I asked Marc if he would ask Tennessee  Williams to join us as he is one of my favorite authors. I wasn’t sure what he would want to talk about, but I was sure he would have an opinion!

For those not familiar with him, he was the author of the Pulitzer Prize winning plays such as “Streetcar Named Desire” and “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” as well as “The Glass Menagerie” and “Sweet Bird of Youth”.

Marc: Now did you say that you wanted to interview Tennessee Williams?

Diane: Yes is he willing?

Marc: He is right here!

Diane: Aw….thanks Marc!

Marc: Diane you wanted to meet Tennessee as he is one of your favorite authors?

Diane: Yes he is Marc. Did you get to read him?

Marc: I know of his work. Tennessee – should we call you that or did you have another name?

Tennessee: Yes the name I was born with was Tom, but I prefer Tennessee.

Marc: Okay Tennessee…welcome to our show.

(I found it very interesting that he wasn’t appearing to me in human form. He was a mass of light energy.)

Marc: Tennessee…please let me introduce you to Diane. She is a big fan of your work and is my partner in crime.

Tennessee: It is a pleasure to meet you Diane.

Diane: Oh thank you Mr. Williams!

Tennessee: Tennessee, dear, is fine.

Diane: Can you explain why you are not appearing in human form?

Tennessee: It is my preference now. The body that I had as Tennessee was so worn out – misused – that I prefer to not even replicate it by any means. (He also told me that he just couldn’t be bothered).

Marc: Okay so I’ll start some of the questions here….

Tennessee: So this is question and answer time?

Marc: Yes….if you don’t mind. Our readers would be interested, I’m sure, in discovering more about you and your time as Tennessee. You were born where?

Tennessee: In Mississippi. (in 1911)

Marc: You were a world renown author and playwright.

Tennessee: That is correct.

Marc: Is there anything that you would like to tell us about your life or your works?

Tennessee: Well that would be a topic too broad to discuss here, but I would like to talk about vices – taking them to extremes and suffering for one’s Art.

Diane: It seems to me like many brilliant, artistic people are not always the happiest in their lives on earth. Is this what you are getting at?

Tennessee: Yes and why this happens. When souls come down to earth, they have their agendas. When I came down as Tom, I had several – to be a free spirit, develop my muse and to expand awareness of the underdog in society – mainly gay (in my day the term was homosexual) lifestyle. Being gay back then, as you know, was a crime. I never pretended I was anything else – well not after I reached adulthood. My spiritual goal – or one of them – was to represent the down trodden, people with mental illness, gays – people who in general back then did not “fit” into society whether by choice or mental disillusionment. I wrote about them and often told their stories. Many of them began as strong individuals – some didn’t. My works often showed what could happen to their temperaments and lives once society deemed them unacceptable.

Marc: Yeah man…but by the time the 60s rolled around, we lost many of the shackles of the 50s.

Tennessee: Yes I was around then as well. I remember the parties in the 70s especially.

Marc: So why did you choose this theme?

Tennessee: To expose it for what it was – a cruel, unjust societal pattern that wanted to sweep anyone who was different underneath the rug and forget about them. I even chose to experience this first hand.

Marc: So you wanted to expose many of the wrongs in society at that time?

Tennessee: Yes and bring them to the forefront. No one thought at the beginning that I would get anywhere but I did.

Marc: Did you want to talk about some of the struggles that you went through in order to do this?

Tennessee: Well first hand experience in most of these issues helped – my sister Rose (who was given a lobotomy), myself with my sexuality and drug addiction. I was living what I was writing about.

Diane: One of my favorite lines in “A Streetcar Named Desire” is when Blanche says something like “Magic! I don’t want realism, I want magic”.

Tennessee: Yes exactly. Realism is not always easy to live when you feel different from “normal” people.

Marc: Did you feel personally that you achieved your goal?

Tennessee: I did. I got caught up in a lot of superfluous sidelines though. I also came down with my heart on my sleeve. I could be easily hurt and I could be cruel to others. I don’t like to make excuses for bad behavior but most of it was caused by alcohol and drugs.

Marc: Do you feel that you made a difference in that life and how so?

Tennessee: Yes I am very proud of what I did. Some people see my plays as sad – not uplifting at all – and perhaps they aren’t. It’s the passion that my characters had – still knowing that they were different – whether they got broken or not.

Diane: They did usually meet with sad endings didn’t they?

Tennessee: Yes but that helped expose their treatment to those willing to stop and think about society and what it does to those people – wonderful spirits who are brought down. (He also told me that these spirits choose, of course, to come down to play these rolls so it is a learning situation for everyone).

Marc: Is there also some thought here of what you can do if you see yourself in this kind of position – to overcome what others may think and not give a damn?

Tennessee: Yes, of course, if you choose to see it that way. Remember as well that I was writing at a time very different in many ways from today.

Diane: Many of these themes are current today.

Tennessee: Indeed they are but there is a much higher degree of acceptance of people today than there was back then. The earth’s vibration has increased sufficiently to allow this to manifest.

Marc: There is still a way to go.

Tennessee: Oh yes but it’s all working out on schedule.

Marc: Is there anything else that you would like to share with our readers?

Diane: First Marc, I would like to know what you are doing now?

Tennessee: Oh still writing but much more light-hearted plays and musicals – which get performed here. I also send down ideas to aspiring playwrights. Of course they don’t know where the idea is coming from, but then they think “Oh what a brilliant idea!” (His energy smiles.)

Diane: I wish I could see one of your new plays!

Tennessee: All in good time.

Marc: Okay now can I ask if there is anything you would like to share with our readers?

Tennessee: Yes, think about what you say and do to others is my advice to them. Do you judge people for being different from yourself? Are you truly living in an enlightened society? If not, can that start with you? Judgement is a big thing. Think about how often you find yourself judging your neighbor – the homeless person on the street. It adds up, you know, into the collective consciousness. Think about what your thoughts are – that would be my suggestion. Just try it for a day and see for yourself.

Marc: Okay thanks Tennessee. We appreciate that you came to talk us.

Tennessee: It was an interesting experience Marc. I wasn’t sure if I would fit in (he smiles again) not being a rock star.

Marc: We don’t judge people here Tennessee! (Marc smiles too!)

© Bolan-Beaty Boogie

February 16, 2017