married. Tennessee did finally visit her after I left his employ, but she did not do this to him then. She waited until after his death.
Tennessee made clear in his will how his estate should be governed, but in a very different scheme, Maria somehow became the de facto manager on behalf the trust for Rose Williams, but, effectively, your university. I don't (REDACTED) that Tennessee was incompetent, but when the dust cleared, Maria had gained the power she'd always coveted. Maria arranged for TW's maid, Leoncia McGee, to get a lifetime stipend. It is not clear if the money came from the estate or privately from Maria. Certain destitute close associates of Tennessee suddenly became high-livers. One of several of TW's associates whom I continued to know after Tennessee's death (this one thought to have been among these witnesses), claimed to several that he was thereafter supported in luxury by a high-placed Tennessee (state legislature) politician, without trade for sex. Clerics and academicians don't typically study how to hide the routes of money, but lawyers do.
(REDACTED) is said to have engineered all of this. I don't know (REDACTED), nor do I care to. In my conversations with various "Williams people," not one has had a nice thing to say about (REDACTED). He has a reputation for (REDACTED). All my information has been distributed widely and I am transparent, so the tactics some claim (REDACTED) has used against them and others do not frighten me. No person seeking rights or access to archives dares say a word against (REDACTED). They'd be (REDACTED). I, however, have needed no permissions. My book is based solely on my contemporaneous written and recorded notes, saved memorabilia, and memory. Trust me, all my materials have been placed in a safe place. We're talking serious money here, well over $100 million now. I do wonder how much of the proceeds have gone to support writing of a "progressive, original and preferentially of an experimental nature,” as Tennessee clearly stipulated in his will. To my knowledge, he did not mention anything about building a building.
My actual intention had been to reveal these things at the time my book is released, but yesterday, I saw that Bishop Alexander, your Chancellor, voted in favor of Gene Robinson when he was up for bishop. Of course, this is a ridiculous reason to for me to change my thoughts or actions, but hey! I'm human, and Bishop Robinson and I are members of the same "tribe." It seems only fair to me, now, that you should have the opportunity to look into this as an internal matter before all this and additional information is revealed when my book is released.
This is a very serious matter, and I do not expect an immediate response, but it would be nice to hear within a couple of weeks if you have initiated an internal inquiry. Perhaps, like so many others, your institution became temporarily possessed by the same unbridled greed (and meanness) that swept the nation during the Reagan Revolution. I hope I am wrong here; I would be delighted to hear that. Tennessee was my friend, and I intend to take this matter as far as possible, at least until all documents concerning it are released publicly, especially those with signatures. Sewanee was beloved to Tennessee and I bear no ill will toward your university, however, I am not certain that your legal counsel has served you in the spirit of the Episcopal Church or its School of Theology.
And I do commend you for your excellence in education. Since the founding of the University of North Carolina, the Kenan family has supported education, particularly in the Southeast. I am proud to know that the William R. Kenan Jr. Charitable Trust supports Sewanee!
All the best to you in your important work, both spiritual and temporal.
Sincerely,
Scott D. Kenan
I had not meant to contact you about this matter, but since only Donna Pierce, the university's lawyer, has responded to me (but not in my opinion definitively), I felt the administration has not taken my questions seriously enough. Perhaps I am in error, and I hope so, but the letter Ms. Pierce sent me in answer to my letter to the administrators, has been rebutted point-by-point by Williams scholars, using Ms. Pierce's own words as published in the press over the years. Perhaps she was tired when she wrote me. I've done as much myself at times, but my questions are important, and my list of interested parties (which has grown to over 200 now), is eager to know some answers. I felt y'all, as Trustees, should be made aware of the questions before the story breaks in the press.
I'll send, pasted in, what I wrote them. If you want originals, I'm sure Ms. Pierce could provide them to you, as well as the letter she sent me. Since she was concerned that I might leave myself open to a legal charge of defamation and she has not sent me a legal definition of that as I requested, I'll redact the things I suspect she found possibly defamatory, and perhaps she could fill them in for you if she feels you have a right to know. The University's counsel and agents fiercely guard copyrights, so since I do not have Ms. Pierce's permission, you'd need to ask her for a copy of the letter she wrote me as well.
Please understand that I am only a friend and former employee of Tennessee Williams, and want only to get answers to some questions. I do NOT want Sewanee to be relieved of the Williams estate. Tennessee gave it to the university with good reason, and his will should be respected. But his codicil was, if not overturned, at least not respected, and he was quite precise in his instructions as to how the proceeds should be spent. If, as Ms. Pierce alleges, The University of the South has complied with all Tennessee's wishes both legally and ethically (as would be expected of an Episcopalian institution), then surely all legal and informal documents showing signatures and such should be made public and this matter could be laid to rest once and for all.
Some have told me that an independent accountant should audit the books of your agents (not the school's employees, like Ms. Pierce), but I have no opinion on that matter. Just "a word to the wise," as I've been asked to mention to you, and really, it's just a standard business practice.
You see, it is not just Tennessee who has supported your very fine school, but the Kenan family foundations as well. And although I am only distantly related to those who hold the purse-strings, I do have Thomas S. Kenan III's ear. We have spoken on the phone before and I expect will do so again. He is a man of the highest calibre and I'm proud to know of the Kenan Foundations' support of your school.
I salute you for all your good work, both spiritual and temporal!
Best regards,
Scott D. Kenan
*********************
From: Scott Kenan
Subject: Stewardship of the Tennessee Williams estate
Date: December 22, 2009 2:13:13 AM EST
To: Donna Pierce
Cc: (Sewanee's top administration officials)
Bcc: (The List)
Hi Donna,
I haven't heard back from you if you felt I had dealt with the Tennessee Williams/Sewanee matter on my blog properly. I did remove the posting as you respectfully requested I remove. You were right. In my concern about what has happened to and with the estate of my former employer and friend, I had become overcome by emotion and a bit out of line there. After I read your letter to me, I feel any questions about legal or ethical issues I might have about how the will and codicil were dealt with have not to do with Sewanee, you, or any other of the University's employees.
Also, I should clarify that I do not bring a single one of these issues up in my book. Not one. I never did. There is/was nothing to cause concern or offense to Sewanee in the book, and, in fact, my publisher was a bit mystified by your letter. I explained to him that it had to do with things I will be bringing up in the press if my curiosity is not satisfied soon. All I mentioned is completely beyond the scope of my book, which you will see when you buy a copy. You can pre-order a copy of it here now:http://www.amazon.com/Walking-Glass-Tennessee-Williams-Publications/dp/1593501714/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1261450734&sr=8-1 .
