Anya Ulinich, "Petropolis"

I asked Anya Ulinich who should star in a film version of her new book, Petropolis.

Her response:

I can't come up with any actors. So my response will be much under 200 words. Actually, it'll consist of just two words: Todd Solondz. He is my dream screenwriter and director for Petropolis the movie. He can pick the actors, too.

Pithy.

Todd Solondz's films include Palindromes (2004), Storytelling (2001), Happiness (1998), and Welcome to the Dollhouse (1995).

Here's how Anya describes her protagonist:

Sasha Goldberg is a biracial, Jewish, socially maladjusted "child of the intelligentsia" from the Siberian town Asbestos 2. Sasha's father takes off for the U.S., leaving Sasha to navigate adolescence under the shadow of her overbearing mother. At fourteen, Sasha falls in love with an art school dropout who lives in a concrete half-pipe in the town's dump. When following her heart gets her into trouble at home, Sasha leaves Russia as a mail-order bride and, with the help of the Kupid's Korner Agency, lands in suburban Arizona. Soon, she escapes her Red Lobster- loving fiance and embarks on a misadventure-filled journey across America in search of her father.

Visit the Petropolis website and check out the Page 69 Test results for the novel.

--Marshal Zeringue