Americans Write for Americans. . .

. . .because an American writes for their self!

Yes, Chloe McDaniel appeared in the dining area like a plot device and got Terri talking about ketchup and catching up and I’ve become acutely aware that I haven’t posted a blog update in God knows how long. Worse still, I haven’t posted a preachy, antiAmerican update in an even longer time!

So I was prompted to write about the audience for which my play is being written and how considering that audience affects the way I write. But the miracle is, I’m an American! God bless! I didn’t consider my audience outside of what obscure history I could get away with referencing in the piece (did you know the O’Neill’s and the McLaughlin’s were two warring Celtic tribes that battled over control of the hill upon which St. Patrick’s Cathedral resides [the Drumsaillech]?) and specific lingo that adds a cadence and rhythm to the piece. I just wrote what I wanted, with little to no worries about offending anyone.

This sounds pretentious, and it is, but it is not without value. See Americans, in general, are brash, opinionated, unfiltered, shameless, and callous when it comes to examining foreign cultures. This makes an American simultaneously the worst and best person to talk to when it comes to evaluating your culture. Their viewpoint will be simple, arbitrary, possibly uninformed, and crassly delivered. But you also won’t find a group of people that are so unashamed and so careless when it comes to their reflection on Americans, global citizens, and human beings at large that they will deliver something that is at least the absolute truth in their perspective. That’s the value that I think bringing a bunch of Americans together to write plays about Ireland (because somebody seriously asked me that! The nerve!), we are relentless in our truth when it comes to talking about anything other than ourselves. Enjoy!

3 comments

  1. Joan Weber's avatar

    One goal of travel, presumably, is to find nuance, difference, commonality and humbleness. Or not. 🙂

  2. Unknown's avatar

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