In the Heart of America and Other Plays [Paperback]

Naomi Wallace (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 2000

Naomi Wallace's plays speak the underside of life. Her characters suffer and survive against the enormous weight of the times with a dignity that inspires. Her work challenges the audience and reader to reexamine the conflicts and meaning of our everyday lives through her singular, poetic imagery and language.

Includes: One Flea Spare
In the Heart of America
Slaughter City
The War Boys
The Trestle at Pope's Creek

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Naomi Wallace is from Kentucky. She was a 1999 recipient of the prestigious MacArthur Fellowship, the grant popularly known as the genius award. A published poet in both England and The United States, she has also received grants from The Kentucky Foundation for Women and The Kentucky Arts Council and a 1997 NEA grant for poetry.

Product Details

• Paperback: 300 pages
• Publisher: Theatre Communications Group; 1st edition (June 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1559361867
• ISBN-13: 978-1559361866
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #105,866 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars an impressive collection of plays by a modern master, April 27, 2003

By 

spacedog "spacedog7" (boston, ma United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: In the Heart of America and Other Plays (Paperback)

a collection of plays. i first became aware of wallace when my university did one flea spare, which i was extremely impressed with for its depth, creativity, emotional focus, and brechtian wit. i really enjoyed one flea spare on the printed page; i truly believe this is a play that deserves to be put in the same class as the other american greats, such death of a salesman, mourning becomes electra, and the crucible. in one flea spare the action involves four people impatiently waiting out a quarantine sentence at the time of the great plague in london and its themes include the loss of innocence and class and gender struggles. the final play, trestle at pope lick creek, is definitely the second best of the plays. set in a rural community, the play's unflinching look at a world of poverty and lack of opportunity is chilling and memorable. there were parts of the other 3 plays that were also well done, although in general they were not as tightly scripted. it is interesting to see wallace's general style becomes more apparent in reading these plays, in her language and her use of such devices as playing with time. in the heart of america is set during the gulf war and the the war boys concerns three men watching the mexican-american border for illegal immigrants. slaughter city is about workers in a slaughtering factory who are trying to preserve their union. all in all this is definitely an impressive collection of plays by a modern master.