Good Women Are Not Hard To Find

Katharine Hepburn was a force of nature, and one of my primary role models growing up.

She was witty and fiercely independent, but most of all, she accepted herself for who she was and never seemed to have any major regrets because she lived life to the fullest. She was also human, flawed and even through that brusque demeanor, she was kind.

I have seen every one of her movies, and I’ve read all of the biographies as well as her autobiography. She still holds the record for most Oscar wins, although she never went. The only time she ever appeared at the Academy Awards was to present the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award to her longtime friend and colleague, Lawrence Weingarten.

Her family’s history is really fascinating, and I would love to ask her so many questions about it. As private as she was, I would also ask more about her relationship with her brother, who committed suicide when they were kids. Kate was the one who found him.

I spent a great deal of time as a child wondering how two women who inspired me equally be so different from one another?

I’m a creative writer, so naturally at one point when I was in high school, I sat down and penned a scene in which my favorite actress, Katharine Hepburn, and one my fave female authors, Flannery O’Connor meet one summer in 1949. I imagined what they would say to each other, and I tried to include contextualize some of their most poignant quotes.

O’Connor passed away from Lupus at just 39 years old. She would have been quite a controversial older “Millennial” figure in her day, being a devout Roman Catholic and Thomist. Here is how I envisioned their meeting, in one-act play form. I hope you enjoy. I wrote this when I was 14 and had just come back from seeing Kate Mulgrew (another woman who inspires me and about whom I’ve written extensively here) in a one-woman show written expressly for her about the life of Katharine Hepburn called “Tea at Five”.

Author’s Note

Two fascinating women arrive to play inside the very the family-owned estate in which Katharine Hepburn lived for most of her life. What has drawn Flannery O'Connor and Katharine Hepburn together for a nice quiet afternoon tea and dinner, who can say? All that can be surmised is that this union is perhaps one of sheer chance and mystery. Nevertheless, the protagonist in undoubtedly, the very talented and equally as devout Southern Gothic short fiction author, whom we know as Mary Flannery O'Connor. O'Connor has made a special trip at the invitation from Miss Hepburn herself.

The year is 1949, the same year Flannery went up to Connecticut to stay with Robert and Sally Fitzgerald for a small sabbatical away from the tensions of her sheltered Georgian lifestyle. Hepburn has just returned from shooting a movie with Spencer Tracy ("Adam's Rib") and is on vacation from the Hollywood hamster wheel for a short while. Here, sitting before the roaring fireplace in the old parlor, are Katharine Hepburn and Flannery O'Connor.

Dramatis Personae

Katharine Hepburn

A bold, brainy, beautiful, and an outspoken amd independent individual, Katharine Hepburn was an empowered woman at a time when neither of those things was particularly welcome or popular in Hollywood; when all of these traits combined, she was often intolerably stubborn and cheeky. First and foremost a movie star, she is a legend of the silver screen. Not only was she an actress, she was an inspiration to young women of all walks of life. In all things, she was feisty, opinionated, headstrong, strong-willed, and even demanding. An interesting fact about Katharine Hepburn quite an extensive life, dying at 96, whereas O'Connor passed away at just 39 years of age.

Flannery O'Connor

A clever, soft-spoken, and devout Roman Catholic throughout her short but remarkable lifetime, Mary Flannery never failed to incorporate the mys nature and behavior into her stories. Growing up, she lost her father to lupus at the age of fifteen, an event that seemed to haunt her until her death in 1964. Mary Flannery O'Connor was the child sitting in the back of the classroom drawing cartoons, satirizing the frivolity of her classmates and fellow peers. She lived a sadly shelter even in the face of the disease that had taken her father's life (and would eventually take hers as well), this "southern belle" managed to capture the essence of problem in spite of divine influence. As opposed to Katharine Hepburn, O'Connor is best described as one who held the power of eloquence between her thumb a rather than in her voice.

Let us set the stage, shall we?

(Curtain Open)

HEPBURN. I don't see what all the fuss is about, Flannery, it's obvious you simply don't understand the way we do things here in New England, or in Connecticut or any other damned place that isn't in the South. At this rate, I doubt you ever will! (pours a cup of tea for both herself and O'Connor, (takes up a seat near the fireplace and offers up a biscuit to her guest with an irritated gesture of feigned hospitality)

O'CONNOR. (accepts the cup of tea graciously, waiting for HEPBURN to finish)

HEPBURN. (takes a sip before continuing) Now listen here, I've lived my life to the fullest. That doesn't mean I haven't had my share of tribulations and difficult life is fraught with them, but should that stop me from living positively and continuing in this business? Hollywood isn't for the feint of heart, I can assure you!

