Rebuked Playwright

To Joel Moffett, the young playwright who was rebuked at Chapman College, I say: “Cheer up, pal. Listen to the muse and not the bureaucrats.”

Moffett is not alone in his censorship problems. As a fiction author, I was invited along with three other novelists to speak at Chapman in 1986. Asked to prepare a 45-minute speech, I was arbitrarily cut off after 17 minutes with a cryptic note requesting that I “wrap it up.”

A creative writing professor disliked my presentation. My confused feelings were assuaged by members of the audience who felt affronted by the blatant censorship; afterward, several approached me to express their disbelief and disapproval.

Don’t fret, Joel. In your case, the last word may be yours. When you become a world-class playwright, remember “The Coloring Box” each time your alma mater solicits alumni funding. Ask yourself, “Did the campus support me back then? Or for that matter, freedom of the creative arts in general?”

DOUG MUIR

Newport Beach