Untermeyer, Louis, 312
Updike, John, 675
Valéry, Paul, 308–9, 429
Van Dusen, Henry Pitney, 321
Van Heusen, Jimmy, 652
Van Vechten, Carl, 578
Varney, Ellwood, Jr., 81
Vega Carpio, Lope Félix de, 213, 214, 549, 571, 593, 594, 595, 596, 605, 607, 622, 637, 647
Verdi, Giuseppe, 695
Verdi, William Francis, 301
Verhaeren, Émile, 27, 122
Verissimo, Erico, 519
Villegas, Micaela (Perichole), 305, 307, 311, 499
Voltaire, 404
Wager, Charles H. A., 96, 131, 142, 154–55, 183
academic career of, 118
encouragement from, 109, 110, 121, 136, 216, 269–70, 458
and TNW at Oberlin, 104, 114, 118, 122, 126, 132, 134
TNW’s letters to, 144, 147, 148, 149, 150, 151, 156, 203, 263
Wagner, Charles L., 271, 299
Waldinger, Ernst, 497
Walker, Coleman, 284
Walpole, Horace, 213, 317, 679
Walpole, Hugh, 312, 314, 339–40
Walter, Bruno, 403
Waram, Percy, 471
Washburn, Alice F., 329
Waters, Ethel, 643
Watson, James D., 698
Weeks, Edward “Ted,” 295–96, 655
Weingartner, Felix, 403
Weissman, Herman, 558
We Live Again (film), 384, 386
Welles, Orson, 395, 406, 452, 509, 531, 532, 553
Wells, H. G., 234, 413, 526
Wertheimer, Amy Weil, 248, 667
and friendship, 260–61, 270–72, 283, 289, 292, 299
TNW’s letters to, 249, 252, 254, 256–59, 271–72, 280, 291–92, 366, 398, 400, 414, 420, 444, 543, 550, 563, 577, 589, 662, 666, 676, 681
Wescott, Glenway, 278, 298, 313, 319, 438, 591, 653
West, Rebecca, 233, 526
Wharton, Edith, 278, 319, 447
White, E. B., 663
Whitehead, Alfred North, 428
Whitman, Walt, 343, 410, 438, 439, 607, 608, 609, 615
Whitney, William Dwight, 189, 666
Wilcox, Wendell, 437, 523
Wilder, Amos Lincoln (grandfather), 2, 8, 39
Wilder, Amos Niven (brother):
birth of, 1, 11
in California, 25–28, 37, 49, 55, 56, 58, 64, 69–70
and Charlotte’s illness, 515, 518, 521, 696
childhood of, 1–2, 17–18, 22–28, 32–35
Croix de Guerre awarded to, 157
death of, 701
and farmwork, 24, 65, 80–82, 93
health problems of, 376–78, 513
and his father, 29, 47, 52, 65, 99, 229, 235, 250, 368, 415
and his mother, 138
in Hong Kong, 19, 22–25
honorary degrees to, 617, 646
in Maine, 111, 616
marriage to Catharine, 377–78, 380, 399, 411, 412
memories of, 14, 15, 26–27, 29
and the ministry, 250, 255, 273, 291
and money matters, 26–27, 79, 420
in New Haven, 229, 230
at Oberlin, 73, 75, 77, 78, 83, 94, 96, 123, 147
at Oxford, 174, 195, 205, 216, 218–19, 223
personality of, 65, 70, 73–74, 93
poetry of, 34, 139, 218–19, 250, 291, 367, 376, 484, 515–16, 687
and religion, 13, 115, 192, 376
retirement of, 663
schooling of, 23, 37, 47, 69–70
and tennis, 33, 35, 70, 99, 105, 112, 179, 223
and TNW’s work, 394, 600–601
at University of Brussels, 179, 192
at University of Chicago, 617
wife and family of, 418, 429, 484, 518, 554
and World War I, 83–84, 115–16, 117–18, 122–23, 127–28, 136–37, 144, 150, 154, 157, 159, 164, 166–67, 169, 172, 235, 376
at Yale, 84, 89, 92, 98, 144, 147, 174, 178, 179, 223, 239, 250, 376
