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A review by ponch22
100 Essays I Don't Have Time to Write: On Umbrellas and Sword Fights, Parades and Dogs, Fire Alarms, Children, and Theater by Sarah Ruhl
5.0
Read this as part of my 2017 Reading for Growth Challenge. I had almost purchased it last year after seeing in on the shelf at NYC's Drama Book Shop. I've wanted to read more of [a:Sarah Ruhl|81678|Sarah Ruhl|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1441834463p2/81678.jpg]'s plays ([b:The Clean House|6105608|The Clean House|Sarah Ruhl|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1327909147s/6105608.jpg|6282945] is the only one I've read so far) and the title caught my eye, but for some reason (probably the other 6 books I bought that day) I didn't pick it up. When I saw "essay collection" on this year's challenge, I knew what to buy and read!
It's probably more of a 4.5* book, but I rounded up because why not? Ruhl has this wonderful way of writing her essays that makes you feel very close to her. I knew nothing about her (besides a few of her plays) but after reading this collection I feel like calling her up next time I'm in NYC to see if she wants to get coffee and talk theatre.
The essays range in size from one sentence to several pages (they probably average around a page and a half). The general conceit is, as a mother of three she has very little time to sit down and write so this book collects a lot of her ideas that could possibly be longer dissertations if time weren't at such a premium. Her writing is concise and smart and funny. The topics she writes about range from using storms on stage to creating neologisms; from comparing the standard theatrical structure to the male orgasm to wondering why so many excellent playwrights get "promoted" to other genres (e.g. screenwriting or TV).
Most of the essays revolve around playwriting and the theatre, so it's not too surprising I enjoyed it. What did surprise me was the sudden urge I felt to write a play of my own. I've never thought of myself as much of a writer. Stand-up comedy, sketches, novels—all feel too difficult for me to do with any sort of regularity (where does one come up with the "idea" for a joke, a sketch, a book?). But while reading [b:100 Essays I Don't Have Time to Write|20613666|100 Essays I Don't Have Time to Write On Umbrellas and Sword Fights, Parades and Dogs, Fire Alarms, Children, and Theater|Sarah Ruhl|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1393644931s/20613666.jpg|39895014] part of me wanted to create a play where a sudden gust of wind affected the plot; where a rhyming epilogue put verse back into theatre; where I refuse to write "End of Play" on the last page and instead just use "The End."
But beyond a few things that came across me I still don't have an idea (or the time) to write anything. Plus I'm way behind in my yearly challenge...
It's probably more of a 4.5* book, but I rounded up because why not? Ruhl has this wonderful way of writing her essays that makes you feel very close to her. I knew nothing about her (besides a few of her plays) but after reading this collection I feel like calling her up next time I'm in NYC to see if she wants to get coffee and talk theatre.
The essays range in size from one sentence to several pages (they probably average around a page and a half). The general conceit is, as a mother of three she has very little time to sit down and write so this book collects a lot of her ideas that could possibly be longer dissertations if time weren't at such a premium. Her writing is concise and smart and funny. The topics she writes about range from using storms on stage to creating neologisms; from comparing the standard theatrical structure to the male orgasm to wondering why so many excellent playwrights get "promoted" to other genres (e.g. screenwriting or TV).
Most of the essays revolve around playwriting and the theatre, so it's not too surprising I enjoyed it. What did surprise me was the sudden urge I felt to write a play of my own. I've never thought of myself as much of a writer. Stand-up comedy, sketches, novels—all feel too difficult for me to do with any sort of regularity (where does one come up with the "idea" for a joke, a sketch, a book?). But while reading [b:100 Essays I Don't Have Time to Write|20613666|100 Essays I Don't Have Time to Write On Umbrellas and Sword Fights, Parades and Dogs, Fire Alarms, Children, and Theater|Sarah Ruhl|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1393644931s/20613666.jpg|39895014] part of me wanted to create a play where a sudden gust of wind affected the plot; where a rhyming epilogue put verse back into theatre; where I refuse to write "End of Play" on the last page and instead just use "The End."
But beyond a few things that came across me I still don't have an idea (or the time) to write anything. Plus I'm way behind in my yearly challenge...