William R. Drennan (1944–2015)
Auteur de Death in a Prairie House: Frank Lloyd Wright and the Taliesin Murders
A propos de l'auteur
William R. Drennan is professor emeritus of English at the University of Wisconsin-Baraboo/Sauk County and adjunct instructor in the Department of English at Appalachian State University, in Boone, North Carolina
Œuvres de William R. Drennan
Étiqueté
Partage des connaissances
- Nom canonique
- Drennan, William R.
- Autres noms
- Drennan, William Ryland
- Date de naissance
- 1944-01-24
- Date de décès
- 2015-05-02
- Sexe
- male
- Nationalité
- USA
- Lieu de naissance
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
- Lieu du décès
- Blowing Rock, North Carolina, USA
- Lieux de résidence
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
Sarasota, Florida, USA
Blowing Rock, North Carolina, USA
Sauk County, Wisconsin, USA - Études
- University of South Florida, Tampa (PhD|19830
University of South Florida, Tampa (MA|1976)
University of Florida (BA|English|1966) - Professions
- university professor
- Organisations
- University of Wisconsin
Appalachian State University
Membres
Critiques
Listes
True Crime (1)
Vous aimerez peut-être aussi
Statistiques
- Œuvres
- 1
- Membres
- 255
- Popularité
- #89,877
- Évaluation
- 3.5
- Critiques
- 9
- ISBN
- 6
I visited Taliesin in August 2022 in Spring Green, Wis., hometown of Frank Lloyd Wright. I took a flight to Chicago and an inexpensive Coach USA bus that travels from O'Hare Airport to Janesville, Wis. From there, I took a cab for the 45-minute ride to Spring Green.
Taliesin sits in the middle of a hilly rural region. The visitor center overlooks a river that divides two counties.
A bus took my tour group from the visitor center to the outbuildings and home. The tour is of the third version of the home.
Death in a Prairie House describes a set of murders that took place on the grounds. As a backdrop, here's what Wright had to say about the murders in his book, An Autobiography.
John Vogelsang worked with Wright on Midway Gardens. He recommended Julian Carlton, the supposed murderer, to Wright and said he was “an ideal servant.”
Wright had a disagreement with Vogelsang in Chicago while they were working on Midway Gardens. Wright stated, “Money troubles now. Anxiety. Anger. But still hopes and active promises aplenty.” He was in this frame of mind when the murders occurred.
Is there a possibility that Wright had an anger problem? We know from Death in a Prairie House that his mother did. She was accused of beating a child on the back with a rubber mallet. We know that she was unhappy with Wright over his marriage to Catherine Tobin. Throughout his life, Wright seemed to have problems separating from his paramours without conflict.
According to Wright's book, An Autobiography, he stayed, alone, after the murders, at Taliesin. He had one person standing guard with a rifle while he stayed there. He said the sky was black and there was no spiritual presence of the deceased. Mamah Cheney was “utterly gone.” Perhaps he was trying to extract her, like a spirit, from the home.
Wright and his son John buried her in an unmarked grave at his family cemetery. He was buried there, instead of at Taliesin West, next to Mamah Cheney’s grave. Olgivanna’s daughter had him exhumed and buried in Taliesin West.
Miriam Noel was Wright’s next paramour. She had written to Wright as a fan. He had burned all of the letters sent to him, unread, about Mamah Cheney’s murder. He accepted Noel’s letter and agreed to meet with her in person.
Their affair lasted several months. Then, like the Mamah Cheney affair, trouble occurred. In this case, Miriam Noel was high-strung and often emotionally disturbed. She was difficult to get along with. He eventually separated from her.
A second fire occurred at Taliesin thereafter. The “living half of Taliesin” always burned, he recalled. The work half or studio remained each time. This was an indication that no matter how fiery his personal relationships, his professional ones remained intact.
Miriam Noel died in a sanitorium after being in a coma several months. Wright called to make sure she was deceased. He said in his book that she was insane. By then, he had remarried and was with Olgivanna Lloyd Wright.
Death in a Prairie House is a great book to contemplate Frank Lloyd Wright's character and personal history. Form your own conclusions about the mysterious murders after reading this book.
Taliesin is a great source to learn about Frank Lloyd Wright, southern Wisconsin, and Usonian architecture. Tours are offered of the estate, house, and landscape. Prices range from $25 to $93. Hours are 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. daily.
Taliesin
5607 County Road C
Spring Green, WI 53588
(608) 588-7900
tours@taliesinpreservation.org
taliesinpreservation.org
Buy on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Death-Prairie-House-Taliesin-Murders/dp/0299222144… (plus d'informations)