I grew up in Jackson, Mississippi, really in suburbia, so my mother was in community theatre plays. Beth Henley More Quotes by Beth Henley More Quotes From Beth Henley But here's the thing: what you do as a screenwriter is you sell your copyright. As a novelist, as a poet, as a playwright, you maintain your copyright. Beth Henley copyright novelists poet That's what I like about [smoking] . . . taking a drag off of death, Mmm! Gives me a sense of controlling my own destiny. What power! What exhilaration! Want a drag? Beth Henley destiny smoking giving I love to work, although sometimes I can spend whole days doing nothing more than picking the lint off the carpet and talking to my mother on the phone. Beth Henley phones mother talking It was kind of enlightening to become a playwright. Beth Henley playwright enlightening kind What I loved about the acting class was that you got to think all day long about a person that wasn't you, and figure out why they were sad and what they wanted, what they dreamed. Beth Henley class long thinking There are probably brilliant people, geniuses, alive today who don't even know how to say, "Hello, how do you do?" because their minds are absorbed with electronic images. Beth Henley live-for-today mind people Part of that is that New York has proved to be too much fun for me to live and work; I love New York so much. Beth Henley too-much new-york fun I find it fascinating to think about what the world is going to be like when people won't talk anymore. Beth Henley people world thinking The impetus behind going to graduate school was a year after graduating from college spent in Dallas working at the dog food factory and Bank America and not having met success in my chosen field, which at that point was being an actress. Beth Henley college dog school That was always my inclination, to start on a new play before the other one gets done, because at least you'll have something to go back to if that play gets trashed. Beth Henley inclination done play I did write a couple of original screenplays, but I'd rather write plays. Beth Henley couple play writing I tried to start a theatre in LA and failed miserably, but I was probably not meant to raise money. Beth Henley raises theatre The next thing I wrote was in a writing class at night school. It was about a poor woman who worked at a dime store and who was all alone for Christmas in Laurel, Mississippi. Beth Henley christmas writing school It's really interesting that whenever you do something that is so out of character, like having an emotional outburst, that you don't get in trouble. Beth Henley emotional character interesting My fault now is making my plays too short. Beth Henley faults too-short play Some really good things kind of swing both ways and I like to see people that can swing really, really, really sad and horrible and terrible and really, really, really beautiful and funny. Beth Henley funny-things swings beautiful Plays are so much more special if they've never ever had a production, but I think you can really work on a play and make it better with each production. Beth Henley special play thinking The most glorious thing about working in the collaborative art is when you have somebody like Susan Kingsley or Kathy Bates who are better than your play. Beth Henley art-is play art My first few plays took place in the South and even The Lucky Spot was in the thirties but in Louisiana. Beth Henley louisiana lucky play I was just restless with being in school; so I went out to Los Angeles. Beth Henley restless los-angeles school
