Kathleen George's "The Blues Walked In"

Kathleen George is the author of The Johnstown Girls, a novel about the famous Johnstown flood. She has also written seven mysteries set in Pittsburgh: A Measure of Blood, Simple, The Odds, which was nominated for the Edgar® Award from the Mystery Writers of America, Hideout, Afterimage, Fallen, and Taken. George is also the author of the short story collection The Man in the Buick and editor of another collection, Pittsburgh Noir. She is a professor of theater arts and creative writing at the University of Pittsburgh.

Here George dreamcasts an adaptation of her new novel, The Blues Walked In:

Lena Horne was not only gorgeous but spirited and positive and smart. One thing that got her ahead was that her skin was light. At first people weren’t sure she was African American or “Negro.” Her looks got her ahead. They also acted as a barrier, too. Hollywood, for instance, didn’t know what to do with her. She could sing. They let her sing in a few movies. The first person I thought of to play her was Hallie Berry. And she’s still on my list. But there are so many gorgeous black women out there, I’m sure there are others. Singing would have to be a big part of the casting process, of course. Of course all of us writers think of big names because big names sell scripts, so for I while I wondered if Meghan Markle might be lured back to her acting career. But alas, she’s said she wants to be a princess. Ah, well.

To play my other main character, Marie David, I would like someone of Arabic background. How about Nadine Labaki? She looks great, just right, and she’s smart and multi-talented. I don’t know any one else of Lebanese background who is acting although I’m sure there are thousands of other talented women out there, too.

I will take suggestions for Josiah Conner and for George Elias. I would love to hear some names!

Learn more about the book and author at Kathleen George's website.

The Page 69 Test: The Blues Walked In.

Writers Read: Kathleen George.

--Marshal Zeringue

Glenn Cooper's "Sign of the Cross"

Glenn Cooper is an internationally known bestselling thriller writer who has sold over seven million books in thirty translations. His first novel, Library of the Dead, sold over two million copies. Of his thirteen published novels, many have become #1 fiction bestsellers in various European markets. He graduated from Harvard University with a degree in archaeology and got his medical degree from Tufts University School of Medicine before becoming an infectious diseases specialist. He later went onto medical research and biotechnology and became the Chairman and CEO of a large, publicly-traded biotech company in Massachusetts. During his free time he wrote screenplays and then tried his hand at novels, culminating in Library of the Dead, which is now in development as a TV series. His current series of religious conspiracy thrillers, beginning with Sign of the Cross, features Cal Donovan, professor of history of religion and archaeology at the Harvard Divinity School. Cooper lives and writes full-time in Sarasota, Florida.

Here Cooper shares some ideas about casting an adaptation of Sign of the Cross:

Actually I’ve been thinking about this topic lately, not for Sign of the Cross, but for my earlier Library of the Dead trilogy, which is in development as a TV series. Without getting into the thinking on that project, I’ve come to the same conclusion as many, many casting directors of late, that British and Commonwealth actors are lights-out great playing Americans. Think Damien Lewis in Homeland and Billions, Dominic West and Ruth Wilson in The Affair, Ben Mendelsohn in Bloodline, Daniel Day Lewis in Lincoln and There Will Be Blood, Andrew Lincoln and Lennie James in Walking Dead, Idris Elba in The Wire, and Matthew Rhys, ironically enough, in The Americans. The hero of my new book, the first in a new series, is Cal Donovan, a professor of history of religion and biblical archaeology at the Harvard Divinity School. He’s late forties, wicked smart (of course), handsome (of course), and athletic enough to get himself out of a scrape or two. So, going with my American conversion proposition, I’d pick Dominic West as my bestie, with Ben Mendelsohn as a close second.

Visit Glenn Cooper's website.

The Page 69 Test: Sign of the Cross.

Writers Read: Glenn Cooper.

