Sarah Elizabeth Schantz's "Fig"

Sarah Elizabeth Schantz grew up in a bookstore named The Rue Morgue—one of the first mystery bookstores in the US. She is an accomplished short-storyist, with many awards under her belt. Schantz holds an MFA in Writing & Poetics from Naropa University. She currently lives with her family in an old farmhouse on the outskirts of Boulder, Colorado, where they are surrounded by open sky, century-old cottonwoods, coyote, and screech owls.

Here Schantz dreamcasts an adaptation of Fig, her first novel:

Unfortunately, the actress, Mia Wasikowska who I always imagined playing Fig is probably too old to do so now. Maybe not? Maybe Elle Fanning could pull it off? Otherwise, it might have to be a newcomer. I’m also not entirely sure how they would address the span of the particular thirteen years that unfolds in this book since it is six to nineteen. There might need to be a child actress for the early years and then someone like Mia or Elle for the older Fig. The little girl, Coco Willett, who played Fig in the book trailer I made with some friends, would do a most excellent job for ages 6-11 (if we made the movie right now).

After a long time brainstorming all the possible Mamas I am almost entirely positive that Amy Adams should get the role. For a while I’d considered Tilda Swinton (especially after her role as the mother in the film, We Need to Talk About Kevin), and then Jessica Chastain, but I think Adams has the warmth necessary to be Fig’s mother. It’s because of Mama’s tenderness that our hearts break like they do as we watch this poor woman come undone by mental illness. That said Kate Winslet is a decent contender. Aside for their cold edges, Tilda and Jessica are too thin to ever portray Mama after she gains weight from her medication.

Without a doubt, Robert Downey Jr. is the perfect Uncle Billy (or rather he was around the time he was in The Wonder Boys with Michael Douglas). According to the guidelines, I don’t have to worry about the constraint of time, so I’ll just stop being so realistic and say a younger version of Robert (by 15-20 years) would play Uncle Billy. And Mia would be Fig.

Moving on, I think Mark Ruffalo from The Kids Are All Right would be a good Daddy (he’d get to work with Mia again), and I’m beginning to think Angelica Huston is the only way to go for Gran, although Susan Sarandon would be a fascinating choice (she’d have to dye her hair black). But now I’m wondering about a younger Tim Robbins playing Daddy, although I think I might have to draw the line there as it would be too weird for Susan to be the mother of her real-life ex-partner, right? No matter what time traveling universe this might be.

Let’s make Sissy Baxter an age appropriate version of Emma Stone and the same for Sarah Michelle Geller when she plays Candace Sherman. As for Mrs. Sherman, I’m actually surprised by myself, but I think it’d have to be Charlize Theron. She can do mean, right? Or rather small town passive-aggressive? I think she can. Plus, Mrs. Sherman’s not all cruel—after all, Daddy did once love her, didn’t he?

As for the director, I’m not sure. I’d like to see someone new (a woman) get to make a name for herself. That said, I’d be looking for an aesthetic that echoes the following films: Tim Burton’s Big Eyes, Lee Daniel’s Precious, Richard Kelly’s Donnie Darko, Benh Zeitlin’s Beasts of the Southern Wild, Terry Gilliam’s Tideland, and Debra Granik’s Winter’s Bone. Furthermore, to create the appropriate set, I’d insist that everyone necessary for mood, atmosphere, and style study the work of Andrew Wyeth, but also the essence of 1980s Midwestern America, and it’d be pretty cool if Brian Eno, Laurie Anderson, and Nick Cave collaborated for the soundtrack.

Visit Sarah Elizabeth Schantz's website.

The Page 69 Test: Fig.

--Marshal Zeringue

Will Walton's "Anything Could Happen"

Will Walton is a book-selling, pop music fanatic who grew up on a farm and now works at the Avid Bookshop in Athens, Georgia.

Here he dreamcasts an adaptation of his new YA novel, Anything Could Happen:

I hadn’t planned these ahead of time! But after thinking about it, I have to say: I think Max Records would make a good Tretch. Records gave such a raw, emotional performance in Where the Wild Things Are—and he should be about the right age! If there were a way to travel back in time, I’d like for Gaby Hoffmann and Evan Peters to play Tretch’s friends, Lana Kramer and Matt Gooby. Hoffmann is one of my favorite actresses, and Peters is pretty dreamy (even when he’s acting all scary in American Horror Story).

For Tretch’s grandparents (important), I’d choose Michael Caine and Rosemary Harris. Caine can do a good Southern accent (Secondhand Lions), and Harris is so sharp and sweet as Aunt May in the Sam Raimi Spider-Man movies.