Having found a number of published articles quoting you over the years on your/Sewanee's handling of the rights, position on how to interpret Tennessee's explicit instructions on how the proceeds of the estate should be used, his demand that no word in his plays should be changed in performance, etc., I'm rather appalled by what has been allowed over the years—things that have been well documented. This is probably not a legal matter, but a matter of opinion. I expect I'll be making my own opinion about them quite well known to the press. Indeed, I already have. Of course, unless there is some unusual development, nothing will be coming forth publicly about any of this before publication.
I am currently making my way back to Georgia after a week in New York City, where, among other things, I met several national and cable TV show hosts. Walking on Glass has generated quite a bit of interest. Three friends told me NPR discussed its upcoming publication a week or so ago. Anyway, Delta canceled my flight, can't get me on another, and I am taking a leisurely road trip home now. Not long after I sent the first of my letters to the Sewanee Administration, I began getting phone calls for a Theresa Kenan who supposedly lived at my address, had my phone number, and when i asked, was told her email address is Theresa@London.com . Someone had apparently given this fictitious person's contact info to a company that distributes such info to other companies that call one to enroll in various at-home business activities. Of course this was probably pure coincidence, however, the day before I left for NYC, samples of products that "Theresa" had ordered began arriving via US Mail. I contacted a few of the companies that had called me (caller I.D. records), explained the entire situation as I in good faith understood it, and they are cooperating in putting a stop to this. As a precaution, I have saved the samples as evidence.
While I was in New York, an artist friend of mine put me in touch with his lawyer, who after hearing my story, said he has knowledge of similar kinds of things happening more frequently than most would imagine, and that if I felt the need for legal counsel, he would be more than happy to hear from me. I sure hope my lawn is not littered with samples when I finally get home!
Again, to be clear, I DO NOT accuse you or Sewanee of such silliness. I did mention others (not on Sewanee's payroll, although possibly involved in the management of Williams estate/rights), in the first of my letters, and they might have gotten wind of my concerns. I DO NOT accuse them of silliness either. You mentioned in your letter that I should beware leaving myself open to a defamation lawsuit. While I do have a layman's understanding of the definition of the word, I am completely unfamiliar with its legal definition. Perhaps I should google it—or you could send me a link so that we know we are on the same page.
I remain transparent in my interests, and so, distribute widely what I write. My only interest is that Tennessee's will and codicil be respected. He respected his grandfather and The University of the South enough to entrust your Episcopalian institution with their stewardship. You mention that the university must sock-away enough to continue to provide support to writers. Just how many writers is that? Don't you have another 25 years of continued income before rights begin to expire? Have you set a goal for the massiveness of wealth you hope to accumulate through the continued sale of rights, compounding of interest and dividends, but niggardly distribution (at least of the type TW specified)? The estate has grown from $10 million to approximately $150 million now—how much more do you need? Money is God in Action, not God tied up in the bank. Does anyone at Sewanee understand the work of Tennessee Williams or care about his deep spiritual values that led him to honor his grandfather—a man who proudly represented the love of God and poetry instilled in him during his days at The University of the South?
I dare say that there will some day be a reckoning. Not all things are illegal. I accuse no one and no institution of illegal doings. Too many people have contacted me concerned about these matters, so I am confident that even if I now said nothing further, this search for the truth will continue.
Please forgive me. I am diagnosed with bipolar disorder, and lately, I've had some inconsistencies in medication. I hope I do not offend, but sometimes I just have to speak my mind. I hope I have not put myself at risk of prosecution by The University of the South, as your letter seemed to suggest.
Best regards to you and Sewanee at Christmas. May the Spirit of Christ infuse you and the University of the South. And may I and the soul of Tennessee Williams come to understand exactly what happened and why Sewanee and her representatives make the decisions that you all do. I have an appointment to see my psychiatrist right after the first of the year to see if I need a medication adjustment.
Thank you for listening. No reply is necessary.
Best regards,
Scott D. Kenan
****************************
From: Scott Kenan
Subject: Regarding the will of Tennessee Williams
Date: December 4, 2009 9:49:16 AM EST
To: Dr. Joel Cunningham
Cc: (The top Sewanee administrators)
Dear Dr. Cunningham,
I hope I am writing to the right person; I assume you are the equivalent of the COO of the University of the South. I thought it would be best to contact the administration rather than the trustees. Forgive me if I am injudicious in copying several. Perhaps you will understand why as you read further.
I worked for Tennessee Williams near the end of his life, and I have written a book which will be released this coming April, hardcover, Walking on Glass: A Memoir of the Later Days of Tennessee Williams. You can read a bit about it here: www.walkingonglass.net . In it, I include much, but not all, of the mostly circumstantial evidence I am first-hand witness to, and, additionally, much of my discovery from research. I came across nothing that contradicts the long-rumored contention that agents of the University of the South (REDACTED) persons close to Mr. Williams to testify that he was incompetent when he signed the codicil to his will which would have given Harvard control over decisions concerning his intellectual property rights as well as the proceeds from his assets. Of course Tennessee never deviated from his intention that Sewanee, the alma mater of his beloved maternal grandfather Walter E. Dakin, have actual ownership of his assets.
I hope you can understand that in the last few years of Tennessee's life, Reaganism had come to full flower. Christian leaders were calling AIDS God's righteous punishment of gays. They publicly thanked God for that! Few politicians, clergy, or Christian institutions denounced them. Perhaps TUOTS did. I don't know and I don't think Tennessee knew of your university taking a courageous stand. Tennessee was adamant that gay people needed to take practical steps to protect themselves from these demagogues and Christian institutions who at least gave their tacit consent by their silence. I couldn't testify to Tennessee's motivation, but I believe this had much to do with his change of heart over which type institution should control his intellectual rights, especially.
During the time I worked for Tennessee, we were often on the verge of visiting his friend, Maria St. Just. Tennessee knew that Maria could help him in some areas of his life, but he cancelled plans each time, declaring she was so greedy she'd try to have him declared legally incompetent and take over his business interests as well. As Tennessee often lamented, she had done exactly that to the Lord St. Just almost immediately after they married. Tennessee did finally visit her after I left his employ, but she did not do this to him then. She waited until after his death.
