New Orleans and Its Influence on the Work of Lillian Hellman

In her article, "New Orleans and Its Influence on the Work of Lillian Hellman," Charlotte Headrick explores playwright Lillian Hellman's life and work. Headrick proposes that Hellman was indelibly shaped by her years in the city of New Orleans. In her early childhood, Hellman would spend half a year in New York and half a year in New Orleans, home to her parents. Despite this seemingly schizophrenic upbringing, she considered herself a Southerner to the end of her days and, in fact, defined herself less by her Jewishness than by her "Southernness." Hellman's plays and memoirs are peppered with references to food and the last volume she published was neither a play nor a memoir but a cookbook. Hellman's life continues to fascinate and, since her death, there have been several plays written about her life and a television film based on her love affair with Dashiell Hammett. Headrick explores Hellman's love affair with New Orleans and how this city infused her memories, her plays, and her love of fine food. Charlotte Headrick, "New Orleans and Its Influence on the Work of Lillian Hellman" page 2 of 11 CLCWeb: Comparative Literature and Culture 5.3 (2003):