John Bassett, Rachel Crothers Broadway Innovator, Feminist Pioneer, Bloomsbury Academic, August 2025.
Thank you, Net Galley and Bloomsbury Academic, for this uncorrected proof for review.
This book is not only about an intriguing and successful professional woman but written by someone who genuinely seems to admire her. John Bassett’s commitment to Rachel Crothers permeates the writing, making it a sheer joy to read. Bassett corrects some misconceptions but explains how they might have come about. His comic touch in reference to those about Crothers age, appears in an aside after his serious discussion of this anomaly and augers well for the way in which he approaches his material. His disappointment that Crothers’ work has almost disappeared, certainly from the stage, and from academic works and books for some time, does not impede his positive approach. He wastes little time on criticising; his reflections are illuminating, but he never diverts from his purpose. This is to redeem the oversight. His enthusiasm to ensure that Rachel Crothers and her work does become known makes this a thoroughly readable book. Bassett has written about Crothers in a work to savour as well as to inform.
The extensive detail provided about Crothers’ plays offers readers an experience akin to being part of her audience. Through this attention to the work, and Crothers’ reaction to reviews together with analysis of the critical reception of her work they exhibit, she emerges as a known figure. One that is a pleasure to know, written about by someone who also feels this way. See Books: Reviews for the complete review.
Thomas P. Slaughter The Sewards of New York A Biography of a Leading American Political Family Cornell University Press, October 2025.
Thank you, NetGalley, for providing me with this uncorrected proof for review.
Thomas P. Slaughter has written an incredibly dense informative book about the Seward family. To assist in finding the various family members who appear in typically detailed and insightful accounts, a list of the main characters and a family tree for both the Sewards and the Millers are provided at the front of the book. Some of the stories about family members are intriguing, particularly when they are juxtaposed with alternative perspectives from other family members, or Slaughter’s almost intuitive asides. One such story is that of Henry Seward, and we are left wondering whether his actions are a justifiable rebellion at his father’s harsh parenting, or whether he was as shameful a character as some of the material suggests. It is this level of intrigue and alternative explanation that kept me reading, even though for me, at times the narrative lagged. Despite this and the density of the material, and its dependence on family narrative, with the political narrative taking a second place, I found it tempting to keep returning to read more. For the reader keen to garner new information about this political family and the times, rather than the academic studying the period, this is possibly the best, if not only way, to approach the material. I found it worthwhile doing so. See Books: Reviews for the complete review.
I was sent a kindle copy of this novel by Dervla McTiernan and BookFunnel. However, the only copy I can find for sale is this audible, reviewed on Good Reads. It seemed worthwhile posting my review here.
Dervla McTiernan, The Fireground, BookFunnel, 2025.
I found this novel a departure from Dervla McTiernan’s other work and took some time to appreciate it. However, I then read it in a night, as I became attached to the characters, and wanted to know how their lives developed from the damaging events with which the book begins. When I finished, I felt that I would like to know more about Flynn, Noah, and Kaiya – is there going to be a follow up, Dervla McTiernan?
Flynn and Kaiya are sisters, and must navigate their lives as school students, at risk from predatory relatives and juggling domestic, educational, and work priorities after their parents are killed in a car smash. Noah is an indifferent student, and his mother is a perpetual victim of his stepfather’s violence. Until this violence reaches a shocking conclusion, Noah’s father has been absent. See Books: Reviews for the complete review.
American Politics
November 5, 2025
Heather Cox Richardson from Letters from an American <heathercoxrichardson@substack.com>
New York City mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, a member of both the Democratic Party and the Democratic Socialists of America, began his victory speech last night with a nod to Eugene V. Debs, labor organizer and Socialist candidate for president at the turn of the last century.“
The sun may have set over our city this evening, but as Eugene Debs once said: ‘I can see the dawn of a better day for humanity.’”The 34-year-old mayor-elect’s speech went on to deliver something that was more than a victory speech. It marked a new era much like the one that had given rise to Debs himself. After more than forty years in which ordinary Americans had seen the political system being stacked against them and, over time, forgotten they had agency to change it, they had woken up.