Tennessee made clear in his will how his estate should be governed, but in a very different scheme, Maria somehow became the de facto manager on behalf the trust for Rose Williams, but, effectively, your university. I don't (REDACTED) that Tennessee was incompetent, but when the dust cleared, Maria had gained the power she'd always coveted. Maria arranged for TW's maid, Leoncia McGee, to get a lifetime stipend. It is not clear if the money came from the estate or privately from Maria. Certain destitute close associates of Tennessee suddenly became high-livers. One of several of TW's associates whom I continued to know after Tennessee's death (this one thought to have been among these witnesses), claimed to several that he was thereafter supported in luxury by a high-placed Tennessee (state legislature) politician, without trade for sex. Clerics and academicians don't typically study how to hide the routes of money, but lawyers do.
(REDACTED) is said to have engineered all of this. I don't know (REDACTED), nor do I care to. In my conversations with various "Williams people," not one has had a nice thing to say about (REDACTED). He has a reputation for (REDACTED). All my information has been distributed widely and I am transparent, so the tactics some claim (REDACTED) has used against them and others do not frighten me. No person seeking rights or access to archives dares say a word against (REDACTED). They'd be (REDACTED). I, however, have needed no permissions. My book is based solely on my contemporaneous written and recorded notes, saved memorabilia, and memory. Trust me, all my materials have been placed in a safe place. We're talking serious money here, well over $100 million now. I do wonder how much of the proceeds have gone to support writing of a "progressive, original and preferentially of an experimental nature,” as Tennessee clearly stipulated in his will. To my knowledge, he did not mention anything about building a building.
My actual intention had been to reveal these things at the time my book is released, but yesterday, I saw that Bishop Alexander, your Chancellor, voted in favor of Gene Robinson when he was up for bishop. Of course, this is a ridiculous reason to for me to change my thoughts or actions, but hey! I'm human, and Bishop Robinson and I are members of the same "tribe." It seems only fair to me, now, that you should have the opportunity to look into this as an internal matter before all this and additional information is revealed when my book is released.
This is a very serious matter, and I do not expect an immediate response, but it would be nice to hear within a couple of weeks if you have initiated an internal inquiry. Perhaps, like so many others, your institution became temporarily possessed by the same unbridled greed (and meanness) that swept the nation during the Reagan Revolution. I hope I am wrong here; I would be delighted to hear that. Tennessee was my friend, and I intend to take this matter as far as possible, at least until all documents concerning it are released publicly, especially those with signatures. Sewanee was beloved to Tennessee and I bear no ill will toward your university, however, I am not certain that your legal counsel has served you in the spirit of the Episcopal Church or its School of Theology.
And I do commend you for your excellence in education. Since the founding of the University of North Carolina, the Kenan family has supported education, particularly in the Southeast. I am proud to know that the William R. Kenan Jr. Charitable Trust supports Sewanee!
All the best to you in your important work, both spiritual and temporal.
Sincerely,
Scott D. Kenan
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Response to Sewanee's Legal Counsel
Don't take that business about my meds in the following letter too seriously. It's true that I forgot to take them one day several weeks ago, and I do have an appointment with my shrink's nurse in early January. But I sleep well, and considering that I alone am the public face of this effort, it's quite remarkable that I suffer virtually no stress.
I Doubt I'll spend too much more time on this issue. I suspect they'll handle it themselves now. Next, I'll be working on my project to convince the Pope-in-Rome to mortgage the Vatican and its art collection to pay for mental and true-spiritual services to all the children and former children worldwide who have been sexually abused by the high priests of Mother Church, as she likes to call herself. Has motherhood ever had to a sicker role model?
Many of you have also been working behind the scene in this effort to expose the Pope as the "anti-Christ" and George W. Bush as the "devil" incarnate. We're past the tipping point now. Please stand up and do your part, no matter how big or small, fearlessly and effectively, at your earliest convenience. A good party is always a proper excuse to delay action a bit, so enjoy the Christmas season in its true spirit!
Many thanks to one and all!
Scott
The Missive:
Hi Donna,
I haven't heard back from you if you felt I had dealt with the Tennessee Williams/Sewanee matter on my blog properly. I did remove the posting as you respectfully requested I remove. You were right. In my concern about what has happened to and with the estate of my former employer and friend, I had become overcome by emotion and a bit out of line there. After I read your letter to me, I feel any questions about legal or ethical issues I might have about how the will and codicil were dealt with have not to do with Sewanee, you, or any other of the University's employees.
Also, I should clarify that I do not bring a single one of these issues up in my book. Not one. I never did. There is/was nothing to cause concern or offense to Sewanee in the book, and, in fact, my publisher was a bit mystified by your letter. I explained to him that it had to do with things I will be bringing up in the press if my curiosity is not satisfied soon. All I mentioned is completely beyond the scope of my book, which you will see when you buy a copy. You can pre-order a copy of it here now: http://www.amazon.com/Walking-Glass-Tennessee-Williams-Publications/dp/1593501714/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1261450734&sr=8-1 .
Having found a number of published articles quoting you over the years on your/Sewanee's handling of the rights, position on how to interpret Tennessee's explicit instructions on how the proceeds of the estate should be used, his demand that no word in his plays should be changed in performance, etc., I'm rather appalled by what has been allowed over the years—things that have been well documented. This is probably not a legal matter, but a matter of opinion. I expect I'll be making my own opinion about them quite well known to the press. Indeed, I already have. Of course, unless there is some unusual development, nothing will be coming forth publicly about any of this before publication.
I am currently making my way back to Georgia after a week in New York City, where, among other things, I met several national and cable TV show hosts. Walking on Glass has generated quite a bit of interest. Three friends told me NPR discussed its upcoming publication a week or so ago. Anyway, Delta canceled my flight, can't get me on another, and I am taking a leisurely road trip home now. Not long after I sent the first of my letters to the Sewanee Administration, I began getting phone calls for a Theresa Kenan who supposedly lived at my address, had my phone number, and when i asked, was told her email address is Theresa@London.com . Someone had apparently given this fictitious person's contact info to a company that distributes such info to other companies that call one to enroll in various at-home business activities. Of course this was probably pure coincidence, however, the day before I left for NYC, samples of products that "Theresa" had ordered began arriving via US Mail. I contacted a few of the companies that had called me (caller I.D. records), explained the entire situation as I in good faith understood it, and they are cooperating in putting a stop to this. As a precaution, I have saved the samples as evidence.