O'CONNOR. (sips at her tea once more before replying) It certainly isn't, I know that. I didn't come here to open up a debate with you; I came because I was i wouldn't dare take a single step away from my work. If it isn't too much to ask, how did you know who I was?

HEPBURN. (sighing, picks up a newspaper and flips through it carelessly) From the papers, darling;I heard about a speech you were giving here in Connecticut be found staying with the Fitzgerald family, so I thought I'd ring you up and find out more about you. You've caused quite a stir over here, you know.

O'CONNOR. (sets her tea on her lap, coughing slightly—is curious to hear more) Oh? I can't imagine how, consider that it wasn't my intention at all to 'cause a I- (goes into a coughing fit, takes a long, steady breath) I know something is happenin' to me, Miss Hepburn, I can feel the world closin' in all around me. It's as hear God in my mind, not just my heart but in my mind tellin' me somethin'...only I can't make out what that somethin' is. I've only meant to give the best I can there's still time left for me here.

HEPBURN. (looks up from the newspaper, eyes wide with curiosity and yet she still manages to run right over O'CONNOR's concerned revelation) Don't call me my first name: Katharine. It's a good, strong name and I prefer it to anything else. Ya make me feel so old! (catches herself) What's the matter with you anyhow, you look perfectly alright from here. (places the paper to the side, sips at her tea) You aren't dying, how dreadful that would be...(goes back to reading the paper and waits expectantly for a prompt reply, but when she endures almost a full moment of complete silence with O'CONNOR)

O'CONNOR. (softly) I just have this feelin', the feelin' something's coming for me...could be the lupus, could be God-or both.

HEPBURN. (shrugs her shoulders, goes back to reading) I don't know about God, never seemed to be around when I needed Him. Especially not after I found my own brother... Some days, I used to wonder whether it was his hand, or God's. (laughs dismissively)

O'CONNOR. What makes you think that?

HEPBURN. (shrugs again, not looking up) So what about that story of yours, "A Good Man Is Hard To Find," eh? There's plenty of truth in that one, if there's su anyway.

O'CONNOR. God is truth, that’s my line of thinking. Lots of people don't see it that way, even Christians. It doesn't matter whether they're Protestant, Catholic, or denomination under which they like to place themselves. All that matters is that some people live their lives according to how they interpret God's laws, rather than interpret their lives by His divine law.

HEPBURN. (defensively) Truth is a subjective thing, my friend, and it changes rapidly everyday by everyday people who can't open their eyes to see what's righ be it God or a plate of eggs and bacon. (takes up her tea and sips it as she listens to what O'CONNOR says next)

O'CONNOR. The truth does not change according to our ability to stomach it! Look around your hometown, Katharine...don't you ever hear people talkin' about meanin' of life, but no matter how many passages they can recite backward and forward, they don't know a damn about where it comes from or what it means t Scripture. Don't you ever hear those things and wonder where those people are comin' from?

HEPBURN. (frustrated, raises her voice) Alright, alright! You've made your point! Now, enough of this depressing conversation, it's giving me a headac about normal things? Is this how it's always going to be whenever I invite you to Fenwick? This is my home anyhow; I'd like to talk about comforting things.

O'CONNOR. Of course we can. (pauses) It's always easiest to talk about comforting things, isn't it? We don't have to stretch out our minds then, do we? (finishes, sets it upon the glass coffee table)

HEPBURN. Well then, let's talk about your work...your stories. I like stories, always have. They open up the mind to extraordinary possibilities, don't they? Tell you to do what you do, to write what you write. I find that sort of thing fascinating myself. I'd do it too if I weren't so busy with Spence, ya know. That last film a strain on the both of us, it's good to get away. Tell me now, Flannery, how does one begin a story? It seems so easy to me, if I had the time for that sort of thing.

O'CONNOR. What's to tell? It's not really that simple, in fact. I find that most people know what a story is until they sit down to write one, but that just comes from my own personal experience with writin'.

