Two Prospectors: The Letters of Sam Shepard and Johnny Dark

Southwestern Writers Collection Series, The Wittliff Collections

by Sam Shepard, Johnny Dark, Chad Hammett (Editor)

Sam Shepard was arguably America’s finest working dramatist, as well as an accomplished screenwriter, actor, and director. Winner of a Pulitzer Prize, he wrote more than forty-five plays, including True West , Fool for Love , and Buried Child . Shepard also appeared in more than fifty films, beginning with Terrence Malick’s Days of Heaven , and was nominated for an Academy Award for his performance in The Right Stuff . Despite the publicity his work and life attracted, however, Shepard remained a strongly private man who said many times that he would never write a memoir. But he did write intensively about his inner life and creative work to his former father-in-law and housemate, Johnny Dark, who was Shepard’s closest friend, surrogate brother (they were nearly the same age), and even artistic muse. Two Prospectors gathers nearly forty years of correspondence and transcribed conversations between Shepard and Dark. In these gripping, sometimes gut-wrenching letters, the men open themselves to each other with amazing honesty. Shepard’s letters give us the deepest look we will ever get into his personal philosophy and creative process, while in Dark’s letters we discover insights into Shepard’s character that only an intimate friend could provide. The writers also reflect on the books and authors that stimulate their thinking, their relationships with women (including Shepard’s anguished decision to leave his wife and son—Dark’s stepdaughter and grandson—for actress Jessica Lange), personal struggles, and accumulating years. Illustrated with Dark’s candid, revealing photographs of Shepard and their mutual family across many years, as well as facsimiles of numerous letters, Two Prospectors is a compelling portrait of a complex friendship that anchored both lives for decades, a friendship also poignantly captured in Treva Wurmfeld’s film, Shepard & Dark .

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir

383 pages, Paperback

First published October 15, 2013

About the author

Sam Shepard was an American artist who worked as an award-winning playwright, writer and actor. His many written works are known for being frank and often absurd, as well as for having an authentic sense of the style and sensibility of the gritty modern American west. He was an actor of the stage and motion pictures; a director of stage and film; author of several books of short stories, essays, and memoirs; and a musician.

Reviews

[M. Sarki · Rating 4 out of 5]

This may be a book only for the person aged enough that memories result in more questions asked than answers given regarding who we truly are. It seems if a person lives long enough there will appear to be several incarnations as one looks back. This book was a treat for me to read and there was so much I found interesting and parallel to my own life (minus the fame and philandering). I loved every moment of engagement with this book. So much so that I have now gone on and ordered all the short story collections of SS. I cannot afford any books by JD.

[Anthony Bergen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've never read something by Sam Shepard that hasn't made me feel something powerful. This collection of Shepard's correspondence with Johnny Dark is likely the closest thing to a memoir we'll ever get from America's greatest living playwright. That also makes "2 Prospectors" perhaps his most personal work -- a considerable accomplishment for a writer whose every word is raw and genuine.

[Alice Meloy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sam Shepard, the playwright, began his relationship with Johnny Dark when he married Dark's step-daughter. Close in age, the two men quickly developed a strong friendship based on their shared interests in writing, the creative process, the spiritual teachings of George Gurdjieff, the writing of Jack Kerouac, and their extended family. Their families lived together for a few years in California before Shepard met Jessica Lange and moved away. (His son, Jesse, stayed in California and was partly raised by Dark and his wife.) There are photographs and some transcriptions of recorded conversations from their time together, one of which occurred when the two were stoned and trying to develop an idea for a play called "The Two Prospectors," which gives the book its title. Most of the letters come from the period after Shepard moved. Despite the different paths they traveled, the two shared a kindred spirit which is revealed with openness and candor in the letters. Shepard became an award-winning playwright, actor and director, writing mostly for the public. Dark stayed close to home and wife, was a photographer, held a series of jobs, and wrote mostly for himself. Their correspondence contemplates their common interests, their struggles with self-identity, the pleasures and frustrations of daily life (taking kids to school, feeding horses, worrying about money), discussions about writing, and, as time passed, thoughts about getting older. The letters reveal almost as much as an autobiography or memoir and, because of the in-the-moment nature of the words, there is an honesty that is often missing in retrospective writing. It's a thoroughly enjoyable look at a relationship. Recommended.

