Saturday, March 26, 2011 will be the 100th anniversary of Tennessee Williams birth. Awarded four Drama Critic Circle Awards, two Pulitzer Prizes and the Presidential Medal of Freedom, Williams was one of the greatest playwrights in American history. Born in Columbus Mississippi, he later moved to New Orleans where he placed the scene of one of his great plays, A Streetcar Named Desire. Williams won critical acclaim but also condemnation for realistically depicting somewhat taboo human emotions in a realistic light. Many subjects such as mental illness, homosexuality, drug and alcohol abuse, and dysfunctional families were considered morally corrupt. But his honesty in telling these stories has left us with a body of work that stands the test of time and emit the same emotions today as when they were written. Williams died in a hotel room in New York City in 1983 after years of drug and alcohol abuse.
The Alkek Library has a good collection of plays, videos, stories, criticism and correspondence related to Williams. To find materials in the library catalog, search by author or by subject: Williams, Tennessee.
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