Daniel Pollack-Pelzner
@pollackpelzner.bsky.social
Teaching English/theater at Portland State University. Writing in The New Yorker and The Atlantic. Lin-Manuel Miranda: The Education of an Artist (Simon & Schuster, 2025). Zeugmas welcome.
https://www.danielpollackpelzner.com/
https://www.danielpollackpelzner.com/
What’s your top Stoppard? Mine:
1. Arcadia
2. Travesties
3. Shakespeare in Love
4. Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead
5. Rough Crossing (h/t OSF 1997)
1. Arcadia
2. Travesties
3. Shakespeare in Love
4. Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead
5. Rough Crossing (h/t OSF 1997)
November 29, 2025 at 11:31 PM
What’s your top Stoppard? Mine:
1. Arcadia
2. Travesties
3. Shakespeare in Love
4. Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead
5. Rough Crossing (h/t OSF 1997)
1. Arcadia
2. Travesties
3. Shakespeare in Love
4. Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead
5. Rough Crossing (h/t OSF 1997)
Is “cloaked in Gucci and in scandal”
Taylor’s first zeugma?
Taylor’s first zeugma?
October 3, 2025 at 8:52 PM
Is “cloaked in Gucci and in scandal”
Taylor’s first zeugma?
Taylor’s first zeugma?
Loved talking to the brilliant Sondheim Hub!
Who tells your story? 📚 It was a joy to speak to Daniel Pollack-Pelzner, author of LIN-MANUEL MIRANDA: THE EDUCATION OF AN ARTIST, which is out in September. Lots of Sondheim here, lots of Lin-Manuel (naturally), and a little Shakespeare sprinkled in too:
thesondheimhub.substack.com/p/a-conversa...
thesondheimhub.substack.com/p/a-conversa...
A Conversation with Daniel Pollack-Pelzner
Author of Lin-Manuel Miranda: The Education of an Artist
thesondheimhub.substack.com
September 13, 2025 at 3:12 PM
Loved talking to the brilliant Sondheim Hub!
Reposted by Daniel Pollack-Pelzner
📅 Tues. 9/20 @ 6PM: We join the Cambridge Public Library in welcoming Daniel Pollack-Pelzner for a discussion of his highly anticipated biography "Lin-Manuel Miranda: The Education of an Artist". He will be joined in convo by Dani Snyder-Young. Learn more and RSVP for free here: buff.ly/dFtjete
August 22, 2025 at 9:01 PM
📅 Tues. 9/20 @ 6PM: We join the Cambridge Public Library in welcoming Daniel Pollack-Pelzner for a discussion of his highly anticipated biography "Lin-Manuel Miranda: The Education of an Artist". He will be joined in convo by Dani Snyder-Young. Learn more and RSVP for free here: buff.ly/dFtjete
The most thoughtful and perceptive review of my book I’ve seen so far. Thanks @npr.org
The secret to his success isn't just genius — it's collaboration a lot of creative friends. Author Daniel Pollack-Pelzner interviewed more than 150 people for his biography about the Hamilton creator.
A new biography zeroes in on Lin-Manuel Miranda's superpower
The secret to his success isn't just genius — it's collaboration a lot of creative friends. Author Daniel Pollack-Pelzner interviewed more than 150 people for his biography about the Hamilton creator.
n.pr
September 13, 2025 at 3:10 PM
The most thoughtful and perceptive review of my book I’ve seen so far. Thanks @npr.org
Reposted by Daniel Pollack-Pelzner
Happy pub day to my great friend @pollackpelzner.bsky.social and his extraordinary biography of Lin-Manuel Miranda. This book is a delight. It tells Lin's story through the lens of how he became such an incredible artist. It's fast-paced, funny, and humane.
I loved it and believe you will too!
I loved it and believe you will too!
September 9, 2025 at 2:42 PM
Happy pub day to my great friend @pollackpelzner.bsky.social and his extraordinary biography of Lin-Manuel Miranda. This book is a delight. It tells Lin's story through the lens of how he became such an incredible artist. It's fast-paced, funny, and humane.
I loved it and believe you will too!
I loved it and believe you will too!
Book excerpt in the New York Times!
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/01/t...
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/01/t...
How Lin-Manuel Miranda Weathered the Storm
www.nytimes.com
September 1, 2025 at 4:05 PM
Book excerpt in the New York Times!
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/01/t...
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/01/t...
Thanks for reading and reviewing, Martin. I’m so glad you took comfort, as I’d hoped, in finding that the creative process poses challenges for everyone.
