Film Professor Richard Dresser Publishes 'It Happened Here'

By
Nicole Saldarriaga
August 26, 2020
It Happened Here book cover. A military man looking over a man with a red cap.

Adjunct Assistant Professor Richard Dresser's debut novel, It Happened Here was released this month by Brown Books Publishing Group. 

The novel, which is presented as an oral history, follows an American family from 2020 to 2035 as they move into a more and more dystopian future. The Weeks family is divided along ideological lines when, in 2020, the elections are cancelled and the president takes on the role of "Great Leader" for 16 years. Dresser deftly weaves together the personal stories of each family member to craft a poignant look at the death of democracy, the effects of a country's political climate on its citizens, and personal relationships in the face of political division. 

According to Dresser, "It was important to me that the book not be a polemic that only resonates for those of a particular political stripe. There are no villains in the family, although characters line up on different sides politically. I hope that by dealing with the characters on their own terms, political questions are raised but not answered. That’s up to the reader. My goal was to write an engaging book that would inspire readers to consider the profound nature of our historical moment, and the consequences if we fail to live up to the challenge.” 

Actor, comedian, and playwright Lewis Black called the novel "as astonishing as it is extraordinary," and observed that Dresser "has found the heartbeat of our nightmare in the American family. With a cold eye and deep compassion, he has crafted a tale in which deep sadness gives hope and in which deep darkness brings laughter. Truly a worthy read." 

According to author Peter Quinn, "It Happened Here is a witheringly funny, presciently wise, and deeply alarming account of a nation's corruption and a family redemption...Dresser's fiction pulsates with truth. Don't say you weren't warned." 

Richard Dresser is an award winning playwright, screenwriter, and television writer. His many plays, including Below the Belt and Rounding Third, have been produced throughout New York, Europe, and leading regional theaters. He is president and a founding member of the Writers Guild Initiative, which conducts writing workshops all over the country with the mission of giving a voice to populations who are not being heard. He lives in New York.