Matt Gallagher's "Empire City"

Matt Gallagher is the author of the novels Empire City and Youngblood, a finalist for the 2016 Dayton Literary Peace Prize. His work has appeared in The New York Times, The Atlantic, Esquire, The Paris Review and Wired, among other places. He’s also the author of the Iraq war memoir Kaboom and coeditor of, and contributor to, the short fiction collection Fire & Forget: Short Stories from the Long War.

Here Gallagher dreamcasts an adaptation of Empire City:

If Empire City were turned into a film ...

Though it's set in an alternate America, Empire City is very much concerned with modern issues of war and peace and the relationship between a republic and its military. There's only been one great post-Vietnam war film made, in my opinion: Three Kings, written and directed by David O. Russell. So he's my dream director, because I know he can walk the line between sincerity and dark humor so important to stories of armed conflict, and I know he understands the character nuances and ambiguities inherent to compelling soldier leads.

Speaking of those leads...

In a perfect world, Christopher Mintz-Plasse (of McLovin fame) plays Sebastian Rios. Sebastian's a goofball, but deep down possesses the heart of a lion. I think Mintz-Plasse could tap into that range fundamental to Sebastian's arc.

I got Anne Hathaway playing the role of Mia Tucker. This one was easy - a few years ago, I was assigned a piece at The Intercept that involved watching Hathaway play a drone operator in a one-person drama. Hathaway was so good, from her pushups to her lingo to her total presence, I've had her in mind for Mia Tucker from the day I started writing Empire City. Dream big, right?

And then there's the character of Jean-Jacques Saint-Preux, the heart and soul of Empire City. He's a layered man, full of contradictions, a Haitian immigrant who joined the International Legion to earn American citizenship and has turned himself into a rugged, devoted warrior in the years since. One actor comes immediately to mind who could crush the role: Michael B. Jordan, whose work and complex characters I've admired since he was a teenager on The Wire.

Visit Matt Gallagher's website.

The Page 69 Test: Empire City.

--Marshal Zeringue

Nicole C. Kear's "Foreverland"

Nicole C. Kear is the author of the memoir Now I See You, chosen as a Must-Read by People, Amazon, Martha Stewart Living, Parade, Redbook, and Marie Claire UK among others. Her books for children include the new middle grade novel Foreverland, the chapter series The Fix-It Friends, and the middle grade series The Startup Squad, co-written with Brian Weisfeld. Her essays appear in the New York Times, Good Housekeeping, New York, Psychology Today, Parents, as well as Salon, the Huffington Post and xoJane. She teaches non-fiction writing at Columbia University and the NYU School of Professional Studies.

A native of New York, Kear received a BA from Yale, a MA from Columbia, and a red nose from the San Francisco School of Circus Arts. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband, three children and two teddy bear hamsters.

Here Kear dreamcasts an adaptation of Foreverland:

I used to be an actor, and consequently, dreamcasting is something of a habit of mine. This exercise was the most fun I’ve had in ages.

I’ve chosen the inimitable Greta Gerwig as the director of the film. She’s the master of funny, heartbreaking coming-of-age stories, which leave you feeling uplifted in the most earned way. It’s exactly what I was hoping to achieve when I wrote Foreverland.

Foreverland’s leading lady is Margaret, a shy, eccentric girl with trouble at home who runs away to live away in her favorite amusement park. Natalie Portman, at 12 years old, would be perfect. She’d express Margaret’s intelligence and intensity, and poignantly portray her emotional journey as she learns, through the course of her adventures, to make her voice heard. There’s a really fun scene about halfway through the book in which Margaret goes “all witness protection program,” giving herself a DIY makeover to avoid being caught by security. She explains that she’s never liked looking in mirrors because the plain, cookie-cutter girl she sees reflected doesn’t feel like her. By going incognito, she ends up transforming her outer self to match her inner self – lopping off her ponytail, cutting short bangs. I can visualize Natalie Portman, the age she was in The Professional, staring at her reflection in the bathroom mirror as she slides her hair in between the scissor blades.

