Notable Publications
"The Late Work of Sam Shepard, by Shannon Blake Skelton, brings necessary attention to the later phase of Sam Shepard’s works, including his short prose, plays, acting performances, and screenplays. Skelton’s book is an important contribution to the critical studies of Sam Shepard Skelton gives a personal touch to the striking impact that Shepard has had on American culture.”
The Journal of American Drama and Theatre
Reviews:
The Late Work
of Sam Shepard
"Shannon Blake Skelton finds new purchase with The Late Work of Sam Shepard. Skelton explores less considered areas, and, in giving thoughtful and nuanced consideration to this late period, he stakes out important ground. The Late Work of Sam Shepard provides important context for a full understanding of the body of work.”
Harvard Review Online
"Skelton’s project utilizes a transmedial approach to interpret the unique mélange of media and forms composing the writer’s late production Skelton’s book, likewise, stands as a delicately wrought, vital and thoughtful contribution to the understanding of Shepard’s corpus and why it still matters. It is an excellent book that anyone interested in contemporary American drama should read.”
Studies in Theatre and Performance
"Shannon Skelton has produced an excellent, insightful, and unique study of the later plays of Sam Shepard. This is an intelligent book, one that is essential for anyone interested in Sam Shepard and the contemporary stage."
Matthew Roudané
"Skelton wisely shows the through lines of these concerns and how they connect to earlier work . . . offers enough food for thought to ask critics to take a closer look at these later works and better measure the ways in which they offer some interesting commentary on the earlier pieces."
Comparative Drama
"Skelton’s The Late of Sam Shepard addresses a lacuna in Shepard scholarship . . . Offering a range of critical approaches and exhibiting scholarly sophistication, this is an intelligent, overdue contribution to the literature on Shepard."
Choice
"Wes Craven: Interviews is an invaluable resource. . . For fans, the book offers a window into what went into their favorite films, for creators, it shows how those films were made, and for scholars, it opens a window into why Craven made his films."
Wicked Horror
Reviews:
Wes Craven: Interviews
"Wes Craven: Interviews cements Craven’s legacy as a master of horror who left an indelible mark on the genre by forever altering expectations of—and approaches to—the cinema of fear."
HorrorNews.Net
"What could have been a dull collection of time capsule pop culture chats is instead an interesting read that gives us an insight into so much more. An essential read for genre and general cinema fans alike."
Starburst Magazine
“It is a welcome and significant addition to a small but sure to be growing body of critical work. As the generation of great American horror directors rapidly passes—Craven’s death preceded George A. Romero, Tobe Hooper, and Larry Cohen in quick succession—this book will be a crucial resource to horror and auteur studies, as well as an engaging introduction to fans and students. “
Monstrum
“Recommended: New Books: The University Press of Mississippi continually publishes fascinating studies of Hollywood legends . . . feature fascinating interviews from the directors’ lengthy careers. The late Craven’s defeated comments on forgotten 2005 werewolf thriller Cursed are sadly fascinating (“I can’t win at this point,” he says of battles with Dimension’s Bob Weinstein)”
The Film Stage
"Over the course of forty years, his thinking evolves, and each interviewer who asks about the violence crystallizes a stage of Craven’s development. It’s apparent in these through lines what an excellent job Shannon Blake Skelton did curating these nearly thirty interviews from the hundreds Craven gave over the course of his career."
Wicked Horror
Contributor