As for my dream director of choice, no contest: Alexander Payne. Payne is so deft at communicating these simple, human stories (Nebraska, The Descendents, Sideways). His films are never flashy, and they are always profound. I was crying so hard at the end of Nebraska I had to leave the theater.

Visit Will Walton's website.

Writers Read: Will Walton.

The Page 69 Test: Anything Could Happen.

--Marshal Zeringue

Kristy Woodson Harvey's "Dear Carolina"

Kristy Woodson Harvey holds a degree in journalism and mass communications from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a master’s in English from East Carolina University.

Here she dreamcasts an adaptation of her debut novel, Dear Carolina:

I’ll be honest. “Who would play the characters in Dear Carolina if it was made into a movie?” has been one of my most feared and most avoided questions of the publication process. Mostly, probably, because it’s a question that has forced me to face a harsh realization: I’m no longer cool. I used to read every People magazine and watch every new film that came out and at least channel surf by Entertainment Tonight. But now? I guess with a three-year-old and squeezing in writing time, I’ve somehow become way less attuned to Hollywood’s best and brightest.

But I decided that it’s time to quit avoiding the question and, instead, embrace it! Who wouldn’t, after all, want to see her work come to life on the big screen?

Khaki, the adoptive mother in Dear Carolina, is a Southern woman through and through. She’s glamorous when she’s working in her role as NYC interior designer, relaxed when she has her hands in the dirt on her NC farm and most at home in her most important life’s role: mother. She knows how to chase big dreams, she’s found success, but she’s never forgotten where she came from. So, it seemed just right to “pretend cast” another NC girl, who has lived a life somewhat similar to Khaki’s, to play her in the film: Jaime Pressly. She’s run the gamut in the characters she has played, but now, as a mother herself, I think she would fully embrace the heart that needs to be put into this film.

And, for her leading man, Graham? Chris Hemsworth. Yeah, I might not read People every week, but who in her right mind would miss the Sexiest Man Alive? Perfectly unshaven and a family man himself, Hemsworth would be an amazing Graham. And I just know he would nail that Southern accent.

But the big question remains: Who will play Jodi, the birth mother? She has lived hard but maintains such a sense of vulnerability about her. Life has dealt her a tough hand, but, even still, she has so much hope. I guess I’ll have to leave that one up to the real casting crew if Dear Carolina ever gets made into a film!

Visit Kristy Woodson Harvey's website.

--Marshal Zeringue

E. E. Cooper's "Vanished"

E. E. Cooper lives in Vancouver, Canada with her husband and one very spoiled dog.

Here she dreamcasts an adaptation of her new novel, Vanished:

I imagine I’m not unique in saying that I would absolutely love if they turned Vanished into a movie. Since it was a movie in my mind as I wrote, it seems only natural to see it make the jump to the big screen so the rest of you could see it that way too!

The most important character to cast is Kalah the main character. I couldn’t think of an actress that fit her exactly. She’s half Indian, and half French heritage and that mix is important to her so I would want to make sure that was represented on the screen. She would need to be an actress that was willing to put it all out there emotionally and be that mix of brave and vulnerable all at the same time. Almost like a young Katherine Hepburn.

Kalah’s two best friends are Britney, the quintessential blond All American popular girl, and Beth, who is both beautiful and athletic. I could see Ella Fanning as Brit and Zoey Deutch as Beth. I’d love to see all these strong young women interacting on the screen.

Kalah also has a boyfriend in the book. And I will freely admit having had a bit of a crush on him as I wrote. He’s exactly the kind of guy I swooned for in high school: into theatre, a bit awkward and utterly adorable. Nat Wolff who played Isaac in The Fault in Our Stars would be a possibility.

Lastly, there is a police officer in the school, Officer Siegel. I would want to cast Tina Fey in this role. This is for two reasons, one she mentally fits the picture I had in my head and two, I also would adore meeting her. Ever since she was on SNL and I read the book Bossypants I’ve been convinced that if we met in real life we’d be best friends and hang out together. If you can’t cast one of your imaginary best friends in a movie then what’s the point?

Learn more about Vanished at E.E. Cooper's website.

Writers Read: E. E. Cooper.

--Marshal Zeringue

Anita Hughes's "French Coast"

Anita Hughes was born in Sydney, Australia and had a charmed childhood that included petting koala bears, riding the waves on Bondi Beach, and putting an occasional shrimp on the barbie. Her writing career began at the age of eight, when she won a national writing contest in The Australian newspaper, and was named "One of Australia's Next Best Writers." (She still has the newspaper clipping.)

Hughes received a B.A. in English Literature with a minor in Creative Writing from Bard College, and attended UC Berkeley's Masters in Creative Writing program.

