Philip C. Kolin Knihy

'Big Daddy' Pollitt, the richest cotton planter in the Mississippi Delta, is about to celebrate his sixty-fifth birthday. His two sons have returned home for the occasion- Gooper, his wife and children, Brick, an ageing football hero who has turned to drink, and his feisty wife Maggie. As the hot summer evening unfolds, the veneer of happy family life and Southern gentility gradually slips away as unpleasant truths emerge and greed, lies, jealousy and suppressed sexuality threaten to reach boiling point. Made into a film starring Elizabeth Taylor and Paul Newman, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof is a masterly portrayal of family tensions and individuals trapped in prisons of their own making.

The book provides a comprehensive examination of the evolution of a significant play, detailing its major productions and adaptations across various mediums, including ballet, film, television, and opera. It highlights key transformations and the impact these adaptations have had on the original work, offering insights into its enduring relevance and cultural significance.

Exploring the multifaceted impacts of COVID-19, the collection captures its effects on America from late 2019 to early 2021, addressing medical, economic, spiritual, and psychological dimensions. It features three types of poems across seven sections, beginning with historical pandemics that resonate with COVID-19's tragedies. The majority focus on the pandemic's toll on children, minorities, and the medical community, while experimental pieces reflect on themes like "memory of breathing" and the "exhaustion of monotony."