The Paradox of Sarah KaneWritten by Paula Bardell
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“Blasted” is about a middle-aged tabloid journalist who appears to be dying and invites an unsuspecting retarded child into his Leeds hotel room, assuring her that he simply needs a little comfort during his final hours. Once trapped he proceeds to rape, debase and ridicule her before an armed soldier suddenly bursts in and wreaks appalling havoc, turning scene into a Bosnian battlefield. The play opened in January 1995 at Royal Court Upstairs, becoming theatres most controversial work in over thirty years. British newspaper critics were in their element, describing it as "a disgusting feast of filth", a work "devoid of intellectual and artistic merit" and like "having your whole head held in a bucket of offal". However, established dramatists such as Harold Pinter turned on reviewers, telling them they were "out of their depth" and that “Blasted” was simply too complex for them. Although upset by slating, Kane went on to write four more plays in as many years. “Cleansed” was about love, death and drug addiction in a concentration camp and, like much of her work, was closely fashioned on real-life incidents. Whereas “Crave”, written under pseudonym of Marie Kelvedon, was about four warring factions of one individual's consciousness and was generally received as her most mature play up to that point. She also wrote terrifying “Phaedra's Love” and “Skin”, a short film for Britain’s Channel 4. Throughout this period, she travelled around Europe, leading theatre workshops by day and writing at night - becoming quite a celebrity in France and Germany. While there is little doubt that Kane was an incredibly likeable, original and kind human being, depression was never far from surface and she was at times unable to cope with intensity of her emotions after completing “Crave”. She admitted herself to Maudsley Hospital in south London for a time but recovered sufficiently to enjoy her play's critical triumph - which was compared by some to T.S. Eliot's “The Wasteland”. Unfortunately, her happiness was short-lived and depression returned. In January 1999, after completing “4.48 Psychosis” (so called because it's time of morning when people are most likely to kill themselves), she swallowed 150 anti-depressants and 50 sleeping pills. She survived because her flat-mate found her in time and rushed her to King's College Hospital in London. Two days later she was left alone for 90 minutes and was later discovered hanging from her shoelaces in a nearby toilet. She was 28 years old.
Paula is a freelance writer who has contributed articles, reviews and essays to numerous publications on subjects such as literature, travel, culture, history and humanitarian issues. She lives in North Wales and is a staff writer for Apsaras Review and the editor of two popular online guides. You can read her resume at: http://www.mediabistro.com/PaulaBardell.
| | Why Publishers Buy Books: 28 ReasonsWritten by Catherine Franz
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clubs, audio cassettes or foreign, electronic or movie rights 19. The book has adoption potential in schools or universities 20. The house has published similar books with success 21. The book is on a subject that house has or wants to build a list in 22. Overcome by auction fever, publishers convince themselves that, despite profit-and-loss statement rated to determine a book's value, they pay whatever it takes to outbid their rivals. 23. The author wants to switch houses 24. The editor discovers a book on a trip to a book fair and thinks it will sell, or is caught up in excitement surrounding a book, or wants to justify trip 25. The publisher is sending industry message that because of new management or despite changes in house, houses a player 26. The book being sold may not be a big one, but future books will have bestseller potential 27. The author has a personal connection with someone in house with power to buy book 28. Publishing book will enhance house's prestigeThis is not a definitive list. John Saul, a novelist, observed if publishers don't want to buy a book, they say "It's been done to death." If they do want to buy that book, they'll say "Always works."
Catherine Franz is a marketing industry veteran, a Certified Business Coach, Certified Teleclass Leader and Trainer, speaker, author, and Master Attraction Practitioner. For marketing,nonfiction writing and deliberately creating ezines and other newsletters, visit: http://www.AbundanceCenter.com, mailto:catherine@abundancecenter.com or 703-671-5677.
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