Y'all know that I'm a Netflix junkie. The range of material in its library never fails to surprise me. Lately, I've been on a history/documentary jag and they offer a lot of excellent material. I particularly enjoy PBS' American Experience Series which delves into the people and events that shaped our country -- from Dolly Madison to Roberto Clemente.
Last night I watched its tribute to Eugene O'Neill -- arguably the greatest of American playwrights with four Pulitzer Prizes and the Nobel Prize to his credit -- and my favorite playwright. I'm not certain why it practically tore my guts out but it did, so here I am writing this in the wee hours. Like most writers, O'Neill draws from his life experience -- and what a painful experience it was for him. The late sportswriter, Red Smith, said: "Writing is easy... just open a vein and bleed . . ." and if any of you have ever read O'Neill's autobiography-based "Long Day's Journey into Night", it will not surprise you that he was completely drained by the time he finished the book.
Why am I boring you with this? Because watching that documentary set off a bout of enlightenment and pain for me. It explained why I can't finish a lot of my writing projects or even talk about others. Will this epiphany make me face my demons? I don't know. What I do know is that knowing they are there is an excellent start.
Happy Blogging!!!!!
Kay
And what's my excuse for being up during the night?
ReplyDeleteWriters/artists/other self-exposing people suffer too much; but, we readers/viewers/et cetera appreciate the products!
Cop Car
P.S. Now get some sleep!
CC: Insomnia? Stress? And I couldn't get sleep. I am breaking out in what seems to be hives.
ReplyDeleteI appreciate your head's up on this documentary because I could have accidentally gotten it and would never choose to watch one about someone who suffered that way for their art or who put out work that was about torment. I have gotten some of that about Jackson Pollock but didn't enjoy it then either. I admit I am shallow in what I read but I won't even read such books for the simple reason I have enough in my own life to not purpose to add someone else's anguish whom I don't even know. Friends it's different because then sometimes we can help. It might sound selfish, but I see no point in making myself upset when life has plenty of chances to do that. It might be why I never read his work. I want to add light, not darkness. If a person is writing an autobiography, of course, then there is no choice but to delve within. I don't think fiction requires our darkest angels even if we let a bit of them slip past.
ReplyDeleteI, too, a Netflix/Roku junkie and I love my documentaries. Haven't seen this one, though. I'm on the road, but, as soon as I get home to my little black boxes, I'm streaming the Eugene O'Neill instantly.
ReplyDeleteI never know whether to feel grateful or resentful when something hits me hard from behind, but I trust my body's instincts on this stuff: nothing gets through on a painful subject until I'm unconsciously prepared to deal with it...and, then, almost anything will do the trick.
I relate. Writing is the most important thing in my life next to Peggy, but what do I do with it--I blog. I'm taking the easy way out, yet death looms ever closer, and I know that the day will come when my options will all disappear.
ReplyDeleteRain--You remind me of when I read Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn's "The Gulag Archipelago" back in the mid-1970s. I slogged, and slogged, and slogged through it; and, it really felt good when I got to the end - sorta like laying down the hammer with which I had been pounding myself on the head. I'm glad I read the book, then; but, I certainly wouldn't go through that again!
ReplyDeleteCop Car
Howdy, fellow Netflix junkie! I like those documentaries too. I think what they mean for me is that if these people can accomplish what they did with such horrible beginnings, the sky's the limit for me! Now go to bed; sleep comes when it comes, I'm finding in my old age.
ReplyDeleteYou are obviously in the midst of a creative frenzy. Take advantage of it. You can always sleep!
ReplyDeleteKay - another of your suggestions to follow up on. I will look for Eugene O'Neill on Netflix tonight -- thanks -- barbara
ReplyDeleteExcept for the fact that you were up into the Wee hours....I know what you mean about documentaries. I love them. I've been watching a lot lately too...specifically a series on athletes and sports. Fascinating, and I found out some things I never knew. I pretty much love any documentary....Stress? Hives? Get some sleep young lady... Hugs, Joy
ReplyDeleteGosh... We just cancelled Netflix and am regretting it. I guess we'll start up again on just the streaming part.
ReplyDeleteIt's the wee hours of the morning here as well. Guess I have to get Netflix and try it out.
ReplyDelete~a
I saw Long Day's Journey on the stage in London and it was a marvellous experience. Not one that I recommend if you want a bit of entertainment pure and simply.
ReplyDeleteAs for writing things out, I most certainly can recommend that. The more I write (not necessarily in my blog - that gets sanitised a bit) the more I understand and the more I forgive myself and others.
Things become so much clearer; it also helped that I talked to a professional, of course. But without writing at the same time, I would have been unable to put things into words.
Go on, do it. Start.
I share two things with you. I am a NetFlix junkie and I suffer from insomnia.
ReplyDeleteThe last DVD I watched was THE CONSPIRATOR about Mary Surratt, the woman who ran the boarding house where John Wilkes Boothe and the other conspirators met to plot the assassination of Lincoln. I highly recommend it.