Wilder, Amos Parker (father):
advice to children from, 32–36, 48, 126, 143, 168, 194–95, 201, 207, 209, 228–29, 236, 250, 297, 328
aging of, 346, 364, 369, 410
birth of, 2
in California, 80–81
children of, 1, 14, 23–24, 29, 37, 368, 513–14
control wielded by, 38, 49, 56, 65–67, 73–74, 75, 80–83, 89, 92, 93, 98, 99, 104–5, 111, 116, 125–26, 134–35, 140, 141, 146, 159, 164, 173, 179, 188, 195, 200–202, 229, 235–36, 239, 260, 364, 367–68
death of, 415–16, 701
early years of, 3, 8–10, 68
farmwork for sons of, 24, 35, 65, 74, 80–82, 93, 100, 105, 106, 110, 129, 134, 140, 179
health problems of, 57–58, 61, 65–66, 67, 76, 78–79, 82, 84, 98, 188, 235, 328, 364, 378, 387, 398, 410–11, 412
in Hong Kong, 18–25, 29–30, 31
and Isabella, 6, 7–8, 25, 29, 50–51, 140, 188, 229, 230, 274
and money matters, 9, 20–21, 26–27, 51, 55–57, 58, 69, 79, 119, 190, 195–96, 200, 226–27, 236, 260, 297, 326, 328, 364–65, 420
moralizing letters from, 33–35, 45, 48, 73, 99, 108, 187–89, 216, 303, 364, 368, 378, 516
as newspaperman, 10, 12–14, 15–16, 51, 57, 323, 329, 415
as public speaker, 7, 10, 12–13, 16, 31, 61, 76, 121, 138, 172, 188, 217, 234
and religion, 13, 48
in Shanghai, see China
and Six O-Clock Club, 12
as teetotaler, 3, 15, 22–23, 30, 36, 38, 55, 75, 76, 95
vacations taken by, 80, 82, 111, 208, 275
and World War I, 116, 118, 128, 164, 165, 166, 168
at Yale, 8–9, 10, 146, 178, 239
and Yale-in-China, 82, 98, 116, 121, 138, 150, 188
Wilder, Amos Tappan (nephew), 484, 665, 702
Wilder, Catharine Dix “Dixie” (niece), 418, 666, 678, 693
Wilder, Catharine Kerlin (ANW’s wife), 377–78, 380, 399, 411, 412, 418, 429, 484, 616, 701
Wilder, Charlotte Elizabeth (sister):
awards and honors to, 411, 484–85
birth of, 1, 11
in Boston, 219, 234, 250–51
in California, 25–28, 37, 64, 66, 71–72, 75, 83
at Chefoo school, 46–49, 51, 52, 58, 59, 71
childhood of, 1–2, 17, 22–28, 32–35
in China, 38, 47–49, 54–55, 57
death of, 701
emotional and mental health of, 255–56, 409, 510–11, 512–19, 521–22, 524–25, 528, 529, 533, 534, 557–58, 574, 575–76, 578, 582–83, 617–20, 625, 695–97
in Europe, 174, 189, 196, 215
and family separations, 49, 57, 70–71, 85, 375–76
and her father, 34, 35, 47, 48, 52, 80, 82, 141, 229, 367–68, 373–74, 415, 513–14
in Hong Kong, 19, 22–25
independence sought by, 285–86, 329, 373–76, 411, 417, 456, 482, 514–15, 583, 618
lobotomy of, 513, 583, 618–19
and money matters, 205, 219, 420, 456, 482, 514, 521, 524–25
at Mount Holyoke, 92, 98–99, 102, 114, 116, 140–41, 144, 150, 164, 174, 255
personality of, 47, 52, 71, 85, 141, 188, 291
poetry of, 34, 84, 139, 141, 196, 219, 251, 255, 367, 369, 373, 411, 429, 460, 484–85, 515–16
at Radcliffe, 239, 255
and sexuality, 368, 374–75, 515–16
at Smith College, 323, 329, 373
summer activities, 80, 82, 104–5
teaching, 291, 323, 329
and temperance pledge, 55
and TNW’s work, 346, 516
and WPA, 411, 429, 482
and YWCA, 174, 189
Wilder, Charlotte Elizabeth (sister), writings of:
“Hollows,” 141
“In a Corner of France,” 273
Mortal Sequence, 460, 484, 516
“Of Persons, Not Alive,” 374
Phases of the Moon, 485, 515, 516, 517
Wilder, Charlotte Topliff Porter (grand
mother), 2, 3
Wilder, George (no relation), 46
Wilder, Isabel (sister):
birth and childhood of, 1–2, 11, 17, 22–28, 35, 47
in California, 26–28, 37, 83, 84–85
and Charlotte’s illness, 511, 513, 517, 522, 618, 696
death of, 701
in England, 195, 205, 216, 217–18, 223, 323
in Europe, 47, 49, 51, 55, 66, 70
and family obligations, 517–18, 574–75, 577, 699
and Federal Writers’ Project, 484
health problems of, 468–69, 592, 696, 699
and her father, 116, 117, 229, 368, 410, 411, 415
and home, 371–73, 411, 417, 634
in Hong Kong, 19, 22–25
memories of, 14, 71
and money matters, 223, 329, 420, 456, 524, 696
in New Haven, 92, 98, 122, 188, 249–50, 371–73
in New York, 234–35, 474
at Northfield, 116–17, 146, 164
romantic problems of, 189–90, 218, 372, 428–29, 431–32, 457, 459
summer activities, 104–5, 140, 273, 616
TNW’s travels with, 326–27, 463, 663, 667, 668
and TNW’s work, 333, 350, 365, 372–73, 448, 477, 483, 488, 519, 541, 544, 551, 554, 555, 558, 572–73, 574–75, 589, 615, 656, 659, 660, 669, 674, 677, 678, 679
as writer, 138, 139, 190, 217, 367, 369, 371–72, 428, 460
at Yale, 239, 249–50, 326
Wilder, Isabel (sister), writings of:
At Dusk, 217
The Empty-Handed, 217
Heart Be Still, 372, 397
Let Winter Go, 372, 428–29, 574
Mother and Four, 372
Wilder, Isabella Thornton Niven (mother), 3–8
and APW, 6, 7–8, 25, 29, 50–51, 140, 188, 229, 230, 274
birth and background of, 4–5
in California, 25–31, 32, 74–75, 82–83
and Charlotte’s illness, 510–11, 513, 517, 518, 521–22, 524–25
children of, 1–2, 11, 13, 75
in China, 37–40
cultural interests of, 11, 14, 27, 87, 108, 122, 139, 460
death of, 577, 578, 579, 701
early years of, 4, 6–7
in England, 195, 205, 216, 314, 323, 331
in Europe, 46–47, 48, 49, 50–51, 55, 60–61, 66, 216–17
health problems of, 551, 577
home and family, 363, 367, 379, 413, 417, 459–60, 484
in Hong Kong, 21–22
and money matters, 83, 92, 119, 195, 231, 326, 329, 346, 420, 456, 518, 519
in New Haven, 92, 98, 122, 229–31, 326, 332, 474
personal traits of, 6, 27, 108, 273–74, 577, 589
poems by, 122, 138, 367, 413, 577
Red Cross work of, 84, 122
and religion, 13, 139
schooling of, 4, 117
and TNW in Rome, 180, 186, 190–91
and wartime, 129, 134, 538, 551, 559, 562
Wilder, Janet Frances (sister):
birth of, 1, 35–36, 37
in California, 83
and Charlotte’s illness, 696–97
childhood of, 138, 140, 369–70
engagement of, 508; see also Dakin, Janet Wilder
in England, 195, 205, 216, 323, 370
in Europe, 47, 49, 55, 66, 70
and independence, 368, 369, 411, 415
and money matters, 329
at Mount Holyoke, 370–71, 484, 508
in New Haven, 92, 98, 116, 122, 188, 234, 250, 326, 370
science interest of, 217, 370–71, 415, 417–18
as teacher, 484, 508
as writer, 371
