Alan Rickman has a curious effect on some people.  They like him.  I mean, they really like him.  In some cases, he inspires extreme creativity in the form of artwork, novels, poetry, music, articles of clothing, even rubber stamps and puzzles.

And some express their admiration by creating websites.

Within this cyberworld of Rickman appreciation, there is further categorization.  Most of the sites are homages and shrines which feature photos and celebrations of his work and his person , but some focus on one particular aspect of his work.  Thus there are sites that specialize in theater work, photos, reviews, individual roles, sounds, video clips, Fans Acting Badly, or news/current information and discussion.  Oh, and the live journals.  Dozens of them.

Not too long into my deep fascination for All That is Rickman, I also wished to find a niche in this abundant world of celebration.  My particular form of Rickmania caused me to plunge into a great deal of background reading in order to make sense of some of the settings and catalysts for some of Alan Rickman’s projects.

Thus an idea was born.

Making lists is what I do best.  Putting things in order is what I do best.  Obsessive attention to detail is what I do best.  And so I began to compile a list of all the topics and books AR has led me to by way of his acting work.  The result is the website before you.

I have read much of what is listed on this bibliography, or at least have a nodding acquaintance with it, but there is quite enough material there to occupy me or anybody for the rest of their reading lives.  I used to consider myself well read, but I must say that in the few short months since I began on this program I have been introduced to the most remarkable literature!  How I lived so long without having read anything by Michael Frayn or Beryl Bainbridge or Peter Barnes or John Arden or Stephen Poliakoff is a mystery!  But at least I know about them now—and I have AR to thank. I am also thankful for being introduced to the work of Kunio Shimizo, Maxim Gorky, Alfred Jarry and Aphra Behn.  And of course, I had never read nearly enough Shakespeare or Chekhov until inspired to by AR, (nor had I the desire to—but I have evolved).

As you will see, the breadth and depth of writing represented in these lists is extensive, comparable to the reading list of any respectable undergraduate literature program.  For this reason, I consider AR to be one of the best teachers I have ever had.

Not surprising, considering that “Professor” is one of the roles that appears on his resume.

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