--Marshal Zeringue

Humphrey Hawksley's "Man on Ice"

Humphrey Hawksley is the author on Man on Ice, a political thriller set on the US-Russia border that Booklist described as ‘knuckle-whitening suspense’. He is a long-serving, award-winning foreign correspondent and author of several books, both fiction and non-fiction, about the world’s trouble spots. With real tension rising between the America and Russia, Man on Ice is the first thriller located at the very spot where the territories of the two super-powers meet.

Here Hawksley shares his thoughts on who might play the lead roles in a Man on Ice movie:

The lead protagonists are Rake Ozenna, a captain in the Alaskan National Guard’s Eskimo Scouts unit and his fiancee, Carrie Walker a trauma surgeon. Both are familiar with difficult, hostile environments but from vastly different cultural backgrounds. Carrie is from Brooklyn and Rake is an Eskimo from Little Diomede island on the Russian border. The action begins when Rake brings Carrie to see his home village. Ideal for Rake would be Rudi Youngblood (Apocalypto, Crossing Point), tough, quick-thinking, ruthless in a good way, and Carey Mulligan (The Great Gatsby, Mudbound) would be an ideal Carrie, stubborn, smart. They are helped by Rake’s adoptive father, Henry Ahkvaluk, stoic, thoughtful, who would be perfectly played by Jackie Chan (Demolition Man, The Foreigner). The villain across the ice is Admiral Alexander Vitruk and I would love to see Mark Rylance (Bridge of Spies, Wolf Hall) in this part. The crease of his brow can freeze the screen.

Visit Humphrey Hawksley's website.

My Book, The Movie: Security Breach.

--Marshal Zeringue

Sarah Haywood's "The Cactus"

Sarah Haywood was born in Birmingham. She studied Law at Kent University and Chester College of Law, then worked as a trainee solicitor in London.

After qualification, she moved to Liverpool, working first as a solicitor, then as an advice worker with Citizens Advice. She subsequently joined the Office of the Legal Services Ombudsman, where she investigated complaints about lawyers.

Haywood completed an Open University Creative Writing Course, followed by an MA in Creative Writing at Manchester Metropolitan University. She lives in Liverpool with her husband and two sons.

Here Haywood dreamcasts two versions of an adaptation of her debut novel, The Cactus:

I’ve been weighing up what would work best: a big-budget Hollywood adaptation of The Cactus, or a lower-budget British one. The book is set in the UK - in London and Birmingham - but it’s a universal story that could be transplanted almost anywhere. For this blog, I’ve plumped for a British adaptation, simply because it’s closer to my original vision, but I have my US cast lined up too, should Hollywood come knocking at my door.

The Cactus is a wryly humorous, character-driven story about recognisably flawed, quirky people in a familiar domestic setting. It concerns family relationships and secrets, and the things we do to protect ourselves. Mike Leigh, whose films blend humour and pathos, would have been perfect to direct, if it weren’t for the fact that his plots and characters are crafted through improvisation. Equally perfect would be Andrea Arnold, who has a wonderful talent for making ordinary lives seem extraordinary.

My novel is narrated in the first person through the eyes of Susan Green, a strong, feisty forty-five-year-old woman who believes she’s created the ideal life for herself. She never lets anyone get close to her, so she can never be hurt. The challenge for the actor who plays Susan will be to appear cool and detached whilst hinting at the character’s dry sense of humour and the messy emotions bubbling under the surface. I’d love to see what Maxine Peake, a brilliant British actor who’s equally at home with drama and comedy, would do with the role.

Susan’s younger brother, Edward, with whom she’s battling over their mother’s will, refuses to grow up. He’s never had a ‘proper’ job and dreams of being in a band. We don’t know whether he tricked their mother into favouring him in the will, and it’s unclear whether he’s quite as useless as Susan tells us. James McAvoy would do a great job of portraying this ambiguous character. Rob is Edward’s best friend. Susan thinks he’s a waste of space, just like her brother. Although Rob was rebellious when he was younger, and has his own skeletons in the cupboard, he’s now sorted out his life. Susan feels an inexplicable attraction to him but isn’t about to admit that, even to herself. She certainly doesn’t trust him. Tom Hiddleston is my choice to embody Rob’s long-limbed, easy-going and winning nature.

