''Without Feathers'' is a 1975 collection of humorous essays and two one-act plays, ''
Death
Death is the end of life; the irreversible cessation of all biological functions that sustain a living organism. Death eventually and inevitably occurs in all organisms. The remains of a former organism normally begin to decompose sh ...
'' and ''
God
In monotheistic belief systems, God is usually viewed as the supreme being, creator, and principal object of faith. In polytheistic belief systems, a god is "a spirit or being believed to have created, or for controlling some part of the un ...
'', by
Woody Allen
Heywood Allen (born Allan Stewart Konigsberg; November 30, 1935) is an American filmmaker, actor, and comedian whose career spans more than six decades. Allen has received many List of awards and nominations received by Woody Allen, accolade ...
. It is one of Allen's best-known books, spending four months on the
''New York Times'' Best Seller List.
Title meaning
The title ''Without Feathers'' is a reference to
Emily Dickinson
Emily Elizabeth Dickinson (December 10, 1830 – May 15, 1886) was an American poet. Little-known during her life, she has since been regarded as one of the most important figures in American poetry. Dickinson was born in Amherst, Massac ...
's poem
"'Hope' is the thing with feathers", reflecting Allen's neurotic sense of hopelessness. The poem is mentioned in one of the stories.
Contents
# Selections from The Allen Notebooks
# Examining Psychic Phenomena
# A Guide to Some of the Lesser Ballets
# The Scrolls
# Lovborg's Women Considered
# The Whore of Mensa
[The New Yorker'', Dec. 16, 1974, pp.37-8]
# Death (A Play)
# The Early Essays
# A Brief Yet Helpful Guide to Civil Disobedience
# Match Wits With Inspector Ford
# The Irish Genius
# God (A Play)
# Fabulous Tales and Mythical Beasts
# But Soft. Real Soft.
# If the Impressionists Had Been Dentists
# No Kaddish for Weinstein
# Fine Times: An Oral Memoir
# Slang Origins
Notes and references
1975 books
Comedy books
Short story collections by Woody Allen
Jewish comedy and humor
English-language books
Random House books
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