Drs.Tom Erskine and James Welsh co-author "Video Versions:  Film Adaptations of Plays on Video

SALISBURY, MD---Drs.Tom Erskine and James Welsh, the two most senior professors of English at Salisbury State University, who have held five Fulbright grants between them to countries as exotic as Jordan, Thailand and Romania, have co-authored the book Video Versions:  Film Adaptations of Plays on Video, published by the Greenwood Press in 2000 and highly praised recently by School Library Journal as “an invaluable resource.”  The book discusses nearly 300 films and their theatrical origins, providing readers with an overview of the films and highlighting similarities and differences between the films and the source plays.

The authors, who have published a total of 15 books between them, besides establishing and editing the academic journal, Literature/Film Quarterly, now in its 29th year, have no qualms about having produced a reference book that might be considered merely “useful” by the theoretically minded.  To the contrary, they are delighted by what the Library Journal reviewer wrote:  “Theater and film lovers will enjoy reading about ‘old friends,’ while others will enjoy browsing.  An excellent collection development tool and a useful reference source for libraries and educators.” 

“We spent weeks just preparing the Index for this book,” Welsh noted, “after writing and rewriting hundreds of entries; but evidently the book has found an appreciative audience, and what more could a writer ask for?”  Welsh and Erskine are currently in their 30th year of teaching at SSU, where they have both earned the school’s Distinguished Faculty Award.

For information visit the University's Web site at www.salisbury.edu or call 410-543-6030.