Arthur Crew Inman
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Arthur Crew Inman (ca. 1895 - ca. 1963) was a reclusive and unsuccessful American poet whose 17-million word diary, extending from 1919 to 1963, is one of the longest English language diaries on record.
Inman grew up in Atlanta and seems to have had some kind of serious breakdown at 21. He moved to Boston, where he became increasingly obsessed with his health. He lived for much of his life in dark, soundproofed apartments. Having inherited wealth meant he was able to afford his hypochondria and other eccentric ways, as well as servants and people hired specially to come and talk to him. His wife, Evelyn, appears to have accepted that he would have sex with some of these so-called 'talkers'. He attempted suicide on several occasions, and finally succeeded with a revolver in 1963.
Inman was obsessive about his diaries which he hoped would bring him immortality. Following his death, the 155 volumes of the diary remained mostly unpublished. In 1985, Harvard professor of English and American literature Daniel Aaron painstakingly put together and published a two-volume abridged edition.
Inman's diary is not only considered unique by some but has been called 'the most remarkable diary ever published by an American'. Through its many volumes, Inman provides a panoramic record of people, events, and observations from more than four decades of the twentieth century.
A play based on the diary, written by Lorenzo DeStefano, was produced at Seattle Repertory Theatre and at London's Almeida Theatre, both productions helmed by Jonathan Miller [1]. A film adaptation, "HYPERGRAPHIA", is currently in active development [2] [3]
In September 2007 an opera based on the diaries and on DeStefano's play had its world premiere in Boston, Massachusetts. The Inman Diaries, composed by Thomas Oboe Lee on a libretto by Jesse J. Martin. The opera was commissioned and produced by Intermezzo - The New England Chamber Opera Series.[3]