Mamdani began by lifting up New York City’s working people, noting that “[f]or as long as we can remember,” they “have been told by the wealthy and the well-connected that power does not belong in their hands…. And yet,” he said, “over the last 12 months, you have dared to reach for something greater.”
“Tonight,” he said, “against all odds, we have grasped it. The future is in our hands.” New York, he said, had delivered “[a] mandate for change. A mandate for a new kind of politics. A mandate for a city we can afford. And a mandate for a government that delivers exactly that.”
Mamdani thanked “the next generation of New Yorkers who refuse to accept that the promise of a better future was a relic of the past.” And that was the heart of his message: that democracy belongs to ordinary people. “We will fight for you,” he said, “because we are you.”
He thanked “Yemeni bodega owners and Mexican abuelas. Senegalese taxi drivers and Uzbek nurses. Trinidadian line cooks and Ethiopian aunties.” He assured “every New Yorker in Kensington and Midwood and Hunts Point” that “this city is your city, and this democracy is yours too.”
Mamdani celebrated the hard work of democracy in his win. It was a victory not just for all those who make up New York City, he said, but also for “the more than 100,000 volunteers who built this campaign into an unstoppable force…. With every door knocked, every petition signature earned, and every hard-earned conversation, you eroded the cynicism that has come to define our politics.”
With that base of Americans engaged in the work of democracy, Mamdani welcomed a new era. “There are many who thought this day would never come, who feared that we would be condemned only to a future of less, with every election consigning us simply to more of the same,” he said. “And there are others who see politics today as too cruel for the flame of hope to still burn.”
But in New York City last night, he said, “we have answered those fears…. Hope is alive. Hope is a decision that tens of thousands of New Yorkers made day after day, volunteer shift after volunteer shift, despite attack ad after attack ad. More than a million of us stood in our churches, in gymnasiums, in community centers, as we filled in the ledger of democracy.”
“And while we cast our ballots alone, we chose hope together. Hope over tyranny. Hope over big money and small ideas. Hope over despair. We won because New Yorkers allowed themselves to hope that the impossible could be made possible. And we won because we insisted that no longer would politics be something that is done to us. Now, it is something that we do.”
Mamdani promised a government that would answer to the demands of the people. It would address the city’s cost-of-living crisis, invest in education, improve infrastructure, and cut bureaucratic waste. It would, he said, work with police officers to reduce crime while also defending community safety and demanding excellence in government.
Mamdani pushed back not just against the smears thrown his way during the campaign, but also against the deliberate division of the country that has been a staple of Republican rhetoric since 1972, when President Richard Nixon’s vice president Spiro Agnew embraced his role as the key purveyor of “positive polarization.” In its place, he called for community and solidarity.
“In this new age we make for ourselves,” Mamdani said, “we will refuse to allow those who traffic in division and hate to pit us against one another…. Here, we believe in standing up for those we love, whether you are an immigrant, a member of the trans community, one of the many Black women that Donald Trump has fired from a federal job, a single mom still waiting for the cost of groceries to go down, or anyone else with their back against the wall. Your struggle is ours, too.”
Mamdani, who is Muslim, promised to “build a City Hall that stands steadfast alongside Jewish New Yorkers and does not waver in the fight against the scourge of antisemitism. Where the more than 1 million Muslims know that they belong—not just in the five boroughs of this city, but in the halls of power.”
He called for a government of both competence and compassion. “For years,” he said, “those in City Hall have only helped those who can help them. But on January first, we will usher in a city government that helps everyone.”
Mamdani took on the problem of disinformation in modern politics, noting that “many have heard our message only through the prism of misinformation. Tens of millions of dollars have been spent to redefine reality and to convince our neighbors that this new age is something that should frighten them.” He laid that disinformation at the feet of the very wealthy in their quest to divide working Americans to make sure they retain power. “[A]s so often occurred,” he said, “the billionaire class has sought to convince those making $30 an hour that their enemies are those earning $20 an hour. They want the people to fight amongst ourselves so that we remain distracted from the work of remaking a long-broken system.”
