Spalding gray swimming to cambodia book

It was nothing like the verbal aerobics of shakespeare or the pageantry of opera, yet i was completely. Spalding gray american writer, monologuist, and actor. He adapted it as a film in 1987, directed by jonathan demme. Gray s ramblings encompass such subject as southeast asian. Mar, 1987 it would be wrong to think of swimming to cambodia as a oneman show, even though it captures the performance of a single artist, spalding gray, as he sits alone on an almost empty stage. Originally published in 1985, swimming to cambodia is reissued here 20 years later in a new edition as a tribute to gray s singular artistry. Swimming to cambodia by jonathan demme jonathan demme. Book recommendations, author interviews, editors picks, and more. He wrote and starred in several, working with different directors. He had performed this monologue in new york city, and published it as a book in 1985. The original running time of the performance was four hours long and took place over two nights.

Spalding grays extraordinary memoirmonologue, based on his experiences as an actor in the film the killing fields. He is best known for the autobiographical monologues that he wrote and performed for the theater in the 1980s and 1990s, as well as for his film adaptations of these works, beginning in 1987. The author spent eight weeks in southeast asia creating the role of the ambassadors aide for the academy awardwinning film, the killing fields. Swimming to cambodia, by spalding gray nick hern books. Ah, but when the monologist is the brilliant spalding gray, then the audience is in for a cerebral feast. Spalding gray detailed the minutiae of his neuroses, fears, experiences, and desires through his cutting and dry selfdeprecating humor. Swimming to cambodia by spalding gray, roger rosenblatt, james leverett. The collected works of spalding gray picador books by gray, spalding at. Theres a fair amount of filler in this book, seeing as its primarily composed of an unfinished monologue, a few short pieces, and many essays of appreciation from various people. See more ideas about spalding gray, grey and monologues. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read swimming to cambodia.

Swimming to cambodia book by spalding gray 3 available. It took courage to do what spalding didcourage to make theat. Swimming to cambodia by spalding gray fantastic fiction. Spalding gray collection on letterman, 19861990 youtube. Swimming to cambodia ebook by spalding gray rakuten kobo.

If you want to learn how to deliver a monologue, spalding gray is your man and swimming to cambodia is dvd to watch and watch again. The performance film is of gray s play and monologue, which centered on such themes as his trip to southeast asia to create the role of the u. It is a classic piece of theatre captured in book form and brings to mind the. Swimming to cambodia gray, spalding, rosenblatt, roger, leverett, james on. Swimming to cambodia ebook written by spalding gray. Actor spalding gray was best known for his monologues, in particular swimming to cambodia 1987, which documents his experience in the film the killing fields.

Spalding gray is the author of swimming to cambodia 4. Spalding gray took his own life by jumping from the staten island ferry into the waters of new york harbor, finally succumbing to the impossible notion that he could in fact swim to cambodia. They were oneman shows with titles like swimming to cambodia, grays anatomy, and monster in a box, performed as i later saw on film at a wooden table, adorned with a single glass of water, with a notebook used occasionally for reference. Swimming to cambodia has 3 available editions to buy at half price books marketplace. Spalding gray discusses his participation in the film the killing fields 1984 and the background story about the troubles of cambodia. Swimming to cambodia was originally a theatre piece on which gray spent two years working. It took courage to do what spalding didcourage to make theatre so naked and unadorned, to expose himself in this way and fight the demons in public. Spalding gray biography life, family, children, history. Swimming to cambodia, book by spalding gray paperback. Swimming to cambodia inscribed twice spalding gray.

In print, its a short book of just over a hundred pages in which he mostly describes the small role he had in the killing fields, a film from 1984 about the genocide under the. Theatre communications group, 1985 cambodia 127 pages. The journals of spalding gray edited by nell casey book. Jan 01, 1985 swimming to cambodia is probably the most famous of all the monologues that spalding gray wrote and performed through his relatively brief career in the 80s and 90s. Spalding gray the author spent eight weeks in southeast asia creating the role of the ambassadors aide for the academy awardwinning film, the killing fields. Swimming to cambodia, grays quest for his perfect momentwhich he had in. An actor, playwright, and novelist, gray came into his own with the 1987 film adaptation of his monologue swimming to cambodia. Swimming to cambodia is probably the most famous of all the monologues that spalding gray wrote and performed through his relatively brief career in the 80s and 90s. Swimming to cambodia, also known as spalding gray s swimming to cambodia, is a 1987 american film written by and. A very sharp copy to boot of this 1986 early reprint 2nd printing. At the same time, he gives a background to the events occurring in cambodia at the time the film was set. Buy swimming to cambodia new ed by gray, spalding, leverett, james, rosenblatt, roger isbn. Gray was in his mid40s by the time of swimming to cambodia, which is where many people first heard of him, but in it, he seems younger.

Spalding gray, american writer, monologuist, and actor born june 5, 1941, barrington, r. Based on his oneman broadway presentation, swimming to cambodia is a mesmerizing account of gray s experiences while playing a small role in the 1984 film the killing fields. His appearance in the killing fields was the inspiration for his swimming to cambodia, which was also filmed by jonathan demme. Gray first achieved prominence in the united states with the film version of his monologue swimming to cambodia.

While vacationing in ireland, gray was in a serious automobile accident in 2001. In print, its a short book of just over a hundred pages in which he mostly describes the small role he had in the killing fields, a film from 1984 about the genocide under the khmer rouge in cambodia. Apr 21, 2005 buy swimming to cambodia new ed by gray, spalding, leverett, james, rosenblatt, roger isbn. Grays anatomy and morning, noon and night, among other works. Swimming to cambodia by spalding gray, paperback barnes.

Originally published in 1985, swimming to cambodia is reissued here 20 years later in a new edition as epub a tribute to gray s singular artistry. Gray s anatomy and morning, noon and night, among other works. A movie as unorthodox as this will not be to everyones liking, but there is a lot to appreciate in this arresting oneman show. Writer, actor and performer, spalding gray is the author of sex and death to the age 14. Swimming to cambodia by spalding gray book cover, description, publication history. Swimming to cambodia, also known as spalding grays swimming to cambodia, is a 1987 american concert film written by and starring spalding gray, and directed by jonathan demme. Dec 09, 2018 all of spalding grays appearances on dave. Oct 30, 2011 in swimming to cambodia the monologue that made spalding gray relatively famous, about the time he spent in thailand playing a small role in the killing fields, the film about. Actor spalding gray says that after monologues, hes going to give up the medium. Swimming to cambodia, also known as spalding gray s swimming to cambodia, is a 1987 american concert film written by and starring spalding gray, and directed by jonathan demme. Warmly inscribed by spalding gray on the halftitle.

Spalding gray june 5, 1941 january 11, 2004 was an american actor and writer. He emits the shaky, precocious energy of an adolescent adopting the beentheredonethat tone of an experienced traveler, but his brighteyed awe at the world around him betrays that image. Spalding gray sits behind a desk throughout the entire film and recounts his exploits and chance encounters while playing a minor role in the film the killing fields. In swimming to cambodia, gray wove his insights on war into his account of the making of the killing fields. With this release, swimming to cambodia becomes a whole lot easier and more affordable to see and own than it has been in a long time, which is good news for fans of spalding gray s first monologue film. Swimming to cambodia by spalding gray free book pdf. Friday, july 16, 2010 swimming to cambodia by spalding gray. Buy a cheap copy of swimming to cambodia book by spalding gray. Spalding grays swimming to cambodia the new york times.