Received a finished copy of THE O'NEILL, the book I spent a year researching and writing. It was a fine way to spend a year. I had long, meaty conversations with more than a hundred people (including Edward Albee, John Guare, Chris Durang, Lynne Meadows, Robert Redford, Jeanine Tesori, Michael Douglas, Amy Saltz, Courtney Vance, Paulette Haupt, Wendy Goldberg, and Bobby Lopez and his collaborator-wife Kristen Anderson-Lopez), had the excuse to revisit much of recent American theatre history, and got to put together a lot of stories for the first time. A particular pleasure -- I just got a note from the O'Neill's founder, George C. White, and his wife Betsy, and they were enthusiastic and seemed to think I had done right by their life's work. I could hardly get a greater compliment. It's on a par with when, during my last conversation with Paul Sills (a man not given to compliments), he referred to my book about Second City (SOMETHING WONDERFUL RIGHT AWAY) and said, "You know, Sweet, I've been thinking about that book of yours, and I think you made a contribution." I don't choke up easily, but it took several seconds before I could make a sound in reply.

Though the books are about two substantially different places (and are divided by 36 years), there are parallels. I was attracted to writing about both because both the O'Neill and Second City are places that changed the game in American theatre, pioneering new ways to build stuff, and establishing methods that would become part of the DNA of our culture. There are hundreds if not thousands of improvisational theatres built in imitation of or reaction to Second City, and almost every new play program based in theatres or universities around the country borrows from lessons learned at the O'Neill.

Tomorrow Kristine and I go to the O'Neill Center's Monte Cristo Awards where I'm guessing I'll finally meet Meryl Streep. (She kindly wrote a spritely foreword to the book, but I've never met her, though we've been in the same room a few times.) Lots of other O'Neill alumni will be there. It should be quite a time. I'll report on it, promise.