Cliff Hangers

Pop Eaters just published my post on cliff hangers. And the summer I wrote the episode that solved the greatest cliff hanger of all time: Who Shot J.R.?.

Check it out: http://www.popeater.com/2010/11/25/who-shot-JR-writer-reflects/

Cliff Hangers

A Literary Feast

Last week Carl and I went to New Orleans for the Pirate's Alley Faulkner Society Literary Festival Words and Music. There we danced and ate and listened to many learned discussions. I gave a master class on Creating Great Characters in the historic Cabildo in the center of the French Quarter. Carl was on a panel on translation and introduced classist Stanley Lombardo at a yummy lunch at Muriel's resterant.

I took the picture at left with my little cell phone, so the quality leaves something to be desired, but there are two National Book Award winners Tim O'Brien in the hat and Julia Glass sitting next to him talking to Stewart O'Nan. That's Simon Mawer laughing. He was short-listed for the Booker Prize. Attending to his lunch is moderator Randy Fertel whose foundation created the Truth Teller Awards.

Words and Music. On the dias at left is Rosemary James the organizer extraordinaire of the festival which this year was held in conjunction with the National World War II Museum.

But it wasn't all books and conversation. We found time to go to the gorgeous sculpture garden in City Park. Here I am with Julia Glass and short-story writer Maurice Ruffin. And at bottom Julie and I surround Botero's amazing scupture of a mother holding her child while standing on the prone body of the father.

The Southern Belle Sounds Off: Creating Great Characters for Film and Fiction

http://www.wordsandmusic.org/schedule.html

Creating Great Characters for Film and Fiction

Next week I'll be in New Orleans where I'm giving a master class on Creating Great Characters in Film and Fiction at the fabulous Pirate's Alley Faulkner Society's great literary festival: Word's and Music. http://www.wordsandmusic.org/schedule.html. Y'all come.