The Wild Party (poem)
Encyclopedia
The Wild Party is a narrative poem
. Written in the classical epic
style, it is Joseph Moncure March
's first published work.
Upon its 1928 publication, the poem was widely banned, first in Boston
, for having content viewed as wild as the titular party. Despite and perhaps in part due to the controversy surrounding the work, it was a success, although March's subsequent projects, viewed when published as at least slightly less controversial, were more mainstream.
March's literary influence is great, even with this somewhat lesser-known work. When asked once about March's The Wild Party, the acclaimed writer William Burroughs replied, "It's the book that made me want to be a writer."
Show people Queenie and her lover Burrs, who live in a manner considered edgy and decadent at the time, decide to have one of their parties, complete with illegal bathtub gin
and the couple's colorful, eccentric and egocentric friends, but the party does not unfold without more tumultuous goings-on than planned. Each of the primary characters is vibrant and established.
A new paperback edition was released in 1994 with the subtitle The Lost Classic. It featured about fifty black-and-white illustrations by Art Spiegelman
, a long-time admirer of the poem.
The Wild Party was adapted into a poorly-received film version, in 1975, and two stage musicals, both produced in New York City
in the same 1999–2000 theater season. The first, by Michael John LaChiusa
, was mounted on Broadway
and the other, by Andrew Lippa
, performed off-Broadway
.
The Wild Party has been translated into French, German, Spanish and Swedish.
Narrative poetry
Narrative poetry is poetry that has a plot. The poems that make up this genre may be short or long, and the story it relates to may be simple or complex. It is usually nondramatic, with objective regular scheme and meter. Narrative poems include epics, ballads, idylls and lays.Some narrative...
. Written in the classical epic
Epic poetry
An epic is a lengthy narrative poem, ordinarily concerning a serious subject containing details of heroic deeds and events significant to a culture or nation. Oral poetry may qualify as an epic, and Albert Lord and Milman Parry have argued that classical epics were fundamentally an oral poetic form...
style, it is Joseph Moncure March
Joseph Moncure March
Joseph Moncure March was an American poet and essayist, best known for his long narrative poems The Wild Party and The Set-Up.- Life :...
's first published work.
Upon its 1928 publication, the poem was widely banned, first in Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, for having content viewed as wild as the titular party. Despite and perhaps in part due to the controversy surrounding the work, it was a success, although March's subsequent projects, viewed when published as at least slightly less controversial, were more mainstream.
March's literary influence is great, even with this somewhat lesser-known work. When asked once about March's The Wild Party, the acclaimed writer William Burroughs replied, "It's the book that made me want to be a writer."
Show people Queenie and her lover Burrs, who live in a manner considered edgy and decadent at the time, decide to have one of their parties, complete with illegal bathtub gin
Bathtub gin
Bathtub gin refers to any style of homemade spirit made in amateur conditions. The term first appeared in 1920, in the prohibition-era United States, in reference to the poor-quality alcohol that was being made....
and the couple's colorful, eccentric and egocentric friends, but the party does not unfold without more tumultuous goings-on than planned. Each of the primary characters is vibrant and established.
A new paperback edition was released in 1994 with the subtitle The Lost Classic. It featured about fifty black-and-white illustrations by Art Spiegelman
Art Spiegelman
Art Spiegelman is an American comics artist, editor, and advocate for the medium of comics, best known for his Pulitzer Prize-winning comic book memoir, Maus. His works are published with his name in lowercase: art spiegelman.-Biography:Spiegelman was born in Stockholm, Sweden, to Polish Jews...
, a long-time admirer of the poem.
The Wild Party was adapted into a poorly-received film version, in 1975, and two stage musicals, both produced in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
in the same 1999–2000 theater season. The first, by Michael John LaChiusa
Michael John LaChiusa
Michael John LaChiusa is an American musical theatre and opera composer, lyricist, and librettist. He is best known for complex, musically challenging shows such as Hello Again, Marie Christine, The Wild Party, and See What I Wanna See...
, was mounted on Broadway
The Wild Party (LaChiusa musical)
The Wild Party is a musical with a book by Michael John LaChiusa and George C. Wolfe and music and lyrics by LaChiusa. It is based on the 1928 Joseph Moncure March narrative poem of the same name...
and the other, by Andrew Lippa
Andrew Lippa
Andrew Lippa is an American composer, lyricist, book writer, performer, and producer. He is a resident artist at the Ars Nova Theater in New York City.-Biography:...
, performed off-Broadway
The Wild Party (Lippa musical)
The Wild Party is a musical with book, lyrics, and music by Andrew Lippa. It is based on Joseph Moncure March's 1928 narrative poem of the same name...
.
The Wild Party has been translated into French, German, Spanish and Swedish.