Poetry: Matthew Wells, The Manhattan Sonnets
Matthew Wells, a native of the Boston area, moved to New York to become a famous writer, and like so many other people in the arts, has been working desk jobs in large corporate offices ever since. He is the author of over 20 plays, whose subjects range from subatomic physics (Schrödinger’s Girlfriend, performed at the Magic Theatre in 2001) to literary history (Oscar and Adonis, which won the Tennessee Williams Literary Festival Playwriting Award in 2000) to noir thriller (Scarlet Woman, which will be performed as part of the 2011 Frigid Festival in New York). In this segment Wells reads The Manhattan Sonnets which he began in response to an e-mail from a close friend in Australia, which read: "Subject: Challenge. A sonnet to restore one's faith in New York City: harsh and tender, terrible and lovely. We fight, but I love her." There are now over 30 of them.
RELATED PROGRAMS
New River Dramatists
RADIO SERIES
A program of stories, plays, and poetry co-produced with New River Dramatists.
New River Dramatists, located in the Blue Ridge Mountains in North Carolina, is a not-for-profit project that distinguishes itself in that it is looking for writers to assist, not works to produce. Engaging writers on the strength of their individual talents instead of the potential merit of a single piece, payment of Honoraria to all participants, the absence of casting and the commitment to process first are among many factors that, taken all together, make New River Dramatists unique.