Aunt Sylvia is an eccentric woman who doesn’t see any bad in anyone (especially not in herself) and is endlessly upbeat and optimistic. She’s a little silly and self-obsessed, but her heart is in the right place; she loves her family and is fiercely loyal to them. Miranda Richardson is someone who can play comical characters whilst signalling their underlying vulnerability and neediness.

The father of Susan’s baby is Richard, a man with whom she had a relationship of convenience, and who is coolly charming and impeccably turned-out. Jude Law would make a great job of personifying him. Kate lives in the flat above Susan’s. At first, Kate is painfully shy, hiding behind her baby when forced to interact with adults. As she and Susan become closer, she begins to open up and engage with people as an equal. Carey Mulligan would be perfect to play someone initially full of self-doubt who, like Susan, blossoms. In fact, I like her so much in the role that I’ve cast her in the Hollywood adaptation of The Cactus too. And here it is:

Director: Greta Gerwig
Susan: Amy Adams
Edward: Jared Leto
Rob: Ethan Hawke
Richard: John Hamm
Aunt Sylvia: Jessica Lange
Kate: Carey Mulligan

Visit Sarah Haywood's website.

Writers Read: Sarah Haywood.

--Marshal Zeringue

Jack Campbell's "Ascendant"

“Jack Campbell” is the pen name of John G. Hemry, a retired naval officer who graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis before serving with the surface fleet and in a variety of other assignments. He is the New York Times bestselling author of The Lost Fleet series and The Lost Stars series, as well as the Stark’s War, Paul Sinclair, and Pillars of Reality series. He lives with his indomitable wife and three children in Maryland.

Here Campbell dreamcasts an adaptation of his new novel, Ascendant:

Who would I like to play the lead roles if Ascendant was turned into a movie?

That's a tough one. In part because some of the best actors for a certain role are ones I've already committed to roles if the later Lost Fleet series becomes movies. For example, Katee Sackhoff would be great as Mele Darcy the Marine, but I want Katee for the role of battle cruiser commander Tanya Desjani in the later books. Elena Anaya or Rosario Dawson could play Carmen Ochoa. Lochan Nakamura could be played by Jackie Chan. That's a bit against type, but I think Chan (in addition to being perhaps the greatest stunt actor of all time) is very good at playing the world-weary man who isn't quite ready to give up yet, and still wants to make a difference. Jackie Chan has the strength to play someone who doesn't think he's strong, but has more going for him that he himself believes. Tadanobu Asano also has the acting chops to play Lochan well. The most difficult one to cast would be Rob Geary, an everyman who has to face extraordinary challenges. A young James Stewart could have done him, or a young Tom Hanks or Morgan Freeman. Nowadays? Josh Hutcherson, maybe. Someone not too cocky or heroic seeming, but able to show how an "average" person can be rise to remarkable demands.

Visit Jack Campbell's website.

Writers Read: Jack Campbell.

--Marshal Zeringue

Nick Oldham's "Bad Cops"

Nick Oldham was born in April 1956 in a house in the tiny village of Belthorn on the moors high above Blackburn, Lancashire.

After leaving college and spending a depressing year in a bank, he joined Lancashire Constabulary at the age of nineteen in 1975 and served in many operational postings around the county. Most of his service was spent in uniform, but the final ten years were spent as a trainer and a manager in police training. He retired in 2005 at the rank of inspector.

He lives with his partner, Belinda, on the outskirts of Preston.

Here Oldham shares a suggestion about who might play the lead in an adaptation of his new novel, Bad Cops:

With my first Henry Christie novel having been published some twenty-one years ago, the actors who I'd imagined in that role are probably a little bit long in the tooth now, so my ideas on that score have changed somewhat. That said, as a little anecdote, I did sell the TV rights (for about eight years) to a well-known production company in the 2000s for my novel Nightmare City. Needless to say, it was never made – however, I was privy to some of the names being suggested for the Christie role back then during production meetings, one of which was an emerging actor who went on to great fame and fortune playing James Bond (you'll just have to guess who that was!). However, the TV rights lapsed and it never happened, so I'm still in dreamland – and my current favourite for the Henry Christie role is Ioan Grufford, who's just about the right age and has impressed recently in a TV role and I know he'd be great in my lead role.

