Entertainment
Sam Shepard’s roots ran deepest in rural America
Sam Shepard, a Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright, depicted the struggles of American families and their connection to land. He passed away on July 27, 2017.
John J. Winters, Bridgewater State University
Sam Shepard
When Sam Shepard died on July 27, 2017, the world lost one of the greatest playwrights of the past half-century. He was an artist renowned for bravely plumbing his own life for material, spinning much of his own pain into theatrical gold. His best work revealed the hollowness behind the idea of the happy family and its corollary, the American dream. Subversive and funny, Shepard had the soul of a poet and an experimental streak that never faded.
The American family was, no doubt, Shepard’s great subject. His quintet of family plays that premiered between 1978 and 1985 – “Curse of the Starving Class,” the Pulitzer Prize-winning “Buried Child,” “Fool for Love,” “True West” (both nominated for Pulitzers) and “A Lie of the Mind” – form the foundation of Shepard’s lofty reputation.
While researching my recent biography of Shepard, I found that most critics and scholars focused on the playwright’s relationship with his father. Rightly so: Samuel Shepard Rogers suffered from alcoholism and his only son grew up bearing the brunt of his abuse. Shepard’s family plays turn on the collateral damage of the fathers.
Less frequently examined is the playwright’s fixation on the land, and the ways in which this plays out in his work. Both as a writer and in his personal outlook, Shepard drew deeply from the old trope that nature and innocence are intertwined. And according to critic Harold Bloom, Shepard saw doom in the “materialistic and technological obsessions of modern society.”
Throughout his work, Shepard decried so-called progress, especially the rampant development of open space. Whether it was the forced sale of a family farm (“Curse of the Starving Class”) or Native Americans being driven off their reservation (“Operation Sidewinder”), it all came to no good.
To Shepard, a relationship with the land was nothing short of existential. As the playwright told an interviewer in 1988:
“What’s most frightening to me right now is this estrangement from life. People and things are becoming more and more removed from the actual. We are becoming more and more removed from the earth to the point that people just don’t know themselves or each other or anything.”
Shepard arrived at this impulse naturally. When he was in elementary school, his family settled in a small house on Lemon Street in Bradbury, California. An orchard of 80 avocado trees attached to the house meant that Shepard – then known by his birth name, Steve Rogers – was kept busy irrigating and harvesting the crop. He also raised dogs and sheep, and when he had free time he worked the fields belonging to his neighbors. During high school, he was an eager member of the 4-H Club and Future Farmers of America, and spent his summers tending to the thoroughbreds at nearby Santa Anita Park.
In college, Shepard’s major wasn’t theater but education. As he once wrote to a friend, back then he wanted to become a “veterinarian with a flashy station wagon, and a flashy blond wife, raising German shepherds in some fancy suburb.” He never finished college nor became a vet. Instead, Shepard left home and made his way across the country to New York City and the East Village, where he would quickly transform himself into the brightest light of the nascent off-off-Broadway scene.
But even as his reputation grew, he never left his agricultural roots behind. In fact, one of Shepard’s early one-act plays was titled “4-H Club” (1965).
Other plays from the 1960s combine his old life with his new one. Rural scenes are full of characters who talk in the hip argot of the Village streets, characters caught in an absurdist situation go “fishing” off the edge of the stage, and Native Americans, by their very presence onstage in plays like 1970’s “Operation Sidewinder,” stake a claim to the land that’s been stolen from them.
With time, the playwright would more directly address the scourge of overdevelopment that he saw happening around him. It would become a running theme of sorts, as Shepard saw the nation growing and changing – but not for the better.
“One of the biggest tragedies about this country was moving from an agricultural society to an urban, industrial society. We’ve been wiped out,” he told Playboy in 1984.
