Windmill at Stony Brook Southampton to be designated a Literary Landmark by United for Libraries in honor of Tennessee Williams

PHILADELPHIA — United for Libraries, in partnership with Empire State Center for the Book, will designate the windmill at Stony Brook Southampton a Literary Landmark in honor of Tennessee Williams on Saturday, July 13.

The 82-acre campus is part of SUNY (State University of New York) Stonybrook. In the summer of 1957, Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Tennessee Williams lived in the campus windmill and wrote an experimental play, “The Day on Which a Man Dies,” responding to the death of his friend, Abstract Expressionist painter Jackson Pollock.

Events surrounding the dedication will begin at 3:45 p.m. with a reading of Frederic Tuten’s one-act play, “At Stanley's Place.” The Stanley of the title is Stanley Kowalski from the Williams classic “A Streetcar Named Desire.” The official dedication will be at 5:15 p.m. followed by a reception.

The Literary Landmark program is administered by United for Libraries. More than 120 Literary Landmarks across the United States have been dedicated since the program began in 1986. Any library or group may apply for a Literary Landmark through United for Libraries. More information is available on the United for Libraries website.

Empire State Center for the Book is the New York affiliate of Center for the Book at the Library of Congress. The center is committed to the book in all formats. Interests of the Center include the promotion of the culture of reading, literature, literacy, book arts, and book history throughout New York State. The Center will work with publishers, libraries, museums, educational institutions, scholars, authors, illustrators and other interested parties to enrich book culture for the people of New York.

United for Libraries: The Association of Library Trustees, Advocates, Friends and Foundations, is a division of the American Library Association that supports those who govern, promote, advocate, and fundraise for libraries. United for Libraries brings together library trustees, advocates, friends and foundations into a partnership that creates a powerful force for libraries in the 21st century. For more information or to join United for Libraries, visit the United for Libraries website or contact Jillian Kalonick at (312) 280-2161 or jkalonick@ala.org.

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