Discussed in this essay:
Thornton Wilder: A Life, by Penelope Niven. HarperCollins. 848 pages. $39.99.
Thornton Wilder: Collected Plays and Writings on Theater, edited by J. D. McClatchy. The Library of America. 888 pages. $40.
Thornton Wilder: The Bridge of San Luis Rey and Other Novels 1926–1948, edited by J. D. McClatchy. The Library of America. 731 pages. $35.
Thornton Wilder: The Eighth Day, Theophilus North, Autobiographical Writings, edited by J. D. McClatchy. The Library of America. 864 pages. $35.
Poor Thornton Wilder! He was awarded the Pulitzer Prize three times, produced not one but…