Books for the Beach

As the Lead Teaching Artist at Ford’s Theatre, my summer reading will focus on materials to help me prepare for next season.  I’ve been looking for a consistent theme that runs through these seemingly divergent works, and … eureka! I think I’ve found one.

In one interview with Charlie Rose (you can watch it on YouTube), Arthur Miller said that what connects all great writers is that they have a “fierce moral sensibility” in their work. They see a problem in the world, and they must expose it.

A “fierce moral sensibility” is a lot to pack to take with me to Virginia Beach this summer! But I’m going to use that guideline as a way to see what issues these writers illuminated. If you want to go on the literary journey I’m going on, check out our season texts here:

•    Death of A Salesman by Arthur Miller
•    Jefferson’s Garden by Timberlake Wertenbaker
•    The Wiz  by William F. Brown with music and lyrics by Charlie Smalls 

Let me know what you’re reading poolside this summer. Tweet us @FordsEdu to share.