HEPBURN. (her interest has peaked, she sets down the newspaper for the last time and takes up the pot of tea for a second cup—hands one to O'CONNOR) 'Eah, 'eah...ever think your stories are too controversial? From what I've read in teaser articles about that one novel, that one called Wise Blood, it looks like you have an innate sense of smell for the most grotesque kinds of people. Aren't you afraid what people are saying about all that nonsense?

O'CONNOR. (accepts the cup, setting it on her lap to give a reply) I am not afraid that the book will be too controversial, I'm afraid that it won't be controversia age, I see the errors of human nature as being covered up by society out of shame and cowardice. If anyone publishes a book or a story that unveils even the s ugliness in the world, mainly caused by man, man almost always blacklists those people. What does it matter to anyone that some of are trying to explore beha reconcile our flaws? The truth is, with my work, this is what I believe: when a book leaves your hands, it belongs to God. He may use it to save a few souls, or to try a few others, but I think that for the writer to worry is to take over God's business—that is wrong. I'm a devout woman, Katharine; you can almost always count on me to off things with a religious catch. (starts to cough, clears her throat and takes a drink from the tea) What about you? I'd like to know about who you are, aside from actress who lives the glamorous Hollywood lifestyle. What kind of woman are you, what kind of person? Those are the questions I ask, and through God, who an receive what I need to live a decent, pious life.

HEPBURN. (ignoring O'CONNOR's last statement, her reply drips with sarcasm) Oh, we're going to talk about me now, are we? Goody... (sighs again, puts her tea on coffee table and crosses her legs) What is there to say about Katharine Houghton Hepburn? Well, let's see...I've had a pretty remarkable life, but compared to m father, I'm dull...(clears her throat) The single most important thing anyone needs to know about me is that I am totally, completely the product of two damn fascinating individuals who happened to be my parents. Of course, there are things in my life, which I would never discuss with anyone: I would never even discuss them w don't go Freudian on me; Freud was an unhealthy influence on America! In all open honesty, I think people take themselves too seriously.

O'CONNOR. (pushes up her horn-rimmed glasses with one hand while she sips gingerly at her tea) Can I ask you something rather personal?

HEPBURN. (eyes O'CONNOR suspiciously, leaning over the table to pick up a small teacake) If it's anything more to do with my religious beliefs or psychology in the question, I'll pass—I’m a quick study. (laughs awkwardly)

O'CONNOR. (laughs with HEPBURN for a moment before saying anything) No, no...it's something more on a lighter note, but still personal nonetheless.

HEPBURN. What the Hell, why not! I'm an actress, but I'm also a personality. I doubt if it's possible for me to keep everything a secret forever!

O'CONNOR. (pauses, trying to find the appropriate words) Well, I was very close to my parents growing up. My daddy died when I was only fifteen, so I can rel feelings of loss with your brother's suicide. I think there is a time in our lives when we all share a similar experience, and it affects our capacity to love. I suppose you believe in such a thing. I know I've asked myself that very question over and over, tried to reconcile with God, but...I never seem to hear his answer over th Protestants condemning me for my religious beliefs bein' so different from theirs. I don't know what I can give in loving someone, it's one of the fears I have about raisin' a family. I'm always afraid I won't have the strength to give enough to that sort of pursuit. But this is about you and what you believe. (waits patiently)

HEPBURN. (reflects on the question for some time, mulling it over carefully before giving an answer) Everyone has those doubts; we doubt our ability to sacrifi the pursuit of something greater than ourselves, which is where many come to God, but mainly we doubt our ability to get out what we put into relationships. But that’s not what love is about. Love has nothing to do with what you are expecting to get--only what you are expecting to give--which is everything. What you will receive varies. But it really has no connection with what you give. (laughs to herself) You give because you love and cannot help giving. (gestures to everything aroundlive the kind of lifestyle that suits my level of willingness to give. With love, as I say, you have to give everything. I never believed, nor am I likely ever to believ kind of woman who can sacrifice so much for love and family. I suppose that makes me selfish, but I've come to understand something about myself that way. So it’s good to be a bit egotistical, sometimes people take themselves to the brink of insanity takin' themselves too seriously, which, as I said before, is just plain silly. It's all about self-discipline, in my book. (quickly changes the subject) Would you like a bite to eat? It'll do ya good!

O'CONNOR. (quietly) I see...yes, thank you.

HEPBURN. (stands and motions for O'CONNOR to follow her into the dining hall, where places have already been set on the table and a domestic is waiting to help) What'll it be? I need to know what I can have Nance, my cook, make for us. You're not a vegetarian, I hope are you?