Wilder, Julian (uncle), 22, 39, 114
Wilder, Theodore (no relation), 99, 109, 156–57
Wilder, Theophilus (grandfather), 2
Wilder, Theophilus (twin brother, stillborn), 1, 11, 682
Wilder, Thornton Niven:
as actor, 120, 465, 466, 469, 477, 495, 591–92, 607–8, 647
and aging, 674, 681–83, 690–95, 697–98, 700
and alcohol use, 630–32
awards and honors to, 157, 175, 313, 322, 352, 451, 549, 564–65, 591, 613, 616–17, 639, 640, 645, 660, 663, 666, 669
and biographers, 679–80
birth and childhood of, 1–2, 11, 13–14, 17–28, 32–35, 62
in California, 25–28, 37, 64, 66–70, 72–73, 74–75, 77–78, 83, 92–93
as camp counselor, 223–26
and Charlotte’s illness, 518, 521–22, 524–25, 529, 534, 625
at Chefoo school, 40–49, 51, 52–54, 58, 59
in China, 38–49, 54–55, 57, 62–63
and Chrysler convertible, 484, 487–88, 494–96, 507
and clothes, 64, 78, 90, 91, 119, 120, 202–3
and college plans, 84, 88–92, 95, 124–25, 134, 144, 170
and death, 691–92
death and burial of, 699, 701–3
discipline of, 387–88, 476
and Eros, 609, 694–95
in Europe, 274, 275–79, 326–27, 400–401, 402–4, 408–10, 429–33, 442, 604–5, 614, 616, 622, 640, 646, 663–64, 665–66, 676–77
“An Evening with Thornton Wilder,” 653
evolution as a writer, 588–89, 641, 643, 673, 702–3
and existentialism, 571–72
and fame, 313–14, 317, 318, 321, 323, 324, 325, 333, 347, 408, 458, 651, 674–75
family background of, 2–4
and family obligations, 296–97, 347, 361, 364, 368–69, 420, 517, 534, 625, 634
and family separations, 47, 49, 57, 63, 67, 70, 71, 92, 138, 141, 366–67
family visits of, 144, 271–72, 273, 291, 294, 369
and farmwork, 81, 93, 100, 105, 106–11, 129, 134, 139–40, 141–44, 179
FBI investigation of, 495–97
financial support for family from, 205, 226–27, 231, 328–30, 398, 410, 412, 420, 517, 534
friendships of, 93, 99, 121, 136, 191, 260–62, 291–93, 353–56, 360, 395, 403, 413–14, 418–19, 430–31, 608–9, 651, 658–59, 679
health problems of, 214, 301, 339, 397–98, 563, 565–66, 611–12, 637, 664–65, 681–82, 690–91
and his brother, 63, 136–37, 154
and his father, 24, 33, 34–35, 39, 40, 42, 47, 49, 52, 58, 60, 63, 67–68, 72–73, 77–78, 84, 93, 104, 105, 108, 109, 110, 119–20, 124, 125–26, 130, 135, 145, 146–47, 159, 160, 164, 168, 178–79, 180–81, 188–89, 190, 193–96, 200–202, 212, 220, 227, 228–29, 235–36, 239, 260, 297, 368, 378, 410–11, 412, 413
and his mother, 28, 58, 59, 60, 63, 72, 74–75, 96, 110, 128, 190–91, 219–20, 226–27, 229–32, 271, 273–74, 298, 370, 379, 413, 417, 577, 579
in Hollywood, 383–87, 534–36
and home, 280–81, 362–66, 417
in Hong Kong, 19–25
journals of, see Wilder, Thornton Niven, journals of
at Lawrenceville, 202–5, 208–11, 214–15, 222, 231, 238, 245, 297–98, 300–301
at MacDowell Colony, 236–38, 272, 298, 327, 331, 425, 490, 491, 630, 665, 678
in Maine, 111–14
Marsh’s portrait of, 174
as mentor, 650–51, 675–76