Mamdani urged New Yorkers to embrace a “brave new course, rather than fleeing from it.” If they do, he said, “we can respond to oligarchy and authoritarianism with the strength it fears, not the appeasement it craves.”
Mamdani identified the popular momentum to defeat President Donald J. Trump, but made the point that the goal is not simply to stop Trump, but also to stop the next Trump who comes along. While Mamdani’s prescription focused on the avenues of resistance open to New York City government, he emphasized that for the president “to get to any of us,” he will have to “get through all of us.”
Mamdani called for New Yorkers to “leave mediocrity in our past,” and for Democrats to “dare to be great.” When Mamdani said, “New York, this power, it’s yours,” and told New Yorkers, “[t]his city belongs to you,” millions of Americans heard a reminder that they, too, are powerful and that the government of the United States of America belongs to them.Mamdani won election yesterday backed by just over half the city’s voters, in an election characterized by extraordinarily high turnout. Andy Newman of the New York Times noted yesterday that in the last four New York City mayoral elections, fewer than a third of registered voters turned out. Yesterday, more than 2 million voters voted, the highest turnout for a mayoral election since 1969.And that turnout is a key part of the story of yesterday’s Democratic wave. As Mamdani said, American voters appear, once again, to be aware of their agency in our democracy.—
Notes: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/nov/05/zohran-mamdani-victory-speech-transcripthttps://www.thecity.nyc/2025/11/04/record-voters-ballots-cast-mamdani-cuomo-sliwa/https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/04/nyregion/nyc-mayor-election-turnout.html
Abigail Spanberger’s speech*
Nov 05, 2025
Gov.-elect Abigail Spanberger
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you all so much.
My fellow Virginians. Tonight, we sent a message — we sent a message to every corner of the Commonwealth; a message to our neighbors and our fellow Americans across the country; we sent a message to the whole world — that in 2025, Virginia chose pragmatism over partisanship. We chose our Commonwealth over chaos.
You all chose leadership that will focus relentlessly on what matters most: lowering costs, keeping our communities safe, and strengthening our economy for every Virginian — leadership that will focus on problem solving, not stoking division.
You chose leadership that will always put Virginia first. And Virginia, I cannot wait to get to work for you.
Tonight, we turned a page. We turned that page by listening to our neighbors, focusing on practical results, laying out a clear agenda, and leading with decency and determination.
To everyone who helped us achieve this win — from the bottom of my heart — I thank you for the trust you have placed in me and it is the honor of my lifetime to be elected the 75th Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia!
I would like to thank my opponent for a hard fought race.
The Lieutenant Governor’s story, her military service, and her years of service to Virginia — deserve our respect. I ask you join me in wishing her and her family well.
I also know that her supporters are disappointed today — and to those Virginians who did not vote for me — I want you to know that my goal and intent is to serve all Virginians and that means I will listen to you. I will work for and with you. That is the approach I’ve taken throughout my whole career. I have worked with anyone and everyone — regardless of political party — to deliver results for the people that I serve.
That’s because I believe in this idea: that there is so much more that unites us as Virginians and as Americans than divides us. I know in my heart that we can unite for Virginia’s future and we can set an example for the rest of the nation.
Our founders understood this from the very beginning. They didn’t choose to call Virginia a “Commonwealth” by accident. They chose it to signify that our government would be based on the power of the people united for a common good. Not for a political party. Not for a President. Not for a monarch. But for a common good. Together.
And tonight, Virginia proved that tradition is alive and well. We are still a Commonwealth in every sense of the word. We are built on the things we share, not the things that pull us apart, and I’m proud that our campaign earned votes from Democrats, Republicans, Independents, and everyone in-between.
That’s the Virginia I know. That’s the Virginia I love. And that’s the Virginia I will have the honor of serving as your next Governor.
I want to thank so many people for the support they’ve given to our campaign. Thank you for your work.
