Suzan-Lori Parks
Suzan-Lori Parks: A Trailblazing Playwright and Novelist
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Full Name and Common Aliases
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Suzan-Lori Parks is an American playwright and novelist known for her innovative and provocative works that challenge social norms and conventions.
Birth and Death Dates
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Born on May 10, 1963, in Fort Knox, Kentucky, Suzan-Lori Parks is still active in the literary world today.
Nationality and Profession(s)
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Parks is an American playwright, novelist, and screenwriter. Her work often explores themes of identity, history, and social justice.
Early Life and Background
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Growing up in Fort Knox, Kentucky, Parks was exposed to a diverse community that would later influence her writing. She developed an interest in theater at an early age and began writing plays as a teenager. After graduating from Mount Saint Mary Academy in 1981, she went on to study drama at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy (AMDA) in New York City.
Major Accomplishments
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Throughout her career, Parks has achieved numerous accolades for her work:
First African-American woman to win a Pulitzer Prize for Drama (2002)
Tony Award nominee for Best Play (Topdog/Underdog, 2002) and Best Actress in a Play (Floyd's Barber Shop, 1999)
Obie Award winner for Best New American Play (In the Blood, 1999)Notable Works or Actions
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Some of Parks' most notable works include:
"Topdog/Underdog," a Pulitzer Prize-winning play that explores the lives of two African-American brothers struggling to find their place in the world.
"Floyd's Barber Shop," a play that delves into the experiences of African-American men during the Civil Rights Movement.
"In the Blood," a play that examines the life of a young woman living on the margins of society.
Impact and Legacy
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Suzan-Lori Parks' work has left an indelible mark on the literary world:
Challenging social norms: Parks' plays often push boundaries, exploring themes of identity, history, and social justice.
Diverse representation: Her work provides a platform for underrepresented voices, shedding light on the experiences of African-Americans and other marginalized communities.
Influence on contemporary theater: Parks' innovative style has inspired a new generation of playwrights and artists.Why They Are Widely Quoted or Remembered
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Parks is widely quoted and remembered for her:
Groundbreaking plays: Her work continues to push the boundaries of what is possible in theater.
Unflinching exploration of social issues: Parks' commitment to tackling tough topics has earned her a reputation as a fearless and innovative artist.
Enduring impact on contemporary culture: Her influence can be seen in the work of many other artists, writers, and thinkers.
Quotes by Suzan-Lori Parks
My plays are for the kind of black people who relate to funk music, to Parliament-Funkadelic. When those guys get out of a spaceship - the idea that black people are from outer space, there's a poetic truth to that. We are this vast people.
Overweight southern senators are easy targets. They too easily become focal points of all evil, allowing the arts community to willfully ignore our own bigotry, our own petty evils, our own intolerance which – evil senators or no – will be the death of the arts.
I’m gonna take your mother back to Lincoln,” I says. “I’m gonna get her a new coffin, a nice one, and a nice angel headstone. I’ll put her in the ground real good and all at my expense.” I expect Billy to smile or say thank you or something but she is looking hard at the wrapped quilt, thinking. There’s a part of the dress, just a little bit of the hem.
My plays are for the kind of black people who relate to funk music, to Parliament-Funkadelic. When those guys get out of a spaceship – the idea that black people are from outer space, theres a poetic truth to that. We are this vast people.
I love beautiful black-and-white movies – anything Bette Davis, especially Now, Voyager, Casablanca, Mildred Pierce; anything by Orson Welles, Truffaut, or Godard; and Paper Moon by Peter Bogdanovich.
I don’t consciously start writing a play that involves issues. After it’s done, I sit back like everyone else and think about what it means.
Be bold. Envision yourself living a life that you love. Believe, even if you can only muster your faith for just this moment, believe that the sort of life you wish to live is, at this very moment, just waiting for you to summon it up. And when you wish for it, you begin moving toward it, and it, in turn, begins moving toward you.
People ask me when I decided to become a playwright, and I tell them I decide to do it every day. Most days it's very hard because I'm frightened - not frightened of writing a bad play, although that happens often with me. I'm frightened of encountering the wilderness of my own spirit, which is always , no matter how many plays I write, a new and uncharted place. Every day when I sit down to write, I can't remember how it's done.