and money matters, 64, 89, 90–91, 100, 119, 121, 145, 190, 195–96, 200, 215, 226–27, 260, 274, 291, 296–97, 314, 325, 328–30, 338, 346–47, 360–61, 364–65, 386–87, 388, 394, 397, 398–99, 410, 412–13, 420, 456, 512, 518, 536, 591, 625, 660, 695–96
and music, 37, 70, 87, 97–98, 108, 215, 284, 608, 657
at Oberlin, 91–92, 94–98, 99–104, 114, 116, 117–22, 123, 124–26, 131–33, 134–36
as outsider, 63, 66, 90, 129, 159, 291
in Paris, 196–200, 216, 262, 283–84
and patriotism, 410, 429
personal traits of, 289–90, 300
at Princeton, 240, 251–52, 254, 259–60, 271, 273
privacy sought by, 256–59, 433–34, 438, 440, 500, 604
as public lecturer, 243, 316–17, 330–31, 338, 34
1, 344, 350, 351–52, 365, 386, 412, 592, 593, 597–98, 599–602, 609–13, 623, 644–45
and religion, 13, 62, 107–9, 122, 126, 137, 175, 192, 215, 267, 290, 351
restlessness of, 173, 294, 365, 369, 383, 430, 474, 480, 590, 604
in Rome, 180, 181–92, 193–94, 196, 216, 262, 278, 423–24, 441, 579
running cross-country, 44–45, 52
and S4N, 177–78, 220, 243, 245
screenwriting, 383–87, 480, 482–83, 534–38, 620, 646
and sea travel, 182, 487, 664, 680
and sexuality, 171, 264, 336, 427–28, 433–40, 499, 603, 632–33, 694–95
solitude of, 44–45, 52, 71, 75, 112–13, 365, 404, 416–17, 430, 473, 494, 505, 506, 599, 604, 611–12, 631, 656
and spirituality, 97, 109, 215–16, 267, 312, 416, 439, 635, 669, 673, 703
and teaching, 83, 203–4, 209, 211, 214, 215–16, 220, 222, 228, 239–40, 303, 319, 328, 331, 345, 346, 360–61, 378, 393, 412, 420, 522
temperance pledge of, 55, 320, 358, 630
and the theater, 27, 28, 34–35, 72–73, 77, 84, 85–86, 241, 248, 349, 418, 419, 424, 660
on Time cover, 623
as tutor, 247–48, 274, 294, 298–99
as twinless twin, 1, 137, 307, 566, 682
on unamism, 199
at University of Chicago, 341, 345–46, 355, 365, 393, 412, 414–15, 420, 522–23
in West Indies, 416–17
and women, 99, 102, 156–57, 191, 247–48, 256–58, 260–62, 270–72, 283, 289, 291–92, 589–90, 672
and World War I, 128–31, 132–33, 134, 136, 145, 159, 160–61, 163, 164–66, 167–68, 169, 172
and World War II, 528, 529–30, 537, 538–41, 544, 545, 550–51, 553–54, 556–65, 569
writing ambitions of, 45, 88, 91, 95, 96, 125, 152, 153, 161, 178, 187, 194, 258–59, 347–48; see also Wilder, Thornton Niven, writings of
at Yale, 144–45, 146–53, 158–60, 170, 171, 173, 174–78
Wilder, Thornton Niven, journals of:
on European trip, 275–79
on “Induration,” 689
on journey to Hong Kong, 18
letter book, 222
on the nature of love, 632–34
notes on reading, 101, 212–14, 237–38, 334, 613, 637
notes on writings, 28, 100–101, 131, 306, 335, 337–38, 401, 402, 593–96, 598–99, 628, 635, 637–38, 642–43, 656, 689–90
at Oberlin, 131–33
“On Happy Endings, and the Pessimist,” 521
self-assessments in, 215–16, 485–86, 493–94, 505–6, 594, 605–7, 622
“Sketch for a Portrait of Tia [Anna] Bates,” 520
talking to himself in, 136, 212, 257–58, 290, 382, 499–500, 503, 520–21, 595, 598–99, 604, 605, 611, 613, 628, 632, 637–38, 646, 648
on wars, 132–33, 136, 492, 608
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