Thank you to our tireless volunteers — to those who have believed in me — thank you for devoting your time your energy, your conviction to this campaign. Thank you for braving the heat, then the cold, then the rain, then the sun. Thank you.
Thank you for talking to your neighbors about the importance of this race. Thank you for recognizing that when we went person to person engaging, we could bring people not just into supporting our campaign, but engaging in our democracy.
We won this race because of you.
To our campaign team — you are the best team in the country. Every single one of you worked tirelessly for the change, the progress, the policies, the connection, and the respect that you want to see in our communities.
Thank you for working so hard. Thank you for giving people hope. Thank you for knocking doors in the sweltering heat. Thank you for showing kindness. Thank you for showing up in every corner of Virginia. Thank you for diving deep on policy. Thank you for capturing moments and the essence of our campaign. Thank you for reaching voters everywhere, and thank you for believing that Virginia could and would send a hopeful and joyful message.
Thank you for giving everything, everything to this campaign — and then some.
And thank you to my family [husband, daughters, sisters]… friends…
I’ve talked a lot throughout this campaign about the importance of service and how it’s shaped my life and my approach to public office. That all came from my parents.
But this commitment to service isn’t unique to my family — it’s engrained in so many Virginia families. It’s part of Virginia’s story.
Here, in Virginia, this is where American democracy was born, and where we’re still working to perfect it today.
Where James Madison built the framework for our Constitution to protect us from tyranny.
Where Washington and Jefferson fought to establish a government of, by, and for the people.
It’s also where Barbara Johns — a 16-year-old student from Farmville — led a walkout of students that would be part of the Brown v. Board of Education case to integrate public schools.
Barbara Johns never gave up and she showed us that no matter your age you can be part of the change and progress that you want to see here in Virginia and across the nation.
We were a nation founded on ideas — but we are a country where it is up to us — the citizens — who must put those ideas into action. It is us — the citizens who work to make change and progress — and built upon the foundation laid out over so many years. Now, Virginia, it is our time to lead…
It is a big deal that the girls and young women I have met along the campaign trail now know with certainty that they can achieve anything. It is a big deal to the woman older than I am — who forged the path in dreams, hard work, and belief that change and progress would be possible so many of us could follow in your footsteps — in any career, any role, any challenge.
The history Virginia is making tonight is yours — and I thank those who have come before me — and Mary Sue Terry in particular. She was the first woman elected statewide in Virginia, and because of her and the continued work of so many, there will be many more women to come for generations to come.
So, now that the campaign is over — the real work begins.
Because this was never just about winning an election. It was about what comes next. It is about the governing.
Virginia voters made their choice tonight. And that choice was loud and clear:
We’re going to lower the cost of renting, buying, or staying in your home. We are going to cut red tape and build homes families can actually afford.
We’re going to lower healthcare costs. We are going to crack down on predatory pharmaceutical practices and surprise billing.
We’re going produce more energy and we’re going to lower energy costs. We are going to produce more energy here in Virginia and make sure that data centers pay their fair share.
We’re going to grow Virginia’s economy by investing in the apprenticeships and job training of the future. We are going to leverage AI and cutting-edge manufacturing to bring more capital investment into our Commonwealth.
We’re going to take politics out of our schools. We are going to make sure that teachers are well paid and well respected, so that our students can focus on actually learning and so parents know that their child will succeed.
And we’re going to make our communities safer, by providing the training, pay, and support that our law enforcement community needs and deserves.
These aren’t slogans on a bumper sticker. They are actionable policies I’m ready to implement on day one. And starting now, that work begins.
So as we begin this transition to a new administration, I want to be absolutely clear about a couple of things:
First: Virginia is the only state in the South that hasn’t restricted women’s reproductive rights since the Dobbs decision. And under my watch, it will stay that way.
In Virginia, healthcare decisions about contraception, fertility treatments, and reproductive care will continue to be made between women and their doctors — not by politicians. That’s a promise I’ve made, and it’s a promise I intend to keep.
Second: I will always stand up for Virginia workers. Always.