O'CONNOR. Oh, heavens no, by any stretch of the imagination! Nothing too fancy or done up will do just fine. I'm a simple Southerner, chicken or steak for me.

HEPBURN. (to Nance) Chicken it is, with potatoes and some other side dish. I'm not real savvy with cooking and all that business. (turns toward the domestic and smiles politely) How long do you think it'll be, Nance?

NANCE. About half an hour to forty-five minutes, Miss. (dismisses herself and leaves to get started on lunch)

HEPBURN. (in a worried tone) Oh bother...I was hoping we wouldn't have to wait so long, maybe I should change the order and have something quicker fixed?

O'CONNOR. Actually, I'd be appreciative of a tour around the farm here. It's a mighty scenic residence you have here. Besides, the fresh air'll do me just as much good as something to eat.

HEPBURN. (perks up) That's a wonderful idea, Flannery! A tour of Fenwick at Old Saybrook it is, then! Follow me! (guides her guest out of t out through a side door that leads out to the Fenwick gardens) I really have come to adore this place, you know. It's home, and home just can't be beat. I'd tak over Hollywood any day of the week. My personality, on the other hand, just doesn't seem to match up so well over here. I never seemed to be able to keep anyone on, especially the men (laughs). I suppose I strike people as peculiar in some way, although I don't quite understand why—of course, I have an angular face, an an angular personality, which jabs into people.

O'CONNOR. (smiles) I don't find you to be that sort of person, who "jabs" into others, not at all. I've come to expect that behavior from critics of my stories an jabbing you speak of. People are so interestin' to me, and each one of them comes together as an audience of my work. Sometimes it's easy to illustrate what I but at other times, I seem to have to spell it out.

HEPBURN. Fascinating! I feel that way about acting, particularly on the stage. Occasionally, when there's a receptive audience, all the messages and feelings that one has to throughout the show are effective and the actors feel like they've really accomplished something. Someone asked me why I stopped acting on the stage and wh film to theatre. I said that if you didn't get it right the first time, you could do it again. Besides, I always thought audiences were out to get me. (laughs jovially, rosebush to inspect the petals and stems on each flower)

(A beat.)

O'CONNOR. (nods empathetically) It's very similar with writing. When you can assume that your audience holds the same beliefs as you do, you can relax a littl normal means of talking to it; when you have to assume that it does not, then you have to make your vision apparent by shock, to the hard of hearing you shou almost-blind, you draw large and startling figures. In live theatre, I can see how it would be more nerve-racking for you to feel as if you're successfully getting the emotion across to a live audience, each one a critic. But you don't seem to be the type of woman that is intimidated by criticism.

HEPBURN. (laughs as they walk through the garden) Oh? How's that?

O'CONNOR. Well, look at you, in slacks and a blouse...many people back where I come from would say that you live to create controversy. Of course there's alwoff as she stops in front of a fountain, seeing the angel that is its focal point)

HEPBURN. (puzzled by O'CONNOR's sudden pause, she approaches the fountain) What, that thing? It's been here forever, probably one of the few things I can take it you find some sort of divine inspiration from it, something like that anyway. (scoffs) I suppose I'm just not religious...I try to look at everything practically.

O'CONNOR. Of course, most of us do.

HEPBURN. Then what is it about the fountain that interests you? (places a hand on her hip and leans against the edge of the fountain)

O'CONNOR. I'm an observer of nature, and of art. Can't you see the youthfulness in the angel's eyes?

HEPBURN. I never paid much attention to it, actually.

O'CONNOR. (speaks softer, looks up at the sky) God is in everything; I really do believe that. How can anyone argue against it when they see things like this (p toward the colors that have streaked over the sky as the sun begins to set on the horizon)?

HEPBURN. (sighs) Back to your comment about my attire, I should point out that I always wear slacks because of the maybe the snakes... So I look ghastly, do I? I don't care--so long as I'm comfortable.

O'CONNOR. (turns to face HEPBURN and laughs) You truly are a unique and absolutely fascinatin' woman, Ms. Hepburn!

HEPBURN. (beams right back) My friend, I couldn't have put it better myself! (places a friendly hand on O'CONNOR's shoulder, and guiding her back toward the house, continues to speak)

(HEPBURN and O'CONNOR head back to the house together)

(BLACKOUT)

THE END