[Tom · Rating 5 out of 5]

About half-way through, and I'm engrossed with the correspondence. Took a break from the book of letters last night to watch the documentary on Shepard and Dark now on Netflix. The book and documentary are as much companions as the lives of these two men. These are must reads/views for anyone who has studied or loves Shepard's work, the beats, or simply the art of lifetime correspondence b/w friends.

[Lars Meijer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Een ontroerende verzameling brieven van theaterschrijver Sam Shepard aan vriend Johnny Dark en andersom die zo goed als veertig jaar beslaat. Herinneringen aan vroeger, geldzorgen, succes, literatuur; het komt allemaal langs, maar ik was ontroerd wanneer de mannen introspectief worden, de zeldzame schitteringen van spijt en schaamte, de onmogelijkheid om het verleden helemaal los te laten.

[James Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book made me want to be a different person.

[Deonne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been a fan of Shepard's for a long time - I even taught his plays at Queens - and this look inside his personal/creative life was a revelation. His letters with Dark are at turns nostalgic and intellectual, and always deeply thoughtful.

It especially cheered me to read of Shepard's struggles with his own (brilliant) work - not a surprise, but it's always helpful for the rest of us to know that even accomplished artists experience the same difficulties and doubts. Highly recommended.

[Bob Peru · Rating 4 out of 5]

huck & tom.
neil & jack.
so too, john dark and sam shepard.
this is an accounting through letters of a more'n 40 year friendship.

so much good stuff here.

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

These are two traumatized men, one famous and the other not, who never got the love or acceptance they desperately needed from their emotionally handicapped fathers. They reminisce over smoking pot, drinking booze, some sexual adventures, and prattle on endlessly about the books they have read and are still reading. They worship authors and a Buddhist-type spiritual movement from the 60's. The gist of this book is a long drawn out friendship which I have to wonder might have ended if they had lived next door to one another. What I find most revealing about the famous Sam Shepard is his total disregard and written gratitude for having another man raise his first born son after deserting him and the mother for a gorgeous actress.
There is little remorse for his absences, only upon his leaving. There are many highlighted letters about his three (two together and one step) children with his second wife. While the other man with his child tends to his handicapped wife. One leaves reading these letters asking if the second wife did not want to share her husband with his son's half-siblings or the other way around. In any case, I found myself becoming more fond of the non famous friend who stood by his doting wife and took care of her to the very end. All these men had in common was a pot-filled past that neither could seem to remedy or reconcile with their future. A good therapist would have served them both well.

Sometimes you wish you didn't know so much about the authors you admire because they end up being not who you expected them to be. Kinda feel this way even though I found it interesting, insightful, and inspiring.

[Jennifer Bacall · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was everything I had hoped for and more. The way that the letters are curated gives readers an idea of the ebb and flow not only of Dark & Shepard's lives but also of their friendship.

Shepard, perhaps best known to most for his acting career, saw himself primarily as a writer and was known for fleeing intimate relationships.
Dark changed jobs with the wind but remained steadfast in a life-long marriage and he raised Shepard's son Jesse.

The men were related by marriage and ideas and in their letters would write passionately about their reality. They held each other accountable for their actions. Some of the best moment's of each of their lives were in each other's company and they received tremendous joy from reminiscing in those moments.

The letters reveal the flaws in both men and are peppered with literary and pop culture references as well as writing tips and reading recommendations. The aging of the men can be seen not only in the literal shape of the handwriting but in the descriptions of their lifestyles over the years. Sam was a wanderer and Johnny a homebody.

There are treasures of language throughout. I have more tabs to refer back to in this book than any I've read in years.

Reader be warned: these men are not feminists or politically correct. Some of what they say may offend you. They are however deep thinkers and idealists and what can be gleaned from their words and experience is priceless to any literary lover or dreamer.