Right now, our federal workforce is under attack. And the chaos coming out of Washington is killing Virginia jobs and creating economic uncertainty for tens of thousands of families, government employees, government contractors, small business owners who are impacted by the chaos coming out of Washington.
Virginia’s economy doesn’t work when Washington treats our workers, Virginia workers as expendable.
To those who have been impacted by the mass layoffs, please know that I will direct the full power of the Governor’s Office to support you.
And to those across the Potomac who are attacking our jobs and our economy: I will not stand by silently while you attack Virginia workers. I will fight every single day for every single Virginia job. The ones we have now and the ones we will have in the future. I will stand up to you — and to anyone who tries to harm our economy and the livelihoods of our Virginians.
As Governor, my job is to put Virginia first. Full stop.
And tonight, as the Governor-elect, I call on Congress — Republicans and Democrats — and our President to make real progress on bringing this shutdown to an end. The Virginians, the Americans who work tirelessly for their fellow citizens deserve nothing less.
I know we’re living in a time filled with chaos. We live in a time marked by uncertainty. And along the way, we do our best to try to explain it to our kids.
I know that the list of challenges we are facing is long. But I also know that the only way we’re going to solve these problems is by tackling them together.
Democrats, Republicans, Independents — all of us.
Because that embodies the message we sent tonight. That is what being a Commonwealth is all about: standing united for our future.
That is what Virginia is about!
Let’s show the world what we’re made of. Let’s get to work!
Thank you all very much.
Follow up to the recent USA elections from special correspondent Joanne Clark
Joanne’s information is valuable to people interested in American politics but are only able to source news highlights. Joanne says: “There were 465 (or thereabouts) elections across the country on Tuesday, and the Republicans won………..eleven percent! ” Further, School boards have been shedding their MAGA members in favor of Democrats, with Virginia’s change in 2024 making a positive change for schools there.
The Washington Post
Democrats swept elections far beyond the big races in referendum on Trump
From clerks to coroners, Democrats on Tuesday flipped city councils, school boards and county commissions.
In Pennsylvania’s Bucks County, voters elected a Democratic district attorney for the first time since the 1800s, part of a Democratic sweep of every county office, including controller and recorder of deeds.
In Georgia, Democrats ousted two Republicans on the Public Service Commission, the party’s first capture of a nonfederal statewide office in Georgia since 2006. In Connecticut, Democrats took control of 28 towns from the GOP. In New Jersey, Democrats won their biggest majority in the General Assembly since the Watergate era. See Further Commentary and Articles arising from Books* and continued longer articles as noted in the blog. for the detailed article.
Nancy Pelosi Retires As The Most Important Woman In US Political History
Nancy Pelosi was a role model for what a Speaker of the House should be. As she announces her retirement, let’s honor the most important woman in US political history.
Nov 07, 2025
It could be argued that Nancy Pelosi is the most important political figure in the United States over the last 40 years. Throughout presidential administrations, Pelosi has navigated key legislation and led critical fights for the American people in the House.
During the Clinton administration, she championed the Ryan White Care Act that expanded Medicaid to cover HIV/AIDS care and established the national care system for HIV and AIDS. Pelosi was vital to changing the way that HIV is cared for and the she changes she brought about through legislation saved lives.
During the Bush administration, she led the opposition to the Iraq War. The national oppostion to the Iraq War led to a blue wave in 2006 that led to Pelosi making history as the first woman Speaker of the House in 2007.
During her first stint as speaker, Pelosi got the response to the Great Recession through the House that included saving the US auto industry.
Pelosi’s greatest and most important achievement legislatively as speaker was the years-long effort to pass the Affordable Care Act. Americans often forget how intense of a battle it was to get the healthcare legislation through the House. It ended up costing Pelosi her first speakership, but she got legislation passed that would improve and forever change the US healthcare system.
Pelosi became the first person in more than six decades to return as speaker in 2019. Her second term as speaker was defined by passing the American Rescue Plan to respond to the COVID pandemic, and House passage of the most consequential infrastructure legislation in forty years.