Her debut novel Monarch Beach was released in June 2012, followed by Market Street in March 2013 and Lake Como in August 2013.

Here Hughes dreamcasts an adaptation of her latest novel, French Coast:

One of the biggest inspirations for French Coast was To Catch A Thief with Cary Grant and Grace Kelly - my favorite couple in cinema. French Coast and To Catch A Thief are both set at the fabulous Carlton-Intercontinental Hotel in Cannes. I watched the movie a half dozen times to soak up the spectacular architecture and interior design while writing the book!

So when I was asked to cast French Coast in my mind, I jumped at the chance. Here are my selections:

It's not hard to imagine Blake Lively as Serena. (Especially as she played Serena on Gossip Girl). Blake Lively is beautiful and confident and wears clothes wonderfully, I think she would be perfect for the part.

I imagine someone bright and bubbly as Zoe - perhaps Selena Gomez or Zooey Deschanel (well, I do love her name). I loved the character of Zoe, so it would be fun to have someone who's not afraid to play the part a little quirky.

Yvette is a little more difficult - in my mind she is sophisticated and mysterious - maybe Jessica Lange (with dark hair) or Christine Baranski. (I'm a huge fan of The Good Wife).

Matthew Goode would be great as Nick. He's tall and handsome and has gorgeous eyes - as long as he could do a French accent.

Josh Duhamel would make a perfect Chase. He has the great jaw - I might not like what Chase did, but he is very good looking in an All American way.

I am curious to know who readers imagine in the parts when they read French Coast.

Learn more about the book and author at Anita Hughes's website.

My Book, The Movie: Market Street.

My Book, The Movie: Lake Como.

--Marshal Zeringue

Charlotte Gordon's "Romantic Outlaws"

Critically acclaimed author Charlotte Gordon's newest book is Romantic Outlaws: The Extraordinary Lives of Mary Wollstonecraft and Her Daughter Mary Shelley. Earlier works include Mistress Bradstreet: The Untold Story of America's First Poet — a Massachusetts Honor book for non-fiction — and The Woman Who Named God: Abraham's Dilemma and the Birth of Three Faiths.

Here Gordon dreamcasts an adaptation of Romantic Outlaws:

Jessica Chastain, of course. That’s who should play Mary Shelley. The character Chastain played in Zero, Dark, Thirty reminds me of Shelley: young, brilliant, hard-headed, self-disciplined, and yet somehow vulnerable. Plus, she has that great red hair and Mary Shelley was famous for her gorgeous red locks. The tricky thing about Shelley is capturing her wildness and, weirdly, her seriousness. At age sixteen, she’d run away with the already married Percy Shelley, scandalizing all of London society. But she was not just a rebellious teenager. She spent each day teaching herself ancient Greek and working on her writing. She was only nineteen when she wrote Frankenstein.

As for Mary Wollstonecraft, Kate Winslet. Wollstonecraft was famous for being “voluptuous,” sexy and warm, earthy, outrageous, and smart, smart smart. She was called a whore for writing “A Vindication of the Rights of Woman.” But she did not let criticism stop her. She was a fearless advocate for the poor and oppressed. She believed in freedom and the power of ideas. She hated the institution of marriage as it stripped rights away from women. In the eighteenth century wives were not allowed to own property. They could not initiate a divorce, and, in fact, had no legal rights whatsoever.

But like her daughter, Wollstonecraft was complicated. She was not simply a political philosopher. Yes, she was enraged by injustice and fought for women to have independence. But in her own life, she struggled to overcome depression when she was deserted by the man she loved. She needs to be played by an actress who can handle this complexity, conveying both her passion and her intellectual.

Mark Rylance should play William Godwin, Wollstonecraft’s last lover and Mary Shelley’s father. Benedict Cumberbatch should be the quicksilver, charismatic, fearsomely intelligent Shelley. Except maybe he’s too old. James McAvoy for Byron. Or Liam Hemsworth.

Romantic Outlaws tries to unite a mother and daughter who never met. Wollstonecraft died ten days after giving birth to Shelley. But Shelley spent her whole life trying to uphold her mother’s ideal of freedom. The story is cinematic as both women traveled the world and had many lovers. But the chapters alternate between Wollstonecraft and Shelley to help the reader see the many strange parallels in their lives, and I have no idea how a director would handle this. But then how would I? I write books. I don’t direct movies.

Visit Charlotte Gordon's website.

--Marshal Zeringue

Ed Ifkovic's "Café Europa"

Ed Ifkovic taught literature and creative writing at a community college in Connecticut for more than three decades and now devotes himself to writing fiction.