Book Review: Lin-Manuel Miranda by Daniel Pollack-Pelzner (coming Sept 9, 2025, from @simonandschuster.bsky.social ). The brilliant biographical education of an artist. mcmaenza.blogspot.com/2025/08/book... #LinManuelMiranda #TheEducationOfAnArtist #NetGalley @pollackpelzner.bsky.social
Book Review: Lin-Manuel Miranda
Classic album reviews from the 1970's and 1980's
mcmaenza.blogspot.com
August 25, 2025 at 1:52 PM
Thanks for reading and reviewing, Martin. I’m so glad you took comfort, as I’d hoped, in finding that the creative process poses challenges for everyone.
Reposted by Daniel Pollack-Pelzner
Book 129: Lin-Manuel Miranda - The Education of an Artist by @pollackpelzner.bsky.social
August 15, 2025 at 11:57 AM
Book 129: Lin-Manuel Miranda - The Education of an Artist by @pollackpelzner.bsky.social
Glad to write about the resonance of #Hamilton on its 10th anniversary for @nytimes.com www.nytimes.com/2025/08/06/o...
Opinion | ‘Hamilton’ Feels Different 10 Years Later
www.nytimes.com
August 6, 2025 at 11:36 PM
Glad to write about the resonance of #Hamilton on its 10th anniversary for @nytimes.com www.nytimes.com/2025/08/06/o...
The play I identify most strongly with is A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE. It’s the tragedy of what happens when your in-law comes to stay with you and you only have one bathroom.
August 5, 2025 at 2:43 PM
The play I identify most strongly with is A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE. It’s the tragedy of what happens when your in-law comes to stay with you and you only have one bathroom.
Friends, I'm thrilled to share that my biography of
Lin-Manuel Miranda is available to pre-order before its Sep 9 release. I talked with LMM and 150 of his inspirations about how he learned to become an artist. Hope the story inspires you! www.simonandschuster.com/books/Lin-Ma...
Lin-Manuel Miranda is available to pre-order before its Sep 9 release. I talked with LMM and 150 of his inspirations about how he learned to become an artist. Hope the story inspires you! www.simonandschuster.com/books/Lin-Ma...
Lin-Manuel Miranda
An intimate and captivating exploration of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s artistic journey, revealing how the creator of the Broadway musicals Hamilton and I...
www.simonandschuster.com
June 15, 2025 at 6:29 PM
Friends, I'm thrilled to share that my biography of
Lin-Manuel Miranda is available to pre-order before its Sep 9 release. I talked with LMM and 150 of his inspirations about how he learned to become an artist. Hope the story inspires you! www.simonandschuster.com/books/Lin-Ma...
Lin-Manuel Miranda is available to pre-order before its Sep 9 release. I talked with LMM and 150 of his inspirations about how he learned to become an artist. Hope the story inspires you! www.simonandschuster.com/books/Lin-Ma...
Is there a more thrilling sequence of songs than You Don’t Know / I Am the One / Superboy and the Invisible Girl / I’m Alive?
#NextToNormalPBS
#NextToNormalPBS
May 15, 2025 at 5:58 PM
Is there a more thrilling sequence of songs than You Don’t Know / I Am the One / Superboy and the Invisible Girl / I’m Alive?
#NextToNormalPBS
#NextToNormalPBS
I was so sorry to learn of Misha Berson's passing. I loved reading her Seattle theater dispatches; I relished her book on the making of West Side Story; and after I had the pleasure of serving with her on a Chekhov panel, I was delighted that she'd keep in touch. www.orartswatch.org/a-farewell-t...
A farewell to theater critic Misha Berson • Oregon ArtsWatch
The longtime Seattle theater and culture writer, who also contributed often to Oregon ArtsWatch, embraced life and art with passion and a constant case of curiosity.
www.orartswatch.org
February 21, 2025 at 12:06 AM
I was so sorry to learn of Misha Berson's passing. I loved reading her Seattle theater dispatches; I relished her book on the making of West Side Story; and after I had the pleasure of serving with her on a Chekhov panel, I was delighted that she'd keep in touch. www.orartswatch.org/a-farewell-t...
Reposted by Daniel Pollack-Pelzner
Black history is every month all the time, of course, but I’ll play this game. Almost a decade ago, Dan Kois and I put together the Black Film Canon, then we updated it in 2023, and it’s a great (but def not exhaustive!) primer for black film history:
slate.com/culture/2023...
slate.com/culture/2023...
