The Annotated Peter Pan and Maria Tatar

     On Ludwig’s recommendation, I bought a copy of The Annotated Peter Pan, edited by Harvard professor, Maria Tatar. The book is divided into the following sections:

·      A Message for Those Who Have Grown Up

·      A Note from the Author about Peter Pan and J.M. Barrie

·      Introduction to J.M. Barrie’s Peter Pan

·      J.M. Barrie in Neverland: A Biographical Essay

·      Peter and Wendy by J.M. Barrie

·      J.M. Barrie’s The Boy Castaways of Black Lake Island

·      “To the Five, a Dedication”: J.M. Barrie’s Introduction to Peter Pan

·      Arthur Rackham and Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens: A Biography of the Artist

·      An Introduction to Arthur Rackham’s Illustrations for Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens

·      Arthur Rackham’s illustrations for Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens

·      J.M. Barrie’s Scenario for a Proposed Film of Peter Pan.

·      Peter Pan On-Screen: A Cinematic Survey

·      Peter Pan: Adaptations, Prequels, Sequels, and Spin-Offs

·      A Montage of Friends, Fans, and Foes: J.M. Barrie and Peter Pan in the World

·      J.M. Barrie’s Legacy: Peter Pan and Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children

·      Bibliography

I read, highlighted, wrote margin notes, marked places with post-its, and typed notes into a Scrivener research file. Naturally, the section regarding J.M. Barrie’s Scenario for a Proposed Film of Peter Pan was of great interest, and I had lots of questions.

 I emailed Maria Tatar at Harvard, and she graciously answered as many questions as she could, and she sent both Ludwig and me signed copies of the book. She also put me in touch with Christine De Poortere, who was the Director of Great Ormond Street Hospital in London, the children’s hospital to which Barrie bequeathed the rights to Peter Pan. Since I was headed to Oxford for a reunion with friends, I made arrangements to visit GOSH.