While I was in New York, an artist friend of mine put me in touch with his lawyer, who after hearing my story, said he has knowledge of similar kinds of things happening more frequently than most would imagine, and that if I felt the need for legal counsel, he would be more than happy to hear from me. I sure hope my lawn is not littered with samples when I finally get home!
Again, to be clear, I DO NOT accuse you or Sewanee of such silliness. I did mention others (not on Sewanee's payroll, although possibly involved in the management of Williams estate/rights), in the first of my letters, and they might have gotten wind of my concerns. I DO NOT accuse them of silliness either. You mentioned in your letter that I should beware leaving myself open to a defamation lawsuit. While I do have a layman's understanding of the definition of the word, I am completely unfamiliar with its legal definition. Perhaps I should google it—or you could send me a link so that we know we are on the same page.
I remain transparent in my interests, and so, distribute widely what I write. My only interest is that Tennessee's will and codicil be respected. He respected his grandfather and The University of the South enough to entrust your Episcopalian institution with their stewardship. You mention that the university must sock-away enough to continue to provide support to writers. Just how many writers is that? Don't you have another 25 years of continued income before rights begin to expire? Have you set a goal for the massiveness of wealth you hope to accumulate through the continued sale of rights, compounding of interest and dividends, but niggardly distribution (at least of the type TW specified)? The estate has grown from $10 million to approximately $150 million now—how much more do you need? Money is God in Action, not God tied up in the bank. Does anyone at Sewanee understand the work of Tennessee Williams or care about his deep spiritual values that led him to honor his grandfather—a man who proudly represented the love of God and poetry instilled in him during his days at The University of the South?
I dare say that there will some day be a reckoning. Not all things are illegal. I accuse no one and no institution of illegal doings. Too many people have contacted me concerned about these matters, so I am confident that even if I now said nothing further, this search for the truth will continue.
Please forgive me. I am diagnosed with bipolar disorder, and lately, I've had some inconsistencies in medication. I hope I do not offend, but sometimes I just have to speak my mind. I hope I have not put myself at risk of prosecution by The University of the South, as your letter seemed to suggest.
Best regards to you and Sewanee at Christmas. May the Spirit of Christ infuse you and the University of the South. And may I and the soul of Tennessee Williams come to understand exactly what happened and why Sewanee and her representatives make the decisions that you all do. I have an appointment to see my psychiatrist right after the first of the year to see if I need a medication adjustment.
Thank you for listening. No reply is necessary.
Best regards,
Scott D. Kenan
I Doubt I'll spend too much more time on this issue. I suspect they'll handle it themselves now. Next, I'll be working on my project to convince the Pope-in-Rome to mortgage the Vatican and its art collection to pay for mental and true-spiritual services to all the children and former children worldwide who have been sexually abused by the high priests of Mother Church, as she likes to call herself. Has motherhood ever had to a sicker role model?
Many of you have also been working behind the scene in this effort to expose the Pope as the "anti-Christ" and George W. Bush as the "devil" incarnate. We're past the tipping point now. Please stand up and do your part, no matter how big or small, fearlessly and effectively, at your earliest convenience. A good party is always a proper excuse to delay action a bit, so enjoy the Christmas season in its true spirit!
Many thanks to one and all!
Scott
The Missive:
Hi Donna,
I haven't heard back from you if you felt I had dealt with the Tennessee Williams/Sewanee matter on my blog properly. I did remove the posting as you respectfully requested I remove. You were right. In my concern about what has happened to and with the estate of my former employer and friend, I had become overcome by emotion and a bit out of line there. After I read your letter to me, I feel any questions about legal or ethical issues I might have about how the will and codicil were dealt with have not to do with Sewanee, you, or any other of the University's employees.
Also, I should clarify that I do not bring a single one of these issues up in my book. Not one. I never did. There is/was nothing to cause concern or offense to Sewanee in the book, and, in fact, my publisher was a bit mystified by your letter. I explained to him that it had to do with things I will be bringing up in the press if my curiosity is not satisfied soon. All I mentioned is completely beyond the scope of my book, which you will see when you buy a copy. You can pre-order a copy of it here now: http://www.amazon.com/Walking-Glass-Tennessee-Williams-Publications/dp/1593501714/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1261450734&sr=8-1 .
Having found a number of published articles quoting you over the years on your/Sewanee's handling of the rights, position on how to interpret Tennessee's explicit instructions on how the proceeds of the estate should be used, his demand that no word in his plays should be changed in performance, etc., I'm rather appalled by what has been allowed over the years—things that have been well documented. This is probably not a legal matter, but a matter of opinion. I expect I'll be making my own opinion about them quite well known to the press. Indeed, I already have. Of course, unless there is some unusual development, nothing will be coming forth publicly about any of this before publication.
I am currently making my way back to Georgia after a week in New York City, where, among other things, I met several national and cable TV show hosts. Walking on Glass has generated quite a bit of interest. Three friends told me NPR discussed its upcoming publication a week or so ago. Anyway, Delta canceled my flight, can't get me on another, and I am taking a leisurely road trip home now. Not long after I sent the first of my letters to the Sewanee Administration, I began getting phone calls for a Theresa Kenan who supposedly lived at my address, had my phone number, and when i asked, was told her email address is Theresa@London.com . Someone had apparently given this fictitious person's contact info to a company that distributes such info to other companies that call one to enroll in various at-home business activities. Of course this was probably pure coincidence, however, the day before I left for NYC, samples of products that "Theresa" had ordered began arriving via US Mail. I contacted a few of the companies that had called me (caller I.D. records), explained the entire situation as I in good faith understood it, and they are cooperating in putting a stop to this. As a precaution, I have saved the samples as evidence.
While I was in New York, an artist friend of mine put me in touch with his lawyer, who after hearing my story, said he has knowledge of similar kinds of things happening more frequently than most would imagine, and that if I felt the need for legal counsel, he would be more than happy to hear from me. I sure hope my lawn is not littered with samples when I finally get home!
Again, to be clear, I DO NOT accuse you or Sewanee of such silliness. I did mention others (not on Sewanee's payroll, although possibly involved in the management of Williams estate/rights), in the first of my letters, and they might have gotten wind of my concerns. I DO NOT accuse them of silliness either. You mentioned in your letter that I should beware leaving myself open to a defamation lawsuit. While I do have a layman's understanding of the definition of the word, I am completely unfamiliar with its legal definition. Perhaps I should google it—or you could send me a link so that we know we are on the same page.
