Register Here!
Arlen Schumer, author of the brand-new book, The Five Themes of The Twilight Zone, presents: Westport in the Twilight Zone! Rod Serling’s most Westport-centric episode, “A Stop at Willoughby.” Then, we’ll screen a very Twilight Zone-esque film with thematic ties to “Willoughby,” the cult classic 1968 Burt Lancaster film, The Swimmer, which is based on John Cheever's 1964 New Yorker short story and was partially filmed in Westport.
This is Gart Williams, age 38, a man protected by a suit of armor all held together by one bolt. Just a moment ago, someone removed the bolt, and Mr. Williams' protection fell away from him, and left him a naked target. He's been cannonaded this afternoon by all the enemies of his life. His insecurity has shelled him, his sensitivity has straddled him with humiliation, his deep-rooted disquiet about his own worth has zeroed in on him, landed on target, and blown him apart. Mr. Gart Williams, ad agency exec, who in just a moment, will move into the Twilight Zone — in a desperate search for survival.
—The Twilight Zone, "A Stop at Willoughby" (Season 1, Episode 30. Originally aired May 6, 1960)
The Swimmer is a short story by American author John Cheever. It was originally published in The New Yorker on July 18, 1964, and later in the short-fiction collections The Brigadier and the Golf Widow (1964) and The Stories of John Cheever (1978). Considered one of the author's most outstanding works, The Swimmer has received exhaustive analysis from critics and biographers.
In 1968, The Swimmer was adapted into a film of the same name, starring Burt Lancaster. This is the only literary work by Cheever that has appeared on screen.
October 2, 2024 is the 65th anniversary of the debut of what many consider the greatest television show of all time: the science fiction, horror, and fantasy anthology series The Twilight Zone, created by one of the greatest American television writers and broadcast voices of the 20th century, Rod Serling. Memorable for its shocking twists and surprise endings, The Twilight Zone is equally renowned for its social consciousness and societal critiques that have proven to be timeless and relevant still today.
October 2, 2024 is also the publication date of a brand-new book that examines the legendary series in a brand new way. The Five Themes of The Twilight Zone is a collection of incisive essays on the show's most classic episodes crafted by Serling and many other great writers, directors, and actors of varying sensibilities, but ultimately united under one vision — that of the innovative and profound Serling.
With a foreword by Serling’s daughter, author Anne Serling, The Five Themes of The Twilight Zone is organized into the titular five themes that best represent the depth and breadth of The Twilight Zone. The equally expansive essays, written by Twilight Zone scholar and pop culture historian Arlen Schumer, are as entertaining as they are enlightening. The book’s handsome design, also by Schumer, beautifully mirrors the black and white television aesthetic of The Twilight Zone itself.
***
As Roy Lichtenstein brought comic book art into the fine art world, Schumer has brought it into the commercial art world. His unique comic book-style art appears in advertisements and other editorial and promotional instances.
Schumer's background in graphic design, art direction and copywriting in New York City advertising agencies, combined with his expertise and enthusiasm for the comic book medium and its rich history, produces captivating award-winning imagery recognized worldwide. He has been a long-standing member of the Society of Illustrators.
As a published author and pop culture historian, Schumer has been equally recognized. His book The Silver Age of Comic Book Art won the Independent Book Publishers Award for Best Popular Culture Book; ABC’s 20/20 named him “one of the country's preeminent authorities on comics and culture," and the BBC said his works on The Twilight Zone were “a cut above the rest, full of passion and erudition." Comic Book Artist Magazine called him “one of the more articulate and enthusiastic advocates of comic book art in America.” His other books are Visions from The Twilight Zone and The Neal Adams Sketchbook.
This event is free to attend. Arlen Schumer's new book, The Five Themes of The Twilight Zone, is available for preorder through registration for an additional fee.
***
The Library is pleased to be able to offer free programs and events through the generous donations of patrons like you. Please consider giving to the Library so that we can continue to offer events like this one. Your donation is tax deductible. Donate Now!
