True West

More about the book

An intimate portrait of the iconic playwright, actor, and director Sam Shepard, this sweeping biography charts his journey from a small town in southern California to international acclaim. The son of an alcoholic father, Shepard crafted a public persona as the authentic American archetype: the loner, cowboy, and drifter. Despite his critical and financial success, he often felt dispossessed, much like his characters. This biography delves deeply into his life and the ways his work reflects it, taking readers through the vibrant world of downtown theater in the early sixties, the jazz scene at the Village Gate, and fringe theatre in London during the seventies. It also explores his involvement in Bob Dylan's legendary Rolling Thunder tour and the making of classic films like Zabriskie Point, Days of Heaven, and The Right Stuff, alongside Broadway productions such as Buried Child and True West. The author interviewed dozens of people who knew Shepard well, many speaking on the record for the first time. Through his relationships with notable figures like Patti Smith, Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, and Jessica Lange, the biography positions Shepard not only as a great American writer but as a unique figure who brought rock 'n' roll sensibility to serious theater.