John Luther Long
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John Luther Long (1861 – 1927) was an American lawyer and writer best known for his short story "Madame Butterfly" based on the recollections of his sister, Jennie Correll, who had been to Japan with her husband, a Methodist missionary. The story of the relationship between an American naval officer and a Nagasaki geisha (1898) and other short stories [1] were published in Century Magazine.
Long's use of the exotic and the classical in "Madame Butterfly" reflected the blending of Japanese and traditional styles in the arts and crafts movement around the turn of the 19th century and American interest with Japan that began with the "opening of Japan" by Matthew Perry in 1854.
The story interested American playwright David Belasco who, collaborating with Long, adapted it to a one-act play. The play debuted in New York on 5 March 1900. Seven weeks later, Belasco took a three-act version of the play to London's Duke of York Theatre, where it played to full houses. The production caught the attention of Giacomo Puccini, who would compose the immortal opera "Madama Butterfly" with a libretto penned with Long's help.
[edit] External links
- John Luther Long Biography from University of Virginia