I remain transparent in my interests, and so, distribute widely what I write. My only interest is that Tennessee's will and codicil be respected. He respected his grandfather and The University of the South enough to entrust your Episcopalian institution with their stewardship. You mention that the university must sock-away enough to continue to provide support to writers. Just how many writers is that? Don't you have another 25 years of continued income before rights begin to expire? Have you set a goal for the massiveness of wealth you hope to accumulate through the continued sale of rights, compounding of interest and dividends, but niggardly distribution (at least of the type TW specified)? The estate has grown from $10 million to approximately $150 million now—how much more do you need? Money is God in Action, not God tied up in the bank. Does anyone at Sewanee understand the work of Tennessee Williams or care about his deep spiritual values that led him to honor his grandfather—a man who proudly represented the love of God and poetry instilled in him during his days at The University of the South?
I dare say that there will some day be a reckoning. Not all things are illegal. I accuse no one and no institution of illegal doings. Too many people have contacted me concerned about these matters, so I am confident that even if I now said nothing further, this search for the truth will continue.
Please forgive me. I am diagnosed with bipolar disorder, and lately, I've had some inconsistencies in medication. I hope I do not offend, but sometimes I just have to speak my mind. I hope I have not put myself at risk of prosecution by The University of the South, as your letter seemed to suggest.
Best regards to you and Sewanee at Christmas. May the Spirit of Christ infuse you and the University of the South. And may I and the soul of Tennessee Williams come to understand exactly what happened and why Sewanee and her representatives make the decisions that you all do. I have an appointment to see my psychiatrist right after the first of the year to see if I need a medication adjustment.
Thank you for listening. No reply is necessary.
Best regards,
Scott D. Kenan
Friday, December 18, 2009
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
REMOVED: The University of the South vs. Tennessee Williams
Thursday December 17, 2009. Original posting removed immediately after I recieved an email from Donna L. Pierce, Legal Counsel, The University of the South, demanding I do so because it contained certain things that were untrue. I thank Ms. Pierce for her timely response and apologize for anything I have ever written in any form or spoken about the stewardship of the Williams estate by Sewanee or it agents that was in error. It has never been my intention to defame the University of the South or suggest that they should not be the beneficiary of Mr. Williams' will and codicil.
I will take the information in Ms. Pierce's letter into account before communicating anything in the future about these matters. Important questions still remain, but considering the content of Ms. Pierce's letter, I feel sure Sewanee, the institution, has acted as Ms. Pierce has stated.
We are now in the Holiday Season, so let's rejoice!
Again, I thank Ms. Pierce for her very clear letter and her serious consideration of these matters.
Scott D. Kenan
I will take the information in Ms. Pierce's letter into account before communicating anything in the future about these matters. Important questions still remain, but considering the content of Ms. Pierce's letter, I feel sure Sewanee, the institution, has acted as Ms. Pierce has stated.
We are now in the Holiday Season, so let's rejoice!
Again, I thank Ms. Pierce for her very clear letter and her serious consideration of these matters.
Scott D. Kenan
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Our Pain (quoting Lynn Crosbie)
" 'Who's fighting and what for?' Mick Jagger asks. If our lives are sad, and unfulfilling, do we honestly feel better trying to rip wings off gigantic, glorious insects that don't even feel pain? Our pain, that is."
Friday, November 20, 2009
Stolen Words, Given Books
I just stole this from Randall Kenan's Facebook page:
Help the kids get free books, y'all! This publisher has agreed to give 500 free books through the First Book Foundation if they receive 250 comments by Dec 1st. Why not help out? Cheers. Randall.
Do it. Click: blog.firstbook.org
Randall's a great writer. A light. Check him out too:http://english.unc.edu/faculty/kenanr.html
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
"We are . . .
. . . the witnesses through which the Universe becomes conscious of its glory."
Alan Watts
Alan Watts
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
New Stuff, finally
Check out my new personal website. Important new info about my height and a swell decorating tip as well! Links to my book page and help for those like me judged "mental."
I'm off to Tennessee Williams' induction into the American Poet's Corner in St. John of God Cathedral (Episcopal) in NYC.
http://www.scottkenan.com/
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Tennessee Williams Poet's Corner Induction
Free and open to the public. November 5, 2009.
American Poet's Corner: A Week of Celebration
With the induction of Tennessee Williams (1911 – 1983) into the American Poets’ Corner, the Cathedral weaves one of America’s greatest playwrights into the fabric of the Arts Bay. Though he is primarily known for his plays and the vivid, raw characters into which he breathed life, Tennessee Williams also composed poetry.Choral Evensong: Poetry of the Divine and the Mystic
Sunday, November 1, 4 pm
Guest homily offered by Roger Housden, author of many books, including For Lovers of God Everywhere: Poems of the Christian Mystics
An Evening to Commemorate Tennessee Williams
Thursday, November 5, 7 pm
Theatre luminaries, friends of Mr. Williams and people who were inspired by his life work, will take part in this historic celebration. Participants include Eli Wallach & Anne Jackson, Vanessa Redgrave, Marian Seldes, John Guare, Olympia Dukakis, John Patrick Shanley, Gregory Mosher, Sylvia Miles, William Jay Smith, Lenya Rideout, Jeremy Lawrence, Wyatt Prunty, David Kaplan, Thomas Keith, Mitch Douglas, and current Cathedral Poet-in-Residence Charles F. Martin. It is expected that additional friends and colleagues of Mr. Williams will also be taking part in the evening.
Choral Evensong: Induction of Tennessee Williams into the American Poets’ Corner
Sunday, November 8, 4 pmA special Evensong Service to complete the tribute and unveil the stone inscribed with Mr. Williams’ line, “Time is the longest distance between two places,” from The Glass Menagerie. Poets associated with the Poets’ Corner, including Mr. Martin, and current electors and previous Poets-in-Residence will read from their works and offer tribute to Mr. Williams.
All events are free and open to the public
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Wake up: It Has Happened
Kyle Keyser, the next Mayor of Atlanta, just hired me. What an honor! Please join us as Kyle's vision and the visions of dreamers across our city now unfold more quickly than anyone had dared hope. Thank you. For your dreams.
Please read Kyle's vision for our city. If you are, like I am, part of this dream, please make a small contibution to help with expenses.
It's open season.
Shoot Kyle a Big One!
http://keyser09.org/
Wave to your fellow citizens.
Get used to it.
http://keyser09.org/
Thank you for your support!
Please read Kyle's vision for our city. If you are, like I am, part of this dream, please make a small contibution to help with expenses.
It's open season.