[Matt · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the best books I have ever read. These letters trace the friendship of Shepard and Dark over a period of 39 years. Though both men led what might be termed unconventional lives, it is the quotidian details of those lives that account for the ultimate beauty of their stories. Everything is here: love, heartbreak, small victories, degrees of success, small and great losses, families, wives, children, work, writing, literature, traveling, driving, moving around, horses, dogs: LIFE. And always the bond, the friendship, the mutual respect and admiration of these two both singular and ordinary men. There are numerous instances in the book where Sam Shepard quotes Samuel Beckett: "Something is taking its course." What we have here are the lives of Sam Shepard and Johnny Dark taking their courses. And in these takings there is much to come to know.

[Leslie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sam Shepard is tall, good looking and doesn't smile a whole lot. So that makes him fascinating, at least to me. The collection of letters was assembled by Shepard's friend and corespondent (amigo), Johnny Dark. Shepard had a much bigger life than Dark, but, in the end, I found myself feeling sad for Shepard. Pretty interesting to start, then the letters turn mostly to descriptions of what Shepard and Jessica Lange and their kids are doing or the weather, wherever he happens to be. Thanks to this book, I'm over him. Johnny Dark comes off as a gentle caring soul.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a huge fan of Sam Shepard. Since he never had interest in writing a memoir, this is probably as close as you will get. If you watched & enjoyed "Shepard & Dark" you'll want to read this book, if you haven't already. I've read his work. Watched some of his interviews. There were still some surprises in his letters. I think for Shepard fans, in particular in lieu of his recent death, this book is a must read. For those unfamiliar with Shepard I'm not sure what the draw would be, but I think many might still enjoy and/or get something from this book.

[Elise Stone · Rating 2 out of 5]

I started out with high hopes for this book. I've always liked Sam Shepard and thought this would be one way of getting to know him better. However, about half-way through the letters started getting repetitious, reminiscences of earlier times, longing to recreate them, etc. I might have finished the book had it not been due at the library, but it was and it didn't hold my interest enough to renew it.

[Graham Oliver · Rating 5 out of 5]

Knew next to nothing about Sam Shepard going into this book. Didn't matter. It's good. Devastatingly honest, almost up until the end. I do wish they had cut it off before the two men knew there was going to be a collection; the last few letters feel stilted and posed.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great collection of letters. Shepard is one of my favorite writers and Johnny seems like truly his only friend in the world for almost 40 years. The timeline of Shepard's life is fun to follow through these letters and the book was beautiful and well put together.

[Shari Gullo · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a woman is there anything better than reading the intimate correspondence between two men? Not since reading Distant Neighbors – The Selected Letters of Wendell Berry and Gary Snyder edited by Chad Wrigglesworth have I enjoyed a book as much.

[Kelli Cienkus · Rating 5 out of 5]

fantastic! will be reading this one over and over...

[Lesli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Admittedly I'm obsessed with Sam Shepard but great insight into him as well as Johnny Dark - they have a really interesting history.

[Aaron · Rating 5 out of 5]

A stimulating, highly personal, thought-provoking, and fearless reflection of both authors through a correspondence of 40-something years. Sam Shepard and his best friend/ father in law Johnny Dark share letters both fascinating in what they reveal about the tribulations/torments of writing (the why and the hows are just the beginning) and the spiritual meaning often found in capturing stories and characters. Shepard lays himself bare in a severely humble fashion as he ponders what it means to write (or what he imagines it means). The topics range from death, his struggles with women, addiction, fatherhood, and alienation--a pathological terror which strikes him deep during his many road trips and prospers in his homestead, surrounded by family. Or they cover the loneliness and nihilism which visit him while living a lifestyle of motels and movie sets. Also interesting is the family dynamic between the two men, and their competition. This doesn't come from Shepard, whose success is staggering, but in the delicate chemistry he feels towards Dark, a man who staggers more often. Lots of fresh, observational takes on old age, of creative men looking back at their adolescent irresponsibility and pipe dreams qualify this book as a must-read for fans of author biographies which celebrate only the childish and destructive nature of male writers (see: Fitzgerald, Dickey, Roethke, Cheever, Mailer, etc.).