Shepard’s characters embody this loss. In “Geography of a Horse Dreamer” (1974), one character is a gambler who can predict tomorrow’s winners at the racetrack, but loses that power once he’s physically forced from his usual haunts to a new, strange locale. In “Buried Child” (1979), the land holds the answer to the play’s central mystery: At play’s end, the fallow backyard gives up a baby from a shallow grave, shining a light on the incestuous relationship that has led to the ruination of this family – as if the purity of nature had been offended by a terrible transgression. And in Shepard’s late masterpiece, “Ages of the Moon,” two old friends finally find solace by communing with nature at a small, remote campsite.
Nowhere in Shepard’s oeuvre does land play a bigger role than in 1978’s “Curse of the Starving Class.” The Tate family’s farm stands between husband and wife: He wants to unload it to pay off his gambling and drinking debts; she wants to sell it and use the money to escape her marriage and take the children to Europe. The culminating scene features the husband, Weston, coming to his senses after sobering up and walking around his property. Reconnecting with his land, Weston turns his life around, “like peeling off a whole person.”
Shepard’s love of the country and its open spaces would mark all aspects of his career. Also a celebrated actor, he favored “rural” dramas, those set on farms, racetracks or some windswept piece of desert. In his screen debut, Shepard starred as the doomed farmer in Terrence Malick’s “Days of Heaven” (1978). In his screenplay for the cult classic film, “Paris, Texas,” (1984) Shepard mirrored the desolation of the South Texas desert in the soul of his protagonist, Travis, a man suffering from a malady that Shepard often said he himself felt: “lostness.”
Shepard felt most at home traversing what one western historian called this “strange land full of mystery.” He took pride in being a western writer.
“I was never interested in the mythological cowboy. I was interested in the real thing,” he once said.
“He would call me late in the night,” Patti Smith wrote in a loving tribute, “from somewhere on the road, a ghost town in Texas, a rest stop near Pittsburgh, or from Santa Fe, where he was parked in the desert, listening to the coyotes howling. But most often he would call from his place in Kentucky, on a cold, still night, when one could hear the stars breathing…”
She knew, better than anyone, that such places constituted Shepard’s emotional and physical territory. He adored the vastness of the plains, the green of loping pasturelands; he cherished his time running the highways and byways in his pickup, or sitting next to the campfire on a real-life cattle drive, and reveled in the grit of this country’s less-traveled corners.
Shepard loved America for its beauty, its danger and its promise, forever transforming her in our imaginations.
John J. Winters, Adjunct Professor of English, Bridgewater State University
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
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Unveiling the Journey: Rising Pickleball Sensation Connor Garnett in Conversation with Mike Sleeves Sliwa
“Get exclusive insights into Connor Garnett’s journey from amateur to pro in the latest episode of Sleeves Senior Pickleball Report.”
In the latest episode of the podcast, People of Pickleball, Mike Sleeves Sliwa sits down with the rising pickleball sensation, Connor Garnett.
Garnett shares his journey from amateur to professional, offering insights into his training regimen and mental approach to the game.
Listeners get an inside look at Garnett’s strategies for success, including his thoughts on the evolving landscape of competitive pickleball.
Sliwa delves into Garnett’s experiences on and off the court, revealing the dedication and passion that drive this young athlete forward.
The episode provides a compelling narrative of determination and skill, inspiring both newcomers and seasoned players alike.
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Sleeves Senior Pickleball Report: PBZ’s Innovative Ergonomic Paddle Review
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In the recent Sleeves Senior Pickleball Report, Mike Sleeves Sliwa takes a swing at innovation, unraveling the secrets behind PBZ’s groundbreaking Ergonomic paddles. With a keen eye for detail, Sleeves offers a comprehensive review, highlighting how these paddles redefine the player experience. The episode delves into the distinct features that set PBZ apart, emphasizing the ergonomic design that aims to elevate comfort and performance. For pickleball enthusiasts, Sleeves Senior Pickleball Report provides a valuable glimpse into the cutting-edge gear shaping the game. Stay tuned to Sleeves’ expert analysis for the latest in pickleball equipment evolution.
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Learn about the R.A.W. (Reign and Win) Excluder 1, a fantastic paddle that supports non-profit bee farmers and contributes to preserving bees. Use the promo code “Reign10” to get a 10% discount on your purchase. Let’s work together to save the bees, who play a vital role in sustaining life on our planet. Click the link below to find out more about this product.