Shoot Kyle a Big One!
http://keyser09.org/
Wave to your fellow citizens.
Get used to it.
http://keyser09.org/
Thank you for your support!
Monday, September 21, 2009
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Why We Need Republicans
A sad NY Times story from Egypt, once the proud Land of the Pharaohs. Of course it begs the question:
Why doesn't Israel look like this?
A worthy mystery to ponder.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/20/world/africa/20cairo.html?_r=1&th&emc=th
Why doesn't Israel look like this?
A worthy mystery to ponder.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/20/world/africa/20cairo.html?_r=1&th&emc=th
Thursday, September 17, 2009
I'm not exactly a fan of the death penalty, but...
I am reminded of a story I was once told:
When the young Buddhist monk finally reached the top of the mountain where his guru was meditating, he found the guru to be mindlessly swatting flies as he sat in the lotus position meditating.
"Guru! Guru! How can you kill flies?"
The guru seemed not to hear him, but the young monk listened intently, hoping for a reply. His mind finally opened, he heard the guru's continuing soft mantra:
"Go and be something else. Go and be something else."
When the young Buddhist monk finally reached the top of the mountain where his guru was meditating, he found the guru to be mindlessly swatting flies as he sat in the lotus position meditating.
"Guru! Guru! How can you kill flies?"
The guru seemed not to hear him, but the young monk listened intently, hoping for a reply. His mind finally opened, he heard the guru's continuing soft mantra:
"Go and be something else. Go and be something else."
Monday, September 14, 2009
Thank God. He Didn't Say "Methodist."
"A man is a method, a progressive arrangement;a selecting priciple, gathering his like to him; wherever he goes."
--Ralph Waldo Emerson
--Ralph Waldo Emerson
Sunday, September 13, 2009
How Cool Is This?
I just learned that it was Michael Fusco who designed my cover. Check out his website: http://www.michaelfuscodesign.com/
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
We Have Passed It. Hello?!?
From CNN online 9/9/07: on/from Sarah Palin:
"Palin, whose initial Facebook posting on so called 'death panels' last month is credited with spurring heated opposition to the House Democratic health care proposal, again raises the now widely debunked claim a government panel could determine which senior citizens receive vital treatments.
" 'Is it any wonder that many of the sick and elderly are concerned that the Democrats' proposals will ultimately lead to rationing of their health care by--dare I say it--death panels?' she writes. 'Establishment voices dismissed that phrase, but it rang true for many Americans.' "
************
There are legitimate arguments on both sides (all sides?) of the health care debate. Sarah’s own words are revealing: “Is it any wonder…” She refers to the results of her continuing scare tactics.
“Establishment voices dismissed that phrase, but it rang true for many Americans." Yes, even most who disagree with the idea of a government run or overseen plan acknowledge there would be no “death panels.” It “rang true” because she’s gotten the adoration of those who dismiss rational thought, and for them her words “rang true.” She doesn’t claim it is true.
Sarah’s played a crucial role in waking intelligent people of all stripes to the fact that this country is in its current condition because we’ve too often listened to the political bull shit from politicians and religious leaders of all persuasions—not that all of them are bull-shitters. We’ll thank her one day for, as she becomes more and more transparent, she is scaring people away from her ilk and into using their God-given intelligence.
We have passed the tipping point. Wake up. Hello?!?
"Palin, whose initial Facebook posting on so called 'death panels' last month is credited with spurring heated opposition to the House Democratic health care proposal, again raises the now widely debunked claim a government panel could determine which senior citizens receive vital treatments.
" 'Is it any wonder that many of the sick and elderly are concerned that the Democrats' proposals will ultimately lead to rationing of their health care by--dare I say it--death panels?' she writes. 'Establishment voices dismissed that phrase, but it rang true for many Americans.' "
************
There are legitimate arguments on both sides (all sides?) of the health care debate. Sarah’s own words are revealing: “Is it any wonder…” She refers to the results of her continuing scare tactics.
“Establishment voices dismissed that phrase, but it rang true for many Americans." Yes, even most who disagree with the idea of a government run or overseen plan acknowledge there would be no “death panels.” It “rang true” because she’s gotten the adoration of those who dismiss rational thought, and for them her words “rang true.” She doesn’t claim it is true.
Sarah’s played a crucial role in waking intelligent people of all stripes to the fact that this country is in its current condition because we’ve too often listened to the political bull shit from politicians and religious leaders of all persuasions—not that all of them are bull-shitters. We’ll thank her one day for, as she becomes more and more transparent, she is scaring people away from her ilk and into using their God-given intelligence.
We have passed the tipping point. Wake up. Hello?!?
Friday, August 28, 2009
From Albert, and from Kennedy
"Love is learning the song in another's heart and singing it back to them when they have forgotten" - Albert Camus
"Never go out just to get laid. Always go out to give laid." - Rev. Kennedy Schultz
"Never go out just to get laid. Always go out to give laid." - Rev. Kennedy Schultz
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Hey! Life Is Not All Crap After All!
From Hollis Gillespie, Atlanta Magazine columnist, NPR commentator, author of 3 books, and dominatrix of her Shocking Real Life Book-Deal Boot Camp :
"These days you have to take hope in any form it decides to present itself, and fortunately that form is pretty damn hard to miss when it's Scott Kenan, the unforgettable 7-foot bi-polar giant who took my book-deal workshop last year. Scott took everything I told him and landed himself a book deal. Walking On Glass; A Memoir of the Later Days of Tennessee Williams comes out next year from Alyson Books. See how I steal all the credit...
"These days you have to take hope in any form it decides to present itself, and fortunately that form is pretty damn hard to miss when it's Scott Kenan, the unforgettable 7-foot bi-polar giant who took my book-deal workshop last year. Scott took everything I told him and landed himself a book deal. Walking On Glass; A Memoir of the Later Days of Tennessee Williams comes out next year from Alyson Books. See how I steal all the credit...
Pasted from Hollis's blog: http://www.atlantamagazine.com/blogs/inappropriate/home.aspx?BlogID=1000655&pn=4
Scott Gets a Book Deal!
Posted 7/15/2009 10:25:00 AM
Warning: Below I exalt the triumph of one of my writing students and shamelessly take credit for all his success:My Shocking Real Life Book-Deal Boot Camp alum landed a book contract! Below is the synopsis for Scott Kenan's soon-to-be-released memoir of his time as the personal assistant of Tennessee William during the playwright's last days. How AWESOME is that? I love Tennessee Williams. He wrote Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and Glass Menagerie and tons of other essential works for subversive reading during my high-school days. Kenan is the fourteenth Shocking Real-Life alum to land a book deal! If you have an idea for a book and want a book deal, sign yer ass up immediately. The next workshop is this Sunday. Below is a synopsis of Kenan's book, due out in hard cover, April 2010.