Follow Nick Oldham on Facebook and Twitter.

Writers Read: Nick Oldham.

The Page 69 Test: Bad Cops.

--Marshal Zeringue

Daniel Czitrom's "New York Exposed"

Daniel Czitrom is Ford Foundation Professor of History at Mount Holyoke College, and the author of Media and the American Mind: From Morse to McLuhan. He was the history advisor on BBC America's production of Coppers.

Here Czitrom shares a scenario and dreamcast for a TV series adaptation of his new book, New York Exposed: The Gilded Age Police Scandal that Launched the Progressive Era:

New York Exposed tells the story of how one man’s determination to uncover and end police corruption in 1890s New York upends the city and shocks the nation. Rev. Charles H. Parkhurst’s moral crusade to clean up New York reveals in unprecedented, headline grabbing detail, the tight links between police, politicians and the underworld. The city’s vice economy—including prostitution, the saloon trade, gambling, counterfeiting and more—thrives on servicing and conning thousands of New Yorkers and out of town visitors. All of this is managed by the New York Police Department, whose captains rule their precincts like personal fiefdoms.

Parkhurst’s fiery sermon of February 14, 1892 triggers widespread criticism and infuriates the District Attorney, who brings the minister before a Grand Jury. Can he offer any specific evidence about crimes back up his corruption charges? He could not, and is roundly denounced as a fraud, a “sensationalist” preacher making wild accusations based on rumors.

Dr. Parkhurst, isolated and under withering attack, faces a moment of truth. Refusing to back down from his claims that police and city officials routinely colluded with criminals, he must figure out a way to gather empirical proof for his charges. He resolves to get it by making a personal tour of the city’s underworld. He is accompanied by 26 year old Charles Gardner, a seedy private detective with a checkered past, and a young wealthy parishioner. Disguised as an out-of-town rube, Parkhurst and his friends spend four nights visiting cheap whorehouses downtown, expensive brothels uptown, after hours saloons, and a homosexual bar. On March 13 he preached another sermon, drawing an overflow crowd at his Madison Square Presbyterian church. In place of the usual prayer books on his lectern he had two thick piles of neatly typed affidavits. He announces creation of the City Vigilance League and prepares to challenge both the police department and the power of Tammany Hall, the nation’s strongest political machine.

Parkhurst’s crusade and the ensuing investigation by the NY State Senate’s Lexow Committee bares the full panorama of New York on the verge of modernity. Witnesses from all walks of New York life—brothel keepers, prostitutes, businessmen, police officials, counterfeiters—reveal with shocking and unprecedented detail how the police managed Gotham’s lucrative vice economy. As a result, Tammany Hall, whose control of the city seems impregnable, goes down to defeat in 1894. Parkhurst’s campaign kickstarts the Progressive movement around the nation and Theodore Roosevelt becomes president of the NY Board of Police.

The city in the 1890s is America’s first metropolis, its financial hub, its media center, and the political stronghold of Tammany Hall Democrats; all this makes the story a national one. New York is also riven by deep class divisions made rawer by the disastrous economic depression of 1893, the worst in American history to that time. Moral crusades offer simplicity and clarity of purpose. But to many working class and immigrant New Yorkers “reform” smells of repressive moralism, furtive surveillance, and the policing of personal behavior. Achieving real and lasting reform in 1890s New York proves as difficult then as it is today. Several themes in this story resonate strongly now: police violence; vote fraud and vote suppression; women as a new political force; the immigrant struggle; the muckraking power of journalism; corruption in politics; evangelical religion in American politics.