The 75 Greatest Films by Black Directors
As chosen by critics and filmmakers—and including four movies from 2022.
slate.com
February 4, 2025 at 3:36 PM
Black history is every month all the time, of course, but I’ll play this game. Almost a decade ago, Dan Kois and I put together the Black Film Canon, then we updated it in 2023, and it’s a great (but def not exhaustive!) primer for black film history:
slate.com/culture/2023...
slate.com/culture/2023...
ME: Who’s the most popular singer with your high school friends?
SON: Probably Billie Eilish.
ME: Honestly—and this is my shortcoming—I don’t really get her. She always sounds half-asleep.
SON: Have you met any high schoolers?
SON: Probably Billie Eilish.
ME: Honestly—and this is my shortcoming—I don’t really get her. She always sounds half-asleep.
SON: Have you met any high schoolers?
February 3, 2025 at 5:12 PM
ME: Who’s the most popular singer with your high school friends?
SON: Probably Billie Eilish.
ME: Honestly—and this is my shortcoming—I don’t really get her. She always sounds half-asleep.
SON: Have you met any high schoolers?
SON: Probably Billie Eilish.
ME: Honestly—and this is my shortcoming—I don’t really get her. She always sounds half-asleep.
SON: Have you met any high schoolers?
Hope so. www.nytimes.com/2025/01/29/a...
Only 3 Black Women Have Won the Grammys’ Top Award. Is Beyoncé Next?
Natalie Cole, Whitney Houston and Lauryn Hill’s album of the year wins all came in the 1990s. Beyoncé’s fifth shot, for “Cowboy Carter,” arrives Sunday night.
www.nytimes.com
January 31, 2025 at 3:26 PM
Hope so. www.nytimes.com/2025/01/29/a...
My favorite intersection.
January 20, 2025 at 3:51 PM
My favorite intersection.
I’m sure this is all over Disney’s internal memos, so let’s just say it outright: Mufasa is the Henry VI Part 3 to The Lion King’s Richard III.
December 20, 2024 at 2:40 PM
I’m sure this is all over Disney’s internal memos, so let’s just say it outright: Mufasa is the Henry VI Part 3 to The Lion King’s Richard III.
MACBETH: I don’t know what the poor cat does in the adage, okay? Every time you bring it up, I just nod.
😂😂😂 @katepitt.bsky.social
www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/the...
😂😂😂 @katepitt.bsky.social
www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/the...
The Macbeths Listen and Don’t Judge
We listen and we don’t judge.
LADY MACBETH: I hate it when you introduce me as your “Dearest partner of greatness.” What’s wrong with “wife”?
We li...
www.mcsweeneys.net
December 19, 2024 at 5:32 AM
MACBETH: I don’t know what the poor cat does in the adage, okay? Every time you bring it up, I just nod.
😂😂😂 @katepitt.bsky.social
www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/the...
😂😂😂 @katepitt.bsky.social
www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/the...
Love this! deadline.com/2024/12/keta...
Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson To Make One-Night-Only Broadway Debut In ‘& Juliet’, Fulfilling Lifelong Dream
United States Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson will make her Broadway debut – you read that right – with a one-night-only walk-on role in & Juliet, the hit musical comedy in which the femal...
deadline.com
December 9, 2024 at 9:01 PM
Love this! deadline.com/2024/12/keta...
December 6, 2024 at 5:12 PM
No better way to encourage students to write plays than a Paula Vogel bake-off!
for those who teach or like to add a little dramaturgy to your work, I’ve posted about bake-offs on my web www.paulavogelplaywright.com
I will put others up on line
I will put others up on line
Paula Vogel
www.paulavogelplaywright.com
December 4, 2024 at 1:43 AM
No better way to encourage students to write plays than a Paula Vogel bake-off!
10 musicals to get to know me:
Hamilton
Hamilton
Hamilton
Hamilton
Hamilton
Hamilton
Hamilton
Hamilton
Hamilton
In the Heights
Hamilton
Hamilton
Hamilton
Hamilton
Hamilton
Hamilton
Hamilton
Hamilton
Hamilton
In the Heights
December 2, 2024 at 10:16 PM
10 musicals to get to know me:
Hamilton
Hamilton
Hamilton
Hamilton
Hamilton
Hamilton
Hamilton
Hamilton
Hamilton
In the Heights
Hamilton
Hamilton
Hamilton
Hamilton
Hamilton
Hamilton
Hamilton
Hamilton
Hamilton
In the Heights