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Best theatre biographies according to redditors

We found 15 Reddit comments discussing the best theatre biographies. We ranked the 6 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the top 20.

Top Reddit comments about Theatre Biographies:

u/Silverfox1984 · 12 pointsr/enoughpetersonspam

It might be more salubrious to cite the personal correspondence of Orwell, and that of his closest associates.

>As to politics, I was only intermittently interested in the subject until about 1935, though I think I can say I was always more or less ‘left.’ In Wigan Pier I first tried to thrash out my ideas. I felt, as I still do, that there are huge deficiencies in the whole conception of Socialism, and I was still wondering whether there was any other way out. After having a fairly good look at British industrialism at its worst, ie. in the mining areas, I came to the conclusion that it is a duty to work for Socialism even if one is not emotionally drawn to it, because the continuance of present conditions is simply not tolerable, and no solution except some kind of collectivism is viable, because that is what the mass of the people want... I have been vaguely associated with Trotskyists and Anarchists, and more closely with the left wing of the Labour Party (the Bevan-Foot end of it). I was literary editor of Tribune, then Bevan’s paper, for about a year and a half (1943–5), and have written for it over a longer period than that. But I have never belonged to a political party, and I believe that even politically I am more valuable if I record what I believe to be true and refuse to toe a party line.
-Orwell in a letter to Richard Usborne, 26 August 1947

...

>The only thing I can be quite certain of is, that up to his last day George was a man of utter integrity; deeply kind,
and ready to sacrifice his last worldly possessions – he never had much – in the cause of democratic socialism. Part of his malaise was that he was not only a socialist but profoundly liberal. He hated regimentation wherever he found it, even in the socialist ranks.
-Letter from Jennie Lee to a Miss Margaret M. Goalby of Presteigne, 23 June 1950

u/david370 · 9 pointsr/philosophy

This is the best place to start:
Ludwig Wittgenstein: The Duty of Genius

u/MondoKai · 7 pointsr/TransyTalk

Not doing summaries/reviews, cause it's late and I'm tired. On request, I suppose. Mostly books, with a couple docs and a few blogs.

Less theory, more personal experiences:

Stone Butch Blues (fiction)
S/He
3 to Infinity: Beyond Two Genders
Gender Failure
Neutrois Nonsense
Asexy Sex
(a)sexual

Actually Theory:
Not Your Mom's Trans 101
My (new) Gender Workbook
You and Your Gender Identity (The author also has some videos)
Any of the videos or articles Zinnia Jones does
As Nature Made Him
Whipping Girl
Queer Theory: An Introduction
Gender Outlaw
Gender Outlaws (same author, different books)
Transgender Warriors
Sexing the Body

And a couple links I make it a point to share whenever I can:
Trans 101 (for trans people
there are some things I need to tell you

u/mx_marvelous · 7 pointsr/ftm

I have many! Here are a few:

Gender Failure by Rae Spoon and Ivan Coyote This is the book version of the authors' live show that toured in 2012. They both are nonbinary, and the stories they tell are about that.

Second Son by Ryan Sallans Ryan has been a role model of mine for a long time, so I was really excited to get his book. It's a pretty basic transition memoir, but he has a really great voice.

Gender Outlaw by Kate Bornstein This one is a classic, and one I wish I had read much sooner! It's a transition memoir, but she also has some awesome discussions about gender in general too. Also, check out The Next Generation which is a collection of the work of trans* writers and artists.

Stone Butch Blues by Leslie Feinberg I think everyone should read this. It's a memoir/fiction sort of thing, and gender and transition are shown to be much more complex than in other transition memoirs. This one is quite old though, so maybe your library already has it?

Lastly, I will suggest Red: A Crayon's Story, which is basically the sweetest story about a blue crayon that was given a red wrapper by mistake.

u/siddboots · 4 pointsr/philosophy

As I said in my Hume comment, a good biography is often the best way to get to know a philosopher. Particularly when their own writings are difficult. Ray Monk's is a very good one for Wittgenstein.

u/judojon · 3 pointsr/askphilosophy

I got a lot out of his biography

u/Petwah · 2 pointsr/AskReddit

You should read "A Nervous Splendor" by Frederik Morton before you go to Vienna. It will absolutely make the city and its history alive for you when you visit.

u/gdoveri · 2 pointsr/AskLiteraryStudies

Also, if you want to look into the relationship and intellectual friendship between Benjamin and Brecht, Erdmut Wizisla (who leads the Benjamin-Brecht archive) has a book that was recently translated into English called Benjamin and Brecht: The Story of a Friendship. I have read the majority of it and enjoyed it.

u/unwounded · 1 pointr/AskReddit

Manhunt is one of the best historical non-fiction books I've read. It's a history of the hunt for John Wilkes Booth following Lincoln's assassination. It's really well written and intense throughout.

https://www.amazon.com/Manhunt-12-Day-Chase-Lincolns-Killer/dp/0060518499

u/ok_backbay · 1 pointr/pics

I'm about 1/3 of the way through James Swanson's book on the manhunt for Booth. It's a good read so far.

u/mokadude1 · 1 pointr/AskHistorians

Not about lincoln himself. But this book is insanely interesting and worth a read

u/Rauxbaught · 1 pointr/askphilosophy

I'd just like to chime in that Monk's biography does deal with Wittgenstein's homosexuality, and does spend a fair amount of time with the claim he beat children. I haven't read Bartley's biography, but Monk's is an absolute pleasure to read, walking that perfect line between explaining his life and introducing the reader to his philosophy.

Here is the version I have: http://www.amazon.com/Ludwig-Wittgenstein-Genius-Ray-Monk/dp/0140159959/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1321549883&amp;sr=8-1

u/kutuzof · 1 pointr/SRDBrokeBooks

Ludwig Wittgenstein: The Duty of Genius

u/SobriKate · 1 pointr/asktransgender

Best theatre biographies according to redditors

1. Ludwig Wittgenstein: The Duty of Genius

2. Gender Outlaw: On Men, Women, and the Rest of Us

3. Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer

4. Benjamin and Brecht: The Story of a Friendship

5. Modern Classics a Life in Letters (Penguin Modern Classics)

6. A Nervous Splendor: Vienna 1888-1889

Top Reddit comments about Theatre Biographies: