Stephen Karam on Pain, Despair, and the Enduring Power of Great Writing

Stephen Karam talks to Paul Holdengraber about the joy of the human condition, while mining its depths for art.

Stephen Karam on getting at the truth through the human condition…
I’m interested in trying to get at the truth, whatever my own truths are—the questions I’m trying to answer or explore… It’s reflective of my view of life or how I see people and how I see the human condition. I think there is so much pain, but there is also so much joy and wonder and magic that comes with being alive.

Stephen Karam on diving into despair to release pain…
I really do hope that my work makes people feel less alone and that it’s the despair that takes them out of it. In other words, I like going into the basement as far down as I can go, not because I want to drag people down into the murkiness of despair and all that’s depressing about life, but because I actually feel like that’s how you can release the kind of grip that anxiety and pain can have on your life.

Stephen Karam on the everlasting power of a great text…
When a work is that good—when you’re reading Chekhov or reading any great writer—the text continues to surprise and continues to reveal secrets.