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The Unfolding Drama of Mattel Adventure Park: Opinions Before Opening
Mattel Adventure Park, set to open in late 2025 in Glendale, Arizona, faces delays provoking mixed reviews online. While some express disappointment over construction setbacks, others exhibit excitement toward its promise of unforgettable experiences for families.
As the vibrant desert sun beats down on Glendale, Arizona, local residents and prospective visitors are filled with a mix of excitement and impatience, waiting for the highly anticipated Mattel Adventure Park to finally open its doors. Slated for its debut at the end of 2025, this first-of-its-kind theme park has become the center of online chatter, with people leaving their opinions long before the first guests even step foot inside. While the allure of this park is undoubtedly enticing, the reviews—both positive and negative—are creating a curious spectacle worth exploring.
The Anticipation and Its Delays
Initially set to open in late 2023, Mattel Adventure Park has faced multiple delays that have pushed its launch date back not once, but twice. Set amid the ongoing construction of the VAI Resort, the theme park aims to bring fan-favorite properties to life, including Barbie, Thomas & Friends, Hot Wheels, and Masters of the Universe, over a sprawling 9-acre indoor-outdoor area. While the design promises to provide air-conditioned spaces for those scorching Arizona days, the project’s enticing features have not prevented some pre-opening frustrations from flooding the online review platforms.
The Curious Case of Early Reviews
Despite the park being an unfinished dream, it has already attracted a litany of Google Reviews, with an overall rating of 4.1 from a total of 62 responses. It’s fascinating to see how public sentiment manifests in such a unique manner—especially when some reviewers seem to have more to say about waiting than the park’s actual attractions.
Braylon and Peyton’s one-star review is a prime example of pre-opening disappointment: “We have been waiting literally years, more than two now,” they lament, expressing the anxiety of every parent waiting for those joyous days when their children can experience their favorite characters in person. This sort of heartfelt feedback encapsulates a universal feeling among families eager to create magical memories but grappling with the gnawing frustration of unforeseen delays.
Similarly, Loura Petsche bemoans the lack of updates, noting, “Looks exciting for two years now but disappointing no updates for months.” It seems her grandchildren, once bubbling with excitement for Thomas the Tank Engine, are growing up too quickly—perhaps even before the park can open its gates!
A Mix of Optimism and Enthusiasm
However, it’s not all doom and gloom in the realm of reviewers. There are some brightly shining voices offering a different perspective. Jack Tang is a beacon of enthusiasm, eager for the park to open, stating, “My family will be regulars… This will replace my son’s current favorite theme park, Legoland, in Carlsbad.” His excitement breathes life into the conversation, reminding everyone that the dream of Mattel Adventure Park is still alive and well.
Adding to the positivity, Jose Armijo’s five-star review is a light-hearted nudge to his fellow reviewers: “Do people not understand that a theme park can’t be built overnight?” His perspective brings humor and a touch of realism to the table, gently reminding us that anticipation can be paired with patience. The prospect of a uniquely themed park is worth holding out for!
And let’s not overlook Ashley Stevenson, who somehow describes a great experience at a place that hasn’t even opened yet: “This place is great… Bring your own food and snacks…” Now, we must give her imaginative praise for what must be an extraordinary act of visualizing the yet-to-be-seen park experience!
Conclusion: The Waiting Game
In a digital world where opinions can be easily aired, the phenomenon of pre-opening reviews shines a light on the interplay between anticipation and frustration. While some voices express impatience regarding the construction delays of Mattel Adventure Park, others remind us of the potential joy that lies ahead.
As the sun sets behind the construction site in Glendale, we find ourselves in this curious waiting game—one that weaves together laughter, dreams, and the hope that when the park finally opens, it will indeed create unforgettable memories for families. So, here’s to the future of Mattel Adventure Park! May it soon be a place where the sentiment of childhood is realized, and where all the opinions can finally morph into joyous laughter and exhilarating experiences instead.
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