Nancy Pelosi kept House Democrats unified and together. Younger House Democrats complained that she ruled the Democratic caucus with an iron fist and the opportunities were limited. but her influence can be seen all over the next generation of House Democrats, from Hakeem Jeffries to Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
Rep. Pelosi has remained an advisor to House Democrats even after stepping down from leadership. *
*The remainder of this article is available on the Politicususa substack – eventually I might manage to get this! However, the above is an indication of the valuable contribution Nancy Pelosi has made to USA political life, and the way in which Politicususa acknowledges this.
John Stoehr
John Stoehr is the editor and publisher of the Editorial Board. Find him @johnastoehr.
Voters are acting like they were scammed — they should know Trump wasn’t alone
November 7, 2025 8:39AM ET
- It’s a good thing when the Democrats win. There are some who would have you believe the opposite is true. As the New York Times Pitchbot said: “Zohran Mamdani won. So why does it feel like he lost.” He didn’t lose. Neither did statewide Democratic candidates in Virginia, Georgia and New Jersey. Neither did Democrats in towns and cities across America. It was a blue wave that suggests more blue waves to come. Democrats won by unexpected margins and in unexpected places (eg, Bristol, Connecticut). That’s good. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.
- Those who would have us doubt the goodness of electoral victory are typically invested in the idea that there are deep, perhaps irreconcilable, differences between Democratic factions. Though the Republicans got shellacked, they are not being asked to rethink their future. Axios reported that it’s the Democrats who must settle a “civil war over the best way to move forward after its crushing losses in 2024.” Do they choose to moderate Democrats or “leftwing” Democrats? It sounds reasonable. It might even sound noble. It’s not. It’s phony.
- Zohran Mamdani, the mayor-elect of New York, and Abigail Spanberger, the governor-elect of Virginia, are very different Democrats who certainly disagree on policy. That is not a weakness. It’s the strength found in a multi-racial ideologically heterodox organization like the Democrats. Each candidate amassed winning coalitions according to the conditions of their constituencies. That’s all they were thinking about. That’s all any of the winners was thinking about. No one was thinking about whether they speak for the entire Democratic Party in its fight against Donald Trump. That Axios is pretending otherwise is why its reporting about “civil war” is actually concern-trolling.
- I would guess, if left to their own devices, a moderate like Spanberger and a progressive like Mamdani could work things out if given sufficient motivation. I think the problem comes when Democratic leaders stop listening to each other and start privileging the perspectives of people who do not have the interests of their party, or those of the people they represent, foremost in their minds. By that, I mean a Washington press corps that has internalized the idea that the Republicans are the only legitimate leaders as well as the idea that the Democrats, even after they win, must seek the Republicans’ consent before using the power they have legitimately earned.
- Some centrist Democrats confuse compromise with consent. This prevents them from using the power they have to solve problems that they have told voters they would solve. That, in turn, makes them look weak in comparison to Republicans, who never seek the consent of the Democrats, which in turn, triggers a crisis of faith. Donald Trump has created conditions in which fighters ranging from Mamdani to Spanberger are trusted while middle-of-the-road centrists who can’t decide whether to join the fight open themselves up to contempt from both sides.
- Some centrists, and perhaps some progressives, believe they will benefit from a backlash. They will interpret last night’s results as what political scientists call “thermostatic politics” (think: pendulum swing). But the intensity of the blue wave suggests something else. Many voters seem to be reacting as if they were scammed. Every single county in Virginia shifted left, even the whitest, western-most ones. In New Jersey, the Democratic candidate wiped out gains Trump made with Black and Hispanic voters. G Elliott Morris said the best explanation is “that voters didn’t know what they were getting with Trump 2.0 last November, but now they do — and they don’t like it.” But they didn’t know because our media has been so thoroughly corrupted. It sold them vibes. What they got was fascism.
Pollster Tom Bonier put it this way: “None of this is complicated. The GOP ran on affordability in 2024. They gave sanctimonious lectures on cable news on election night about how ‘the silent working class majority’ had spoken. Then they governed as reckless authoritarians, punishing the working class.”