His new book is Café Europa, his sixth Edna Ferber mystery.

Here Ifkovic dreamcasts a miniseries based on the Edna Ferber mysteries:

In my Edna Ferber mysteries, my amateur sleuth/novelist solves murders over the course of her long lifetime, as early as 1904 when she is nineteen and a nosy small-town reporter, until the 1950s, when she is in her seventies and covered with fame and fortune. Early on, writing about Edna in her seventies in Lone Star, I actually envisioned veteran actor Elaine Stritch embodying the feisty, tart-tongued Ferber as she watched the movie production of her novel Giant in Hollywood, socializing with the likes of James Dean and Elizabeth Taylor. Stritch had, indeed, played the take-no-prisoners Parthy Hawks in Showboat, many years before. But Stritch died last year, and so went that idea.

Nevertheless, there is one actress who repeatedly comes to my mind as someone capable of embodying Ferber at different stages of her life: Mayim Bialik. Now I’d never seen one episode of her first hit series on TV, Blossom, but as a recurring character on The Big Bang Theory, playing Dr. Amy Farrah Fowler, Sheldon Cooper’s brainy and dedicated girlfriend, Bialik epitomizes everything I believe would work for a film or TV version of my mysteries. Indeed, Bialik reminds me of Ferber: a small, slender woman, not a beauty in the classic and tired Hollywood mode, but rather a woman with an intense, striking face, alive with intelligence and wit, a personality that is alternatively crisp and acerbic yet also extremely kind and sentimental. Like Ferber whose father was an Hungarian Jew, Bialik had a grandparent from Hungary. Not an important consideration, but an intriguing one, I submit.

In watching Bialik’s evolving craft over many seasons, I can easily envision her portraying the young, impassioned Ferber, tackling the world and especially the male hegemony that tries to define her, but, as well, displaying a talent to capture Ferber as an older (in fact, old) woman, whose keen acumen and logical analysis cuts through all the mess that surrounds any murder—in order to deliver the solution. Bialik, like Ferber, projects the soul on fire.

In moments of utter fancy I can see Bialik playing Ferber at different stages of her life (the wonders of Hollywood makeup!) in a mini-series on PBS. Maybe six of seven episodes to flesh out Ferber’s character and sleuthing. It’s nice to think so. I’d watch it.

Visit Ed Ifkovic's website.

Writers Read: Ed Ifkovic.

--Marshal Zeringue

Nancy Thayer's "The Guest Cottage"

Nancy Thayer's many novels include Summer House, The Hot Flash Club, Beachcombers, Heat Wave, Summer Breeze, Island Girls, and the newly released The Guest Cottage.

Here Thayer dreamcasts an adaptation of The Guest Cottage:

If The Guest Cottage were made into a movie, I’d cast Rosamund Pike as the lead woman, Sophie. I’ve watched Rosamund Pike act in many BBC series, and not only is she absolutely lovely, she has a sweetness about her in all her movements. I know she was wicked in Gone Girl, but that just proves what a great actress she is. Check her out in Pride and Prejudice.

For the lead actor, Trevor, I’d cast James Norton, who stars in the Grantchester series. He’s a tall hunk of a man, with the face of a slightly confused angel. Or I’d cast Francois Amaud, who played Cesare Borgia in the series The Borgias. I’d love to see him act again. Both men are handsome and could summon up the slightly clueless intention toward responsible parenting.

For Hristo, the gorgeous Bulgarian, I’d cast Gerard Butler. No other possibilities.

Director? Angelina Jolie. My book is about two families learning to live together, and Jolie knows all about blended families. Plus, I admire her.

The setting would have to be on Nantucket. The small town atmosphere, the long golden beaches, the rose-covered cottages, the bike paths and moors, the lighthouses and yachts, all compose a unique and idyllic location for renewed happiness.

Learn more about the book and author at Nancy Thayer's website.

The Page 69 Test: Summer House.

The Page 69 Test: Beachcombers.

My Book, The Movie: Beachcombers.

Writers Read: Nancy Thayer.

--Marshal Zeringue

Charlotte DeCroes Jacobs's "Jonas Salk: A Life"

Charlotte D. Jacobs, M.D. is the Ben and A. Jess Shenson Professor of Medicine (Emerita) at Stanford University. A native of Kingsport, Tennessee, she graduated from the University of Rochester and studied medicine at Washington University in St. Louis. As a professor at Stanford University, she engaged in teaching, cancer research, and patient care. She has served as Senior Associate Dean and as Director of the Clinical Cancer Center. Her academic honors include election to Phi Beta Kappa, Kaiser Foundation Award for Innovative and Outstanding Contributions to Medical Education, Rambar Award for Excellence in Clinical Care, and the Distinguished Alumni Award from Washington University. She has published ninety scientific articles and three books which reflect her cancer and medical education research. She currently cares for veterans with cancer at the Palo Alto Veterans Medical Center.

