J. B. (signed)

Archibald MacLeish

Published by Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, 1972

About this Item

Archibald MacLeish (1892 â " 1982) was an American poet and writer, who was associated with the modernist school of poetry MacLeish studied English at Yale University and law at Harvard University He enlisted in and saw action during the First World War and lived in Paris in the 1920s On returning to the United States, he contributed to Henry Luce's magazine Fortune from 1929 to 1938 For five years, MacLeish was the ninth Librarian of Congress, a post he accepted at the urging of President Franklin D Roosevelt From 1949 to 1962, he was Boylston Professor of Rhetoric and Oratory at Harvard He was awarded three Pulitzer Prizes for his work JB is a 1958 play written in free verse, and is a modern-day retelling of the story of the biblical figure Job The play is about JB (a stand-in for Job), a devout millionaire with a happy domestic life whose life is ruined The play went through several incarnations before it was finally published MacLeish began the work in 1953 as a one-act production, but within three years, had expanded it to a full, three-act manuscript The play has won several accolades, including the 1959 Tony Award for Best Play and the 1959 Pulitzer Prize for Drama This paperback copy is fine in black, green and blue printed wrappers No marks or damage at all It is inscribed by MacLeish at the top of the half title page and dated 1972 There is an envelope laid inside the front wrapper, dated 1947 and addressed to a Dr Alfred Kaiser, with the return address of MacLeish in NY, and presumably in his hand 153 pp. Sentry edition, paperback, 16th printing.

Seller Inventory # AA1941

Bibliographic Details

• Title: J. B. (signed)
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston
• Publication Date: 1972
• Binding: Soft cover
• Condition: Fine
• Signed: Signed by Author(s)