New Anthology of Contemporary Austrian Folk Plays (Studies in Austrian Literature, Culture, and Thought. Translation Series)

The second volume of Austrian folk plays (see also Richard Dixon, Anthology of Contemporary Austrian Folk Plays, ISBN 0929497678) gives further evidence of the popularity of this form among contemporary writers. In the late nineteenth century the folk play had fallen into disrepute as trivial literature but in the 1920s it began to be restored to prominence and after World War II writers rediscovered the form and believed that it was ideally suited to treat contemporary social problems. CONTENTS: Heinz R. Unger, The Bell Tolls at Twelve; Thomas Baum, Cold Hands; Friedrich Ch. Zauner, A Handful of Earth; Elfriede Jelinek, President Evening Breeze; Peter Rosei, Blameless. - Afterword by Helga Schreckenberger.