Jacobs's first biography, Henry Kaplan and the Story of Hodgkin’s Disease, was published in 2010.

Here the author shares her choice to play the lead in an adaptation of her new biography, Jonas Salk: A Life:

Alan Arkin would have been perfect to play the role of Jonas Salk a decade ago. Today, I think Kevin Spacey would be a good choice.

Visit Charlotte Jacobs's website.

--Marshal Zeringue

Lyndsay Faye's "The Fatal Flame"

Lyndsay Faye is the author of critically acclaimed Dust and Shadow, and is featured in Best American Mystery Stories 2010. She is a true New Yorker in the sense that she was born elsewhere.

Faye's love of her adopted city led her to research the origins of the New York City Police Department, the inception of which exactly coincided with the start of the Irish Potato Famine. Her second and third novels, The Gods of Gotham and its sequel Seven for a Secret, follow ex-bartender Timothy Wilde as he navigates the rapids of his violently turbulent city, his no less chaotic elder brother Valentine Wilde, and the perils of learning police work in a riotous and racially divided political landscape.

The latest volume in the series is The Fatal Flame.

Here Faye dreamcasts an adaptation of the trilogy:

Throughout the course of writing the Timothy Wilde trilogy, I’ve been compelled to cudgel my underdeveloped brains when creative and imaginative folks ask me which actors I would pick to play the lead characters, and what the film version of The Fatal Flame or its prequels would look like. My books are historical thrillers that deal with darkness, dirt, and death—though I assure my potential readers there are also plentiful lewd jokes.

In any event, I know exactly what The Fatal Flame’s film version would look like—it would be Gangs of New York but with a grim Batman-esque palette, touches of the Warner Brothers’ version of Sherlock Holmes’s madcap and unabashed humor, and stark Coen brothers’ levels of bleak dust. As for casting The Fatal Flame, however, that is another matter entirely, because Timothy and Valentine Wilde live so large in my head.

Let’s get some of the easier casting out of the way first: have you seen Ripper Street? MyAnna Buring plays the sly, capable, ruthless-but-still-sympathetic brothel madam, and every time she smirks just so, I know she’d make a fantastic Silkie Marsh. Madam Marsh is a sociopath, but a real charmer nevertheless, and I can’t picture anyone worming her way into the highest levels of Tammany intrigue.

Chief of Police George Washington Matsell was literally a larger than life figure—over three hundred pounds, with a dogged, dour countenance that couldn’t quite mask his reserves of humor and fortitude. There are few character actors who could convey the power he wielded, nor the fact that he always sought to better understand the motives of criminals, be they evil inclinations or simpler explanations like poverty. John Goodman could nail this role to the wall.

The love of Timothy’s life, Mercy Underhill, is an enigmatic figure—a beautiful but morbid social worker whose published poetry is as shocking as it is lovely, and a sideways smile that often conceals her true thoughts. While she is highly sympathetic, she is a woman of dark visions and many secrets: who better to play Mercy than the brilliant and mesmerizing Natalie Dormer?

I have a soft spot in my heart for Roundsman Jakob Piest—he is physically unprepossessing, but one of the most genuinely kind and intelligent characters in the series, honorable to a fault though fairly useless in a fistfight. In a world of brutes, he is a plain, decent policeman, and I think Steve Buscemi could bring enormous heart and acumen to the role.

Now to the most difficult decisions: how on earth can I cast the Wilde brothers when they are already so real to me? My choices for Timothy Wilde and Valentine Wilde are Thomas Dekker and Adam Rothenberg, respectively.

Dekker owns a quality any actor playing Tim has to possess—he needs to be sincerely sympathetic, but with a highly developed sense of cynicism. Timothy is equal parts irony and angst, and while these attributes never cause him to grow callous, he has to convey his dislike of grim antebellum New York. Finally, and perhaps most challenging of all, is Tim’s debauched, disgraceful, but utterly brilliant older sibling Valentine—Adam Rothenberg projects dissipation with charm, and even when haggard and impaired, his strength of character is obvious. As a pair of rough-and ready copper stars fighting to survive the corrupt world of Tammany politics, I think Dekker and Rothenberg could succeed in coming close to the Wildes who run so *ahem* wild in my head.

Learn more about the book and author at Lyndsay Faye's website.

The Page 69 Test: The Gods of Gotham.

The Page 69 Test: Seven for a Secret.

--Marshal Zeringue