Stephenie Meyer, Friends in Dramaturgy, and Wrestling with the Angel

So, as an update to previous posts, Stephenie Meyer, author of my favorite crazy vampire series, will be present at the National Book Fair on September 30, presumably to read and to promote her second book, Eclipse. This news means, of course, that I will also be present at the National Book Fair. I'm so much more excited than I should be, you know.

So one of my friends in the Dramaturgy program at my school sent me a blurb from the Center for Sacred Story (sorry, they don't have a website, but www.stmikessc.org will take you to the church who sponsors them); they are looking for plays which "deal with questions of faith and identity," which aptly describes the play I'm currently wrestling with. And when I say "wrestling," I mean wrestling like Jacob with the angel wrestling. Dang it, I hate writing this play, because writing about "issues of faith identity" is dang impossible. As my other writing friend says, "It hits too close to home." Yes it does. But this means I have to finish the play, so finish it I shall (hopefully).

Speaking of wrestling with the angel, I just did what I should have done a long time ago, which is watch Angels in America -- not on the stage, but there's a great miniseries with Al Pacino and Meryl Streep and Emma Thompson and a lot of others. I found it gorgeously touching, gorgeously spiritual (though ultimately I suppose the message about God as such is that he should be sued for abandonment) , and also artistically inspiring. I'd list Tony Kushner as an influence, if I'd seen this before I wrote my last play. Get a taste of it here: http://www.hbo.com/films/angelsinamerica/ -- it's groundbreaking theatre (in this case cinema, but just imagine it on a live stage!), not to mention an important piece of social art.