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Walking on Glass: A Memoir of the Later Days of Tennessee Williams
by Scott Kenan
To be released by Alyson Books, Spring 2010
>>> NOW AVAILABLE IN KINDLE EDITION FROM AMAZON!!! (Paper coming soon):
http://www.amazon.com/WALKING-GLASS-TENNESSEE-WILLIAMS-ebook/dp/B0053480S2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1322834331&sr=8-1 .
(Click blog header to read my later posts!)
To be released by Alyson Books, Spring 2010
>>> NOW AVAILABLE IN KINDLE EDITION FROM AMAZON!!! (Paper coming soon):
http://www.amazon.com/WALKING-GLASS-TENNESSEE-WILLIAMS-ebook/dp/B0053480S2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1322834331&sr=8-1 .
(Click blog header to read my later posts!)
Synopsis:
In the fall of 1981, when Tennessee Williams found his household in an uproar after a visiting ex-lover ran his housekeeper off with a gun, he turned to Scott Kenan for help. Recently laid off from a restaurant management job and standing an inch short of seven feet tall, Kenan was available and appeared capable of handling any situation. He agreed to move into Williams’ house to manage it, run errands, and accompany the playwright nearly everywhere.
In the fall of 1981, when Tennessee Williams found his household in an uproar after a visiting ex-lover ran his housekeeper off with a gun, he turned to Scott Kenan for help. Recently laid off from a restaurant management job and standing an inch short of seven feet tall, Kenan was available and appeared capable of handling any situation. He agreed to move into Williams’ house to manage it, run errands, and accompany the playwright nearly everywhere.
Walking on Glass: A Memoir of the Later Days of Tennessee Williams takes the reader on a journey through the world of Tennessee Williams—a world where teetering on the razor's edge of their never-quite-defined relationship, Kenan mollified the playwright's volatile moods while through a revolving door, a cast of characters Williams might have created came and went, competing for his favor.
.
.
Employing rich detail of time and place, Scott Kenan re-creates a lost world in which the Reagan Revolution was just beginning, disco still reigned in dance clubs, and AIDS had felled a few in distant cities, but had not yet crashed the sexual revolution—or even found its proper name..
Never before has anyone chronicled the experience of living and working continuously at the playwright’s side. With compassion and humor, Walking on Glass unflinchingly portrays life and relationships within Tennessee Williams’ world—the rich realm from which his inspiration sprang. Many iconic people, including Meryl Streep, Jackie Onassis, Truman Capote, Audrey Hepburn, and Ronald Reagan, crossed their path—sometimes in shocking ways—as Kenan accompanied Williams to The White House, the Kennedy Center Honors, and, finally, to the Goodman Theatre in Chicago, for the staging of A House Not Meant to Stand, Williams’ last new play produced during his lifetime..
The story climaxes with the emotional roller coaster of the play’s production, after which the two part company when the playwright chooses to travel with his newfound love, a poetry-spouting youth. Ten months later, Williams was dead. Kenan’s chronicle concludes with a twist that casts the entire book in a new light when an executor of Williams’ estate reveals what was found on the playwright’s desk.
Friday, June 5, 2009
Betty Bowers Tells All
America's Best Christian is back. Finally what we've all been longing for, someone to explain Christian Marriage!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFkeKKszXTw&feature=player_embedded
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFkeKKszXTw&feature=player_embedded
Friday, April 17, 2009
Wouldn't ya know...
Just discovered: There is a "Queer-friendly spoken word group" in Atlanta named Cliterati, which features poet Alice Lovelace.
Monday, March 23, 2009
Cold Comfort
"The only function of economic forecasting is to make astrology look respectable."
John Kenneth Galbraith
John Kenneth Galbraith
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Bethump’d with Moves (apologies to William Shakespeare)
Itty Bitty Kitty crouched in a corner of her cat carrier, drugged, emitting little yelps with the regularity of a dump truck in reverse. The night had descended early, rain pelted the windshield, and I slowed to 45 MPH as fog enveloped the Interstate.
Like all moves, the loading had, and the road ahead now was, expanding like a fiber pill in the stomach—but without the pleasantness of fiber. Seven workers, and it had still taken all day to puzzle Mary’s belongings into the mammoth truck.
As the mass of Mary's possessions pressed from behind, I leaned forward and grasped the wheel tighter, knowing we had to press on regardless the weather. The speedometer needle fell. The hours to Williamsburg stretched. Nine…ten…twelve…
Beyond Itty Bitty, Mary sat erect in her seat. Was she really leaving bookstore management to care for the mother of a friend? Evangeline. Eighty-nine years old. Evangeline. Dementia (extent not yet precisely known). Was it bipolar illness they’d mentioned too? Evangeline. House on the Chesapeake. A space for Mary to make art. It would have its compensations.
Helping move a friend once or twice in a lifetime is enough to satisfy most, but only two weeks later, I succumbed to volunteer-fever again. This time, the movee, Christal, had arranged to have cable installed and new furniture delivered at her new house—a repossession—on moving day. That left the rest of us to move her belongings—belongings she mistakenly believed she had packed.
Every move has its surprises. But a cross-town move is always easier, and the paid helpers did eventually relent, and did not bolt halfway through the job—a job three times the size they’d been led to expect. Finally they finished and left, the dust settled, and Christal and I flopped in the living room to dream of dinner. Her boyfriend, Sunil, crawled into the shower.
Cold, only, streamed from the shower. Hot water boiled in the toilet. The house had been renovated, but repossessed before the owners could move in. Sold as is. No inspections. Thank God, I don’t do plumbing.
And I’ve kicked back for a long rest.
Like all moves, the loading had, and the road ahead now was, expanding like a fiber pill in the stomach—but without the pleasantness of fiber. Seven workers, and it had still taken all day to puzzle Mary’s belongings into the mammoth truck.
As the mass of Mary's possessions pressed from behind, I leaned forward and grasped the wheel tighter, knowing we had to press on regardless the weather. The speedometer needle fell. The hours to Williamsburg stretched. Nine…ten…twelve…
Beyond Itty Bitty, Mary sat erect in her seat. Was she really leaving bookstore management to care for the mother of a friend? Evangeline. Eighty-nine years old. Evangeline. Dementia (extent not yet precisely known). Was it bipolar illness they’d mentioned too? Evangeline. House on the Chesapeake. A space for Mary to make art. It would have its compensations.
