Hymn of Despair: The Blue Song of Tennessee Williams

Henry Schvey's discovery of an unknown poem by Tennessee Williams was not only a once-in-a-lifetime find but another piece of the puzzle of a man whose past continued to follow him and which helped provide the inspiration for his work. The poem, Blue Song became the inspiration for Schvey's book, The Blue Song: St. Louis in the Life and Work of Tennessee Williams. A captivating side of Williams' life in St. Louis by an author who unknowingly crossed paths with the playwright.[03:00] BackgroundHenry Schvey, Professor of Drama and Comparative Literature at Washington University in St. LouisInterest in Tennessee Williams[07:07] The discovery of the poem, Blue Song[14:03] The St. Louis influence in Williams' workInformative and growing up yearsHow it shows out in his plays[25:45] Dealing with the pastOther writersWilliams returns to St. Louis to dry outUltimate irony-Williams burial in St. Louis[33:25] St. Louis Jewish Book Festival and future work on Tennessee Williams by Henry SchveyInsight from the paintings of WilliamsGetting it to perfection-addiction to writingThis is Season 4! For more episodes, go to stlintune.com#tennesseewilliams #stlouis #playwright #washingtonuniversity #newyork #neworleans #brookingshall #universitycity #twstl #jewishbookfestival #washu #drama #theatre #jcc #awardwinningplays