I imagine Gary Oldman as playing Parkhurst. Not the scenery chewing, eternally yelling Winston Churchill, but the Oldman who played Rev. Arthur Dimmesdale in the 1995 movie of The Scarlet Letter. There he inhabited a minister torn between his public life and private passion. Parkhurst’s drama is a different one of course, but Oldman’s would no doubt find it and bring it to life. For Charles Gardner we’d need a younger actor with a cynical edge, such as Ben Foster or Miles Teller. There are very juicy roles as well in the two police brass, Thomas Byrnes (Tom Selleck), and the physically imposing Alexander “Clubber” Williams (Bradley Cooper), and Emma Goldman (Lena Dunham).

Learn more about New York Exposed at the Oxford University Press website.

--Marshal Zeringue

Stacey Filak's "The Queen Underneath"

Stacey Filak was born in a small town in Michigan, where she dreamed of hero's quests, epic battles, and publishing a book. At least a couple of things have come true. She lives in Kalamazoo, Michigan, with her husband and four children, and a menagerie of pop-culture named pets. She manages a veterinary clinic as her day job and aspires to someday write something that means as much to someone else as her childhood favorites mean to her.

Here Filak dreamcasts an adaptation of her new novel, The Queen Underneath:

The Queen Underneath takes place in the city-state of Yigris, the smallest of four nations on an island called The Four Winds. The population of Yigris is varied and diverse, and so would be the cast of a movie version of it.

To play Gemma, the fierce but feminine leader of Under, the home of thieves, assassins, pirates, and sex-workers, I would cast Frankie Adams. Ever since I first saw Ms. Adams on The Expanse T.V. show, she has been my ideal for this leading character. Her confidence, charisma, and presence – both physical and personality-wise – make her a perfect fit.

In the role of Tollan, the naïve and untested King of Above, I would love to see John Boyega. This young actor has already shown his ability to be both strong and funny, and I think he has the emotional range to really bring Tollan to life.

Playing Elam, a sex priest of Under and Gemma’s best friend, I would cast Dev Patel. Physically, he fits the description of Elam, and I’ve admired his acting chops for years. I also think that he would bring the maturity and emotional grounding to the cast that Elam brings to the book. While Gemma is at the center of the action, Elam is the heart of the book, and he is the link between the two worlds.

In the role of Devery, Gemma’s lover and a master assassin, I’d cast Jaime Bell. Not only does he have the right look – slender, wiry, and the perfect cold expression of distaste – he also has proven himself to be capable of filming some pretty graceful fight scenes, and has a biting wit, all of which any actor to play Devery would need.

While those are the four main characters, I couldn’t help but cast my three favorite supporting characters as well. In the role of Wince, Tollan’s wise-cracking best friend and constant companion, I would cast Jorge Lendeborg, Jr. Hot off his appearances in Spiderman: Homecoming and Love, Simon, this young actor has shown his range through both serious and hilarious scenes, and I really love the sense of kinship that he projected with his friends in both films.

As Lian, a maid from Under, I would cast Ruth Negga. The beautiful Negga would need to be aged with makeup, but I think she would bring a depth to the character, a hard-edge to a seemingly soft character that perfectly fits my vision of Lian.

And finally, in the role of Fin the Fish, I would cast Dave Bautista. A Balklander, Fin is a man that is said to be descended from sharks. Smooth-skinned, sharp-toothed, and huge, I’d love to see Bautista bring Fin to life. While he appears to be a vicious character, Fin has a softness to him that he only shows to those closest to him, and after seeing what Bautista has done with Drax the Destroyer, I think he would be a tremendous addition to the movie.

So while I doubt that I’ll ever have the opportunity, I’ve got the perfect cast all lined up in my mind. I’m just waiting for Hollywood to hand them the script.

Visit Stacey Filak's website.

The Page 69 Test: The Queen Underneath.

Writers Read: Stacey Filak.

