'Bottoms … has an excellent perception of the performance side of drama, which makes his comments on Shepard's work even more invaluable … another strength of the book is that Bottoms locates the plays in a wide spectrum of contexts … convincing and fascinating … Bottoms's book is very useful for understanding this highly prolific and versatile American playwright. Its detailed readings of Shepard's plays make it a substantial contribution to Shepard criticism.' American Studies

• Preface; Introduction: states of crisis; 1. Working out: the early plays, 1964–7; 2. Kicking out: rock and ruin, 1967–72; 3. Sorting out: an English interlude, 1971–4; 4. Nightmares of the nation: improvizations and collaborations, 1976–9; 5. Strychnine in the gut: Curse of the Starving Class (1977) and Buried Child (1978); 6. The real thing: True West (1980) and Fool for Love (1983); 7. Fire in the snow: two movies and A Lie of the Mind, 1984–88; 8. Victory and loss: the nation in the '90s; Afterword; Chronology.