Lillian Hellman Knihy

In this widely praised follow-up to her National Book Award-winning first volume of memoirs, An Unfinished Woman, the legendary playwright Lillian Hellman looks back at some of the people who, wittingly or unwittingly, exerted profound influence on her development as a woman and a writer. The portraits include Hellman's recollection of a lifelong friendship that began in childhood, reminiscences that formed the basis of the Academy Award-winning film Julia.

Set in an all-girls boarding school, the drama unfolds as a vengeful student falsely accuses the headmistresses of a lesbian affair, leading to devastating consequences for both women. As the rumor spreads, it wreaks havoc on their careers and personal lives. The play explores themes of betrayal, the power of gossip, and the fragility of reputation. Ultimately, the story raises questions about truth and the lasting impact of lies, leaving the audience to ponder whether the damage can ever be undone.

Caustic, brilliant, uncompromising, accomplished, Lillian Hellman, one writer noted, can "take the tops off bottles with her teeth". Her career as a playwright began in 1938 with The Children's Hour, the first of seven plays that would bring her international attention and praise. Thirty years later, Hellman unleashed her peerless wit and candor on the subject she knew best: herself. An Unfinished Woman is a rich, surprising, emotionally charged portrait of a bygone world -- and of an independent-minded woman coming into her own. Wendy Wasserstein's introduction to this new edition provides a fascinating literary and historical context for reexamining Lillian Hellman's life and achievement.

An acting edition of the 1939 drama in which brothers Oscar and Ben Hubbard steal money from their ailing brother-in-law in order to fund a cotton mill, only to be caught by their sister Regina who demands they give her a 75 percent share of the business in exchange for keeping them out of prison

Presents an account of Lillian Hellman's summons to testify before the House Committee on UnAmerican Activities in 1952.