Brill has published the fourth volume of “New Perspectives in Edward Albee Studies,” Albee and Influence! Visit the Brill website for complete details.

The volume contains essays, written by leading Albee scholars, that focus on literary and philosophical influences on Edward Albee’s plays as well as essays on writers and works that Albee influenced. Essays focus on Albee’s relationship with such major American playwrights as Thornton Wilder, Amiri Baraka, Sam Shepard, Lanford Wilson and John Guare. There are also contributions on Albee’s work as mentor to young playwrights. The volume also includes an interview with award-winning director Pam McKinnon.

The table of contents includes:

“Introduction”
John M. Clum

“Part 1 Influences on Albee”
Editors: John M. Clum and Natka Bianchini

• Chapter 1 “‘Lean[ing] against a Proscenium’: Edward Albee’s Me, Myself & I as Homage to Thornton Wilder”
  Author: Lincoln Konkle
• Chapter 2 “‘The Opposition of Artworks to Domination Is Mimesis of Domination’: Albee via Adorno as a Conduit for Postmodern Playwriting”
  Author: David Marcia
• Chapter 3 “Animal Sacrifice in Albee’s Plays and Its Influence on the Contemporary Stage”
  Author: Philipp Reisner

“Part 2 Albee’s Influence”
Editors: John M. Clum and Natka Bianchini

• Chapter 4 “Love and Lies in the Living Room Dramas of John Guare, Tennessee Williams, and Edward Albee”
  Author: Michael Y. Bennett
• Chapter 5 “Dramatic Dialogue: Amiri Baraka’s Response to Edward Albee’s Influence”
  Author: Douglas S. Kern
• Chapter 6 “‘To Fail … and to Fail Interestingly’: Edward Albee, Sam Shepard and The Playwrights Unit”
  Author: Shannon Blake Skelton
• Chapter 7 “Self-Constructed Dramatists: Edward Albee and Lanford Wilson as Outsider Playwrights”
  Author: David A. Crespy
• Chapter 8 “Resistant Influencer: Edward Albee and Queer Plays of the 1960s”
  Author: Lesley Broder
• Chapter 9 “‘Laughter and Pain’: Edward Albee and Nicky Silver”
  Author: John M. Clum

“Part 3 Interviews”
Editors: John M. Clum and Natka Bianchini

• Chapter 10 “Interview: Director Pam MacKinnon on Finding the Artistic ‘Spine’ of Her Career and Working with Albee”
  Author: Natka Bianchini

Thanks to our series editor, Michael Y. Bennett, and our associate editor, Maija Birenbaum!

For more information about “New Perspectives in Edward Albee Studies,” visit our Book Series page.