But it is complicated. If voters really are punishing the Republicans for breaking their promise, they would have wanted to know that Joe Biden presided over the world’s greatest recovery from the covid. Wages were up, debts were down, employment was rarely higher. They would have wanted to know the cost of food and energy was getting back to normal. (Perhaps they would have wanted to know more about Kamala Harris’ plan to prosecute price-gouging.) They would have wanted to know, but didn’t, because they could not hear over the din of Trump’s lies or the media’s obsession with a recession that never came (not to mention reporters making fetish of Joe Biden’s age). If voters are acting like they were scammed, they should know Trump wasn’t alone. The media scammed them, too. And the Democrats should never play nice with scammers.
If what we are seeing were normal “thermostatic politics,” we could expect Trump to modulate. He won’t. He’s going to break more laws, steal more power, take more bribes and keep grinding the working class to dust. His party won’t back off, either, not when it can cheat. (“We have a very favorable election map on the Republican side,” Mike Johnson said today, “And it will be more favorable when all the redistricting stuff is done.”) Voters held Trump and the Republicans accountable last night but they are now pretending voters did no such thing. And as they have since Trump came on the scene, reporters are going to play along. That’s why it’s the Democrats, not the Republicans, who must rethink their future. Failure isn’t a problem for the GOP, but victory is for the Democrats.
Rebecca – Melbourne Theatre Company
Before the show we ate in the very attractive precinct around the theatre – an easy tram ride from the centre.
I, unlike the critics and everyone on Facebook, found the production disappointing. The new Mrs. de Winter was dressed in the dreary pale blue cardigan and frock one might expect. However, little sandals and socks? Too much naivety, in my view. Her passion for Maxim, at least in her imagination, was, to be fair, wonderfully at odds with this image. Pamela Rabe, as Mrs. Danvers was excellent. She downplayed her antagonism beautifully – such a splendidly subtle approach which contrasted with the almost comedy act of Rebecca’s cousin. The comedy was misplaced, and, with the choppiness of the first half of the play, added to my disappointment. Mrs. Danver’s and Mrs. de Winter’s interaction in the second half of the play saved it, and I could sincerely join the clapping at the end. The disappointing life led by the couple after Mrs. de Winter becomes complicit in Maxim’s crime was a sensitive start to the production, and I wish the values expressed there had been visible throughout the production.
The Conversation
Article republished here under Creative Commons License.
Why Jim Henson should be recognised as one of the foremost creators of fairytales on screen
Published: November 7, 2025 12.53am AEDT
In March 1955, an 18-year-old Jim Henson built a puppet from his mother’s old coat, a pair of blue jeans and some ping pong balls. The lizard-like creation first appeared on Afternoon, a television series on Washington D.C.’s WRC-TV, but became a regular on the five-minute Sam and Friends puppet sketch comedy show from May 1955. Over 70 years, the creature evolved into Kermit. The bright green frog now is a cultural icon.
To mark 70 years of The Jim Henson Company, the company has curated an auction of official memorabilia, including puppets, props, costumes and artwork. In a specially-recorded promotional video, Brian Henson, Jim’s son, provides a useful reminder that his father’s legacy is far greater than The Muppets.
Indeed, Henson made a significant contribution to the screen fairytale, a genre all too often dominated by Disney. To encourage fans and viewers to think beyond The Muppet Show and Disney, I offer a reappraisal of his career in my book The Fairy Tales of Jim Henson: Keeping the Best Place by the Fire.
By far the biggest section of the auction is made of items created for the productions and publicity from The Dark Crystal (1982) and the revival Netflix series The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance (2019). The original fantasy evolved from an idea Henson had to create a story around an anthropomorphised reptilian race, which eventually became the formidable Skeksis.