Helping move a friend once or twice in a lifetime is enough to satisfy most, but only two weeks later, I succumbed to volunteer-fever again. This time, the movee, Christal, had arranged to have cable installed and new furniture delivered at her new house—a repossession—on moving day. That left the rest of us to move her belongings—belongings she mistakenly believed she had packed.
Every move has its surprises. But a cross-town move is always easier, and the paid helpers did eventually relent, and did not bolt halfway through the job—a job three times the size they’d been led to expect. Finally they finished and left, the dust settled, and Christal and I flopped in the living room to dream of dinner. Her boyfriend, Sunil, crawled into the shower.
Cold, only, streamed from the shower. Hot water boiled in the toilet. The house had been renovated, but repossessed before the owners could move in. Sold as is. No inspections. Thank God, I don’t do plumbing.
And I’ve kicked back for a long rest.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
In the Night
As midnight approached, I dashed from the Omni Hotel—a guess at the quickest way around CNN Center, the route to the MARTA train. I’d come from a too-short evening, visiting too-seldom-seen, out-of-town friends. I hoped to make the last train. Winter rain fell hard on my head. I paused under an overhang to think again, before I’d gotten too far.
A beggar emerged from an alcove, breaking the empty-street spell. He shambled on. A man appeared, asking if I needed help. He shivered in his T-shirt and jeans, his blond hair a close-cropped brush. I glanced at the tattoos marching up his arms. His face belied the hard in his eyes.
He was returning home from the restaurant where he worked—also headed for the train. He tilted his umbrella, attempting to cover us both.
“Live in a halfway house,” he said. “One year so far, another half to go.” He'd spent 5 years in prison before that—convicted at the age of 18. I didn’t ask. He didn’t offer. But I knew a 5-year sentence plus so long a in a halfway house meant he’d committed a violent crime.
I, still in the mood of my earlier visit—the here-and-now and the transcendence of long-time friends—and he, beyond his usual circle, we spoke easily as we slogged toward and then waited for the train.
Mistakes. Redemption. Doubt. Hope.
We shared the train to King Memorial, and before he hopped off, I saw his eyes will catch up to the thoughts and kindness he offered that cold, rainy night.
A beggar emerged from an alcove, breaking the empty-street spell. He shambled on. A man appeared, asking if I needed help. He shivered in his T-shirt and jeans, his blond hair a close-cropped brush. I glanced at the tattoos marching up his arms. His face belied the hard in his eyes.
He was returning home from the restaurant where he worked—also headed for the train. He tilted his umbrella, attempting to cover us both.
“Live in a halfway house,” he said. “One year so far, another half to go.” He'd spent 5 years in prison before that—convicted at the age of 18. I didn’t ask. He didn’t offer. But I knew a 5-year sentence plus so long a in a halfway house meant he’d committed a violent crime.
I, still in the mood of my earlier visit—the here-and-now and the transcendence of long-time friends—and he, beyond his usual circle, we spoke easily as we slogged toward and then waited for the train.
Mistakes. Redemption. Doubt. Hope.
We shared the train to King Memorial, and before he hopped off, I saw his eyes will catch up to the thoughts and kindness he offered that cold, rainy night.
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Hoovering
The New Year has swept in, and a phalanx of vacuum cleaners is massing next door. After the never-ending end-days of 2008, when wave after wave of economic gloom rolled through, life shows signs of returning to normal in Stone Mountain. ‘Normal,’ of course, is a relative term.
In my neighborhood, diverse in race and culture, things fell uncommonly quiet the last few months. The Bosnian family next door—Bosnian-Americans now, having gotten their citizenship—could always be counted on for generous dollops of color. Swarms of relatives dropping in to roast whole lamb over an open fire—front yard parties late into the night.
But the cops cracked down on the noise this fall, and then they forced Ned to clear the back yard of engine blocks, mufflers, and vacuum cleaners—his growing heap of treasures, stock in trade of his then latest business: scrap-metal recycling. Neighbors rejoiced as truckload after truckload disappeared, and then scratched their heads when a long-bed pickup filled with 40 upright vacuums drove off. In formation, the Hoovers leaned forward, waiting—waiting for the signal. Fantasia, the motorized edition.
Now, even Ned’s moved-off business has failed—scrap prices having out-sunk the stock market. However, now he's back. Home renovation—homes in distant places, thank God.
But peering over the fence, I see a formation of Hoovers massing anew. First sign of a returning economy washing color back into my neighborhood? Or is it the motorized ghost of President Hoover, self-begetting?
Only time will tell.
In my neighborhood, diverse in race and culture, things fell uncommonly quiet the last few months. The Bosnian family next door—Bosnian-Americans now, having gotten their citizenship—could always be counted on for generous dollops of color. Swarms of relatives dropping in to roast whole lamb over an open fire—front yard parties late into the night.
But the cops cracked down on the noise this fall, and then they forced Ned to clear the back yard of engine blocks, mufflers, and vacuum cleaners—his growing heap of treasures, stock in trade of his then latest business: scrap-metal recycling. Neighbors rejoiced as truckload after truckload disappeared, and then scratched their heads when a long-bed pickup filled with 40 upright vacuums drove off. In formation, the Hoovers leaned forward, waiting—waiting for the signal. Fantasia, the motorized edition.
Now, even Ned’s moved-off business has failed—scrap prices having out-sunk the stock market. However, now he's back. Home renovation—homes in distant places, thank God.
But peering over the fence, I see a formation of Hoovers massing anew. First sign of a returning economy washing color back into my neighborhood? Or is it the motorized ghost of President Hoover, self-begetting?
Only time will tell.
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Re-perspecting
If the last quarter knocked you off your game—or at least, like me, had you struggling and unable to find much humor to feel or express—it’s time to look back in a different way as we go forward through regime change and a promise of brightening times to come.
Last year: YouTube - Uncle Jay Explains: Year-end!
Last year: YouTube - Uncle Jay Explains: Year-end!
Still, what could be more entertaining than to see Sarah in action? She sets up and fuels the Conservative cannibalism-fest. Ah, the Wailing and Gnashing . . .
Sit back and enjoy the show. There's no longer anything to fear from her ilk. They self-immolate with passion.