--Marshal Zeringue

Stephen McCauley's "My Ex-Life"

Stephen McCauley is the author of The Object of My Affection, True Enough, and Alternatives to Sex. Many of his books have been national bestsellers, and three have been made into feature films. The New York Times Book Review dubbed McCauley “the secret love child of Edith Wharton and Woody Allen”, and he was named a Chevalier in the Order of Arts and Letters by the French Ministry of Culture. His fiction, reviews, and articles have appeared in the New York Times, the Washington Post, Harper’s, Vogue, and many other publications. He currently serves as Co-Director of Creative Writing at Brandeis University.

Here McCauley shares some insight into casting the leads for an adaptation of his new novel, My Ex-Life:

I’ve had the very good fortune to have three of my seven novels made into movies. One here in the US—The Object of My Affection with Jennifer Aniston and Paul Rudd—and two others in France. In every case, the actors bore so little resemblance to the characters as I described them, it was hard for me to connect what was going on on screen with what I’d written. Not that I objected, just to say it confused me. Perhaps as a result of those experiences, I’m a little resistant to thinking of my characters in terms of actors. In the case of The Object of My Affection, the option was bought as soon as the book came out, and then it took eleven years to get it made. In that time, the producers kept changing who they wanted for the leads, depending on who had a hit movie or had won an award, not who resembled the characters I’d written. So using that logic, I’d say Frances McDormand for the female protagonist--she just won an Oscar and actually would be perfect--and Gary Oldman for the male lead. He just won an Oscar, too, and, come to think of it, also would be perfect. So maybe the producers knew what they were doing!

Visit Stephen McCauley's website.

Writers Read: Stephen McCauley.

The Page 69 Test: My Ex-Life.

--Marshal Zeringue

Emily Ogden's "Credulity: A Cultural History of US Mesmerism"

Emily Ogden is assistant professor of English at the University of Virginia.

Here she dreamcasts an adaptation of her new book, Credulity: A Cultural History of US Mesmerism:

Like Americans in the present, Americans in the nineteenth century worried about fake news: they were surrounded with financial scheming, quackery, and shady politics. When I describe mesmerism, you’ll probably think it was part of the problem. Mesmerists claimed they could entrance people, control minds, and gift their subjects with clairvoyant powers. More quackery, right? But they took the US by storm: everyone wanted to mesmerize or be mesmerized. Why?

I think it’s because, even as mesmerists were accused of duping people, they tried to explain how duping worked. They said that the mesmeric trance was, essentially, a state of belief: their experiments could explain how and why people come to be credulous, or gullible. Their explanation wasn’t simple—nor was credulity itself.

My book, the movie has four lead actors: two male-female pairs whose relationships illustrate the strange turns belief can take. Both male characters become mesmerized by the women they thought they could wrap around their little fingers. Both women conquer terrible adversity—and maybe the laws of physics—by charisma alone. These roles require men who can transform themselves from self-assured peacocks into enthralled fans: Jim Broadbent, of Moulin Rouge!, and Andrew Scott, who plays Moriarty on Sherlock. And they require women with a spare but irresistible magnetism: Sally Hawkins, from The Shape of Water, and Frances McDormand, from Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri.

Scott and McDormand’s pair founded mesmerism in the US. The mesmerist (Scott) was also a slaveholder; his clairvoyant stage partner (McDormand) worked in a textile factory. The slaveholder-mesmerist thought he could manipulate the worker. But instead he came to depend on her as his equal, his co-conspirator, and his private physician.

Hawkins and Broadbent’s pair made mesmerism nationally famous. A blind clairvoyant (Hawkins) claimed she could travel in spirit to New York. A pompous newspaper editor (Broadbent) was certain she was lying. But then they met. She won him over so completely that he published a book in her defense. Broadbent and Hawkins have worked with director Mike Leigh before, and in a dream world, he would take on the project. This movie crosses his period pieces with his dramas of the magic in ordinary relationships (like the unforgettable Happy Go Lucky).

In both of the two stories my book tells, the man starts out with the upper hand, then loses it, then forgets why he wanted it in the first place. How did Gleason and Brackett cast their spells? That's the question Credulity answers.

Learn more about Credulity at the University of Chicago Press website.

--Marshal Zeringue