Arthur Miller Named Distinguished Author

[doug65oh]

Just found this and thought...it might be appropriate.

TULSA, Okla. - Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Arthur Miller has been named the winner of the 2004 Peggy V. Helmerich Distinguished Author Award.

The selection committee chose Miller on Friday, citing his body of work, which includes classics such as "The Crucible" and "Death of a Salesman," for which he won the Pulitzer Prize.

The award, which includes a $25,000 cash award, will be presented to Miller on Dec. 4.

Miller's work also includes "All My Sons," "A View From the Bridge" and "The Misfits," written in 1961 for then-wife Marilyn Monroe.

Although approaching 90, Miller continues to write and lecture. In 2001, he published a collection of essays titled "On Politics and the Art of Acting."

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u ... r_miller_3

[Doug]

In 1973 a teenager named Peter Reilly was arrested for the brutal killing of his mother, Barbara Gibbons, in Falls Village, Connecticut. In 1974 he was convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to prison for 6-16 years. This was a notorious case in Connecticut; many local people believed Peter Reilly was not guilty and that a great injustice had been done to him by the police and prosecutor. Area residents, including playwright Arthur Miller, rallied to Peter's support; a new trial was granted in 1976 and ultimately charges were dropped and Peter Reilly was freed.

To the best of my knowledge this murder has never been solved. At least two books (A Death in Canaan by Joan Barthel and Guilty Until Proven Innocent by Donald S. Connery) have been written and a made-for-TV movie produced about the case.

[Kat]

Stefani's thesis at Penn state was on Arthur Miller and I spent quite a bit of time with her on the phone helping her get her thoughts in order.
It wasn't a collaboration, but I was more of a sounding board.
From that experience we found we could work together. Thanks to Arthur Miller.

[doug65oh]

"Stefani's thesis at Penn state was on Arthur Miller..."

...and that's exactly why I posted the story to start with.

[lydiapinkham]

Dec. 4? Couldn't they push up the date a bit? It'd be nice if he could accept it in person.

Speaking of Miller, just went to Salem this week. We stopped to rest on the Memorial Walk (an installation of stone seats commemorating each of the Witch Trial victims). When my husband stood up, we discovered he'd been sitting on poor John Proctor. At least it wasn't Giles Corey. I think he'd had enough weight, thank you, very much.

--Lyddie