His collaboration with the British artist Brian Froud led to the evolution of the intricate world of The Dark Crystal. The film follows Jen (voiced by Stephen Garlick), a delicate, fey-like creature from the nearly-extinct Gelfling race. Jen embarks on a quest to save the planet Thra by healing the Dark Crystal. He must complete his mission before the “great conjunction”, an event that would give the evil Skeksis power over the fragile world forever.
This ambitious endeavour was not the first time that Henson had used a fairytale-inspired story or aesthetic. As early as 1958, following a trip to Europe, he began to develop a version of Hansel and Gretel. Although it remained unfinished, fairytales became an established strand in Henson’s work.
This included two unaired pilots called The Tales of the Tinkerdee (1962) and The Land of Tinkerdee (1964), as well as the three television specials that make up Tales from Muppetland (1969-72). The latter are playful, gentle parodies and a Muppetisation of the well-known stories Cinderella, The Frog Prince and The Bremen Town Musicians.
Fairytales even inspired two of Henson’s mid-1960s commercials for The Compax Corporation’s Pak-Nit and Pak-Nit RX – preshrunk fabrics used to make leisurewear. The ads were titled Shrinkel and Stretchel and Rumple Wrinkle Shrinkel Stretchelstiltzkin. Fairytale themes also appeared from time to time in segments of Sesame Street (1969-present) and The Muppet Show (1976–81).
Henson’s film Labyrinth (1986) is a beguiling blend of well-known coming of age fairy stories, most overtly Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (1865) and The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900). These references are combined with original and innovative puppetry and design, and, of course, David Bowie as the charismatic Goblin King.
One of Henson’s final projects was the imaginative and technically inventive television series Jim Henson’s The Storyteller (1987-89). Inspired by her folklore studies at Harvard University, Lisa Henson encouraged her father to develop a show based on the rich European folk tale tradition, importantly, one that avoided the best-known tales, in favour of more the more unusual and challenging.
Fairytales are an important – and often overlooked – part of Henson’s legacy, from the final productions made during his lifetime to The Jim Henson Company’s later output (for example, Jim Henson’s Jack and the Beanstalk: The Real Story in 2001 and The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance). Fans are also consistently teased with rumours of a Labyrinth sequel or reboot. Most recently, Robert Eggers is reported to be directing.
Henson should be considered one of the foremost creators of screen fairytales of the 20th century. As his fans celebrate the 70th anniversary of his creations, it’s time for the world to rediscover his magical body of work, beyond the much-beloved Muppets.
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I find the Agatha Christie Newsletter a bit of fun – excerpts below
January Netflix Release | Christmas Shop | Activities
The Agatha Christie Newsletter <generalenquiries@agathachristie.com
The new series starring Mia McKenna-Bruce, Helena Bonham Carter and Martin Freeman debuts 15 January worldwide. Along with the release date, Netflix have also shared first look images and a thrilling new teaser. Read more
Explore our November Read Christie pick
Cat Among the Pigeons blends murder mystery with international espionage, making it an ideal fit for our November spies theme. When a teacher is found dead in a prestigious school, suspicion spreads and Poirot is called on. Find out more
“What is three quarters of a million or some such sum in comparison with human life?” Agatha Christie, Cat Among the Pigeons
The After School Detectives Club is now out in the US, and to celebrate we’ve shared a few printable pages from the book. It’s the perfect autumn activity for children aged 8+. Is your child as perceptive as Poirot? Download the PDFTrial our courtroom-themed word search
Last week marked 72 years since Witness for the Prosecution first opened on the stage in London, and to celebrate we created a new word search! Can you find all the hidden words and phrases related to the play? Test your skills
The World of Agatha Christie
Read about all things Christie in the tenth edition of our free magazine, packed full of puzzles, extracts and trivia for fans to enjoy. In this edition, we’re focusing on spies, lawyers and more in Christie’s stories. Download your PDF copy
Stories featuring spies “Bundle” Brent uncovers a secret society that could help solve a murder involving a missing clock. Read more
A wounded spy enters Victoria Jones’s hotel room in Baghdad and utters his final words… Read more
The young, bereaved Hilary is persuaded by a secret agent to undertake a risky mission. Read more
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