Tom Stoppard: The Stories of Damon Runyon

The legendary playwright and screenwriter Sir Tom Stoppard (1937-2025) was a good friend of Give a Book. In 2017, to coincide with his 80th birthday, he recommended this Book of the Month for us.

‘When I was in my teens I had a passion for the stories of Damon Runyon.  He wrote in the person of someone hanging about in the company of gangsters, cops, showgirls and gamblers, etc, around “the Great White Way”, meaning Broadway, New York City, in the 30s and the 40s. The stories had good plots and they were funny, and unique. One of the stories was made into a musical (and a movie: Guys and Dolls with Frank Sinatra and Marlon Brando). When I started writing, I tried to write “Damon Runyon stories”, but they were harder than I thought! I still love them.’

We celebrate Tom and will miss him.

Every Book of the Month is sent to each of our projects with a bookplate sharing why it was chosen. You can order your copy of Guys and Dolls and Other Stories and our previous Books of the Month from our affiliate list on Bookshop.org:

 

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To see our previous Books of the Month, click here.