Posted on 08/30/2007 10:56:21 AM PDT by reaganaut1
Arthur Miller, who died in February 2005, [and Inge Morath] had a son born with Down syndrome in 1966. Soon after, they made the painful decision to put the child, Miller’s youngest, in an institution for the mentally retarded before Miller essentially cut him out of his life.
Ms. Andrews describes in detail how Miller rarely, if ever, accompanied his wife on weekly visits to see Daniel, almost never mentioned him to shocked friends and didn’t mention him in his memoir, “Timebends.”
The picture that emerges is of a father in denial and a son who has moved on to live a happy life without him.
...
It’s a subject that most people who knew Miller would rather not discuss. Edward Albee, who spoke movingly at his memorial, declined to comment. And David Richenthal, who produced three Miller revivals, did the same after saying, “I make no judgment.”
Other observers have been less forgiving. In a scathing post last week on the blog for the neoconservative Commentary magazine, James Kirchick suggests that this story “ought to damage permanently Miller’s reputation, if not as a writer, then as a humanitarian.”
What makes the revelation of Daniel so upsetting is how it juxtaposes Miller’s private decision with his public image, as one of the greatest American playwrights and the man who refused to name names before the House Committee on Un-American Activities and eloquently and loudly opposed the Vietnam War.
For many of those who came of age in the middle of the last century a saintly glow hovers around Miller, whose plays have often examined questions of guilt and morality through the prism of family. He was a hero of the left and a champion of the downtrodden. “Lincoln in horn rims” is what the critic Kenneth Tynan called him.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
Just like the song says, Marilyn Monroe should have married Henry Miller.
And I think Miller was over-rated as a writer.
Yet he’s one of the “beautiful people” and the glitterati.
James Kirchick suggests that this story “ought to damage permanently Miller’s reputation
That was the intent, wasn't it? Other than to hopefully make a few bucks in the process. It's the liberal thing to do.
Arthur Miller was a gifted playwrite. Nothing can change that. His plays presented a perspective on life, as all art does. It is only a perspective- a snapshot from his position. What others do with that snapshot is perhaps more open to criticism than his creation of the snapshot.
Besides, you can't fault a man for having the good taste, and wild luck, to be married to Marilyn Monroe.
I have never heard of that song. Don't know if the 35 year age difference would have worked out.
Someone needs to write a play about this compassionate communist.
Attention must not be paid, when inconvenient.
Miller always struck me as a self-righteous jerk.
BTW the tv production starring Dustin Hoffman and John Malkovich was perhaps the most powerful thing I've seen in my life.
Arthur Miller never knew what he deprived himself of. Down’s syndrome kids are just as loving as normal kids and can bring joy as well as sadness.
I agree with you wholeheartedly. He was a hate-filled egomaniacal wretch, who chose his targets in a way calculated to win him supporters among a certain subculture of the American left.
I agree that he was overrated. He struck me as a cold, boring person.
Death of a Failsman........
The only surprise would be if he had handled his disabled son any differently.
He was a lot of things but being over rated as a writer wasn’t one of them.
He was a great writer, who in my opinion was a lousy human being.
He was a bleak, soulless wretch. And his words and his work were a constant reminder of that sad fact.
I have a special needs daughter, and I don’t think lack of compassion is always the answer.
First, I think there was a lack of understanding of all special needs people in the past. It was common practice to institutionalize them.
I also think that lots of parents are in denial about special needs kids.
My daughter has a brain injury, and she looks so normal. It’s very easy to be in denial about her problems (or minamilize them).
Thank God, there is a lot more information about treatment and help for special needs kids these days. There are support groups everywhere. The internet is just wonderful for parents of special needs kids to connect and get information.
Our society has just made tons of leaps and jumps in how we treat special needs people. It was very different in the 60s.
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