Congressman Davy – the new musical I have written with Dean Schlabowske about Davy Crockett's political rise and fall – has had a long journey. I started to write Congressman Davy in 2014. Finished a first complete draft of book and lyrics in 2018. Dean finished the bulk of the
It is a very exciting day for this dramatist. And for any subscriber to Stage Write involved as a performer or supporter in my latest project. The soundtrack to Congressman Davy – a musical I have written with Dean Schlabowske of the Waco Brothers – is out today on CD, as a
It was more than a bit of a thrill to find a new review of Beauty Doesn't Reach Me (We Heard You Like Books) in my email today. Chris Oxley's piece on the book at Zona Motel looks at Beauty Doesn't Reach Me with
My new book, Beauty Doesn’t Reach Me, examines the journey of antifascist playwright Ernst Toller’s death mask from the hands of its maker to the collection at the Leo Baeck Institute in New York City. Along the way, a new window into the anti-comic book crusade of
Neil Denny's Little Atoms podcast is one of the best places to check in on the latest intellectual currents in literature, science, art and politics. It is always terrific to see writers whom you know there: George Saunders discussing his new book, Vigil, or Laura Lippman talking about
This is the fourth and final essay in a series written to coincide with the publication of Beauty Doesn’t Reach Me (We Heard You Like Books). Order a copy now. One of the things I discovered quickly as I started to research the death mask of antifascist playwright and
This is the third in a series of essays written to coincide with the publication of Beauty Doesn’t Reach Me (We Heard You Like Books). Order a copy now. My new book, Beauty Doesn’t Reach Me, would not exist without Florence “Hesketh” Wertham. Hesketh – who preferred to be
This is the second in a series of essays written to coincide with the publication of Beauty Doesn’t Reach Me (We Heard You Like Books). Order a copy now. The mysteries surrounding Ernst Toller’s death and afterlife are numerous. Why did he commit suicide at Manhattan’s Hotel
This is the first in a series of essays written to coincide with the publication of Beauty Doesn’t Reach Me (We Heard You Like Books). Order a copy now. Antifascist playwright, poet and activist Ernst Toller is not a familiar name in 2026. Yet when he committed suicide in
We have put together an all-star cast for Congressman Davy- a musical journey that revisits the political career of Davy Crockett that I have written with Dean Schlabowske. Find out how you can help us tell Crockett's amazing but true tale later this spring! Everybody remembers the
We are bringing Congressman Davy – a new musical about Davy Crockett's political career – to a wider public for America's Semiquincentennial in 2026. Find out how you can help! The immense gap between the reality and legend of Davy Crockett first snapped into focus in 1835 – the
On this day, two centuries ago, there was a revolt in Saint Petersburg. (December 14th on the old Russian calendar.) Those who launched it were largely composed of a new generation of Russian men who had served in the military and imbibed the revolutionary zeal (and principles) of the American