Talk:Leonard Melfi

Lack of cites and PoV

Does anyone have any credible citations establishing Melfi as "one of the most important artists working in the American theatre" during the 1960s? We're not really talking about Schechner or Albee here. Don Wilmeth's latest Cambridge Guide to the American Theatre, the comprehensive compendium of US theatre of all stripes--chose to not even mention Melfi or "The Birdbath." The NYT piece cited says only that he "had his share of accomplishments," while Albee himself added that "no one was more vital than" Melfi, in another cite--hardly a ringing endorsement of Melfi's prominence or importance during this essential decade. If someone cannot establish his preeminence--not with blogs and La MaMa remembrances--it should be stricken. --Vaudedoc (talk) 00:10, 1 August 2009 (UTC)

I'm working on that, actually

Yes, there was a good book published in the 1970s by the Dramatist Guild which heavily features Melfi and his works, as well as his view on the business of writing plays. The book is long out of print but I've ordered it and will refer to it in the article. I appreciate your concerns and, frankly, when I Googled Melfi I also found very little online. But such is the curse of many artists who worked mainly in the 60s and 70s and then dropped from view. --Rudybowwow (talk) 00:19, 6 December 2009 (UTC)