A sensational book with only one MAJOR flaw. If you order this as a Kindle, be prepared for footnote-sized print, and it's unalterable. Also no way to highlight passages, and there are 100s upon 100s.

[Jeannette Hartman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a well-edited compilation of nearly 40 years of letters exchanged between Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Sam Shepard and his former stepfather-in-law Johnny Dark.

The letters were written from October 1972 to March 2011, when Shepard decided he no longer wanted to be involved with the letters, the past they represented or the book project. (He died six years later.)

Editor Chad Hammett has taken a massive correspondence and with careful selections created a narrative that holds your interest as the men exchange ideas, go different paths, age and grow increasingly aware of their differences.

Between the printed letters are wonderful photographs of Shepard, Dark and their families. There are also facsimiles of the written and typed letters and postcards the two exchanged, which given you a feeling of being part of the correspondence.

While Shepard had a notable and public career, Dark drifted from dog-catching to house cleaning to working as a masseuse to working the counter of Mexican deli in Deming, NM. Much of his time was taken up caring for his wife Scarlett Johnson after she had a brain aneurysm and later dealt with a variety of health issues.

Dark is a natural born collector, recorder and archivist. His observations of life, his relationship with his wife, his recollections of bygone days and age-won shifts in perspective as just as interesting as Shepard’s.

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

A thoroughly invaluable resource for anyone compelled by the life and work of Sam Shepard - let alone for someone as clearly compelled by it as myself. This is an enervating and emotional journey through the lives of both Shepard and his lifelong friend Johnny Dark, and it's been a pleasure following along with them as I've journeyed through the latter half of Shepard's body of work.

This wasn't published until after Shepard's next two plays, but the final correspondence included actually pre-dates the earliest performance of "Evanescence; Shakespeare in the Alley" by a couple of months, so I kind of jumped the gun on reading that before diving into the rest of this.

Looking forward to watching the documentary "Shepard & Dark," although I imagine much of the territory covered therein is already spoken for in this collection.

[Megan Mcewen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book really surprised me, not in being well-written or introspective or revelatory. Rather, it was the precisely correct book to be reading at the moment I was reading it.
I live in LA, but grew up in the East Bay/Mill Valley. I read this book while taking a huge road trip with my family to show them the state I love. There was lots of camping, interspersed with lots of stays at ranches/farms.
Unbeknownst to me, Sam Shepard lived in Mill Valley for years, and it's where he met Johnny Dark. The two of them talked literature, geography, identity, aging, art, all while traversing this state, getting priced out of this state, trying to figure out how to indulge in a love of horses and dogs and acreage, while also being responsibly to families.
I needed this read. I feel like I should miracle it to a fellow Mill-Valley-an traveler.

[Beccie Allen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A real insight into Shepards life which is wonderful since he never published his memoirs.

Dark was also a really interesting character in himself.

I loved the book recommendations the men gave each other it gave a real sense of who their influences were.

It feels like a bygone era with people writing letters like these, some mundane day to day experiences and others really deep thoughtful reflections.

The letters span decades and its a wonderful read seeing how the mens lives change and how their views develop through these writings

[Yvette Nachmias-Baeu · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful example of two very different people who have been friends for over 40 years. One a famous playwright and the other a man whose aspirations are solidly placed in his small but astute and focused life. The intimate nature of these letters frame a picture of two very different men leading very different lives...both of which are extraordinary and compelling.

[Byron · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hard to get into initially but then it takes off and the voices of both these men resonate right through to end. Odd couple they seem at first blush but you come away appreciating how much they help/support each other each in their own ways.

[patty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Engrossing and heartbreakingly honest. Peppered with rare photos and screenshots of some handwritten letters and postcards. Shepard had beautiful handwriting.

[Al Riske · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not surprisingly, this is my least favorite of Shepard’s books. I was able to finish it, however, an outcome that was in doubt for some time.

[Rohit · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fabulous read.

[Annie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I felt like I was eavesdropping. Letters are such a joy to send and to receive. Especially when written by hand.