Margaret’s transformation would not be possible without Jaime, a 12-year-old boy who has also run away to live at the park for mysterious reasons of his own. Jaime is Margaret’s polar opposite – he’s fast-thinking, thrill-seeking, irrepressible. He never looks before he leaps or thinks before he speaks. When he smiles, it’s an infectious, whole-face, 1000 watt grin. For Jaime, I see a 12-year-old Benicio Del Toro. Del Toro is such a versatile actor, and can handle comedy (Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas) as masterfully as drama (Sicario), which would be important in the portrayal of Jaime. More than anything, though Del Toro possesses that vulnerability which is the key to Jaime’s character – while he acts tough, at his core, he’s defenseless. His humor and charisma may be what draws Margaret (and the reader) in, but what steals their heart is this vulnerability, and I know Del Toro would nail that.

Belle’s a supporting character but one of my favorites – she’s a teenage girl who works at the park and is Jaime’s protector (and food court connection). When Margaret first meets her, she observes: “She doesn’t look like a Belle. She looks more like a Mephistopheles.” Belle wears safety pins as earrings, and steel-toed Doc Martens in the middle of summer. The spikes on her belt, Margaret notices, do not look ornamental. I’d cast a teenage Rooney Mara as Belle. Her tour de force in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo still haunts me. She’d bring Belle to life in all her dangerous complexities.

The Captain of Security is Foreverland’s villain – he’s in hot pursuit of Margaret and, especially, Jaime, who's the Moby Dick to his Ahab. He’s the kind of man who intentionally wears too-tight T-shirts, to show off his chiseled muscles. I almost cast Dwayne Johnson, because who doesn’t want to cast Dwayne Johnson in everything and also, he’s got the muscles in spades. But the Rock is just too darn likeable, so I opted instead for Matthew McConaughey. There is no drawl anywhere like McConaughey’s, and though it’s often appealing, it can be downright chilling.

Visit Nicole C. Kear's website.

Q&A with Nicole C. Kear.

--Marshal Zeringue

Mariah Fredericks's "Death of an American Beauty"

Mariah Fredericks was born and raised in New York City, where she still lives today with her family. She is a graduate of Vassar College with a BA in history.

Here Fredericks dreamcasts an adaptation of Death of an American Beauty, the third Jane Prescott mystery:

My son once asked me if I thought Lupita Nyong’o could play Jane Prescott. And while I’m not sure that the novels would adequately reflect the experience of a lady’s maid in 1910s New York as played by Ms. Nyong’o, it’s good casting. As an actress, Ms. Nyong’o projects a rare combination of penetrating intelligence and emotional generosity. There’s a depth of kindness to her that I associate with Jane, something she shares with the first actress I thought of, Carey Mulligan.

My new book, Death of an American Beauty, is the third in the Gilded Age Jane Prescott series. It is 1913, Jane is on vacation and is staying at her uncle’s refuge for women who are leaving the world’s oldest profession. It is the night of the refuge’s annual dance, known as The Whore’s Ball. One of the women is found murdered, and Jane’s uncle becomes the prime suspect. To clear him, Jane has to search for Otelia Brooks, a woman who came to the refuge years ago and may be the only person who survived an attack by the killer.

As a female servant who solves murders, Jane has to have allies; there are places she can’t go alone, people she would not have access to without help. Her key ally is tabloid reporter, Michael Behan. Mel Gibson circa Gallipoli was my starting point for this character. Frank Dunne’s arc from cocky, ridiculously good-looking guy to shattered awareness has notes I like for Michael. If you can’t stomach Gibson, feel free to swap in Dominic West or Morgan Spector. For Jane’s uncle, the difficult, principled Reverend Prescott, I have always thought of Ian Holm. For Jane’s friend, Anna Ardito, let’s resurrect Anne Bancroft. (Let’s resurrect her anyway.) If Ms. Bancroft is otherwise engaged, Susan Sarandon would be wonderful. She looks the part and the politics match.

Death of an American Beauty introduces some new characters to the series. I would love to see Viola Davis in the part of businesswoman Otelia Brooks and Don Cheadle as her husband, Norman. Jane strikes up a lively romance with an ambitious songwriter, Leo Hirschfeld. He could be played by Oscar Isaac with just a touch of Ben Feldman (Mad Men, Superstore) for sweetness. And since I’m obsessed with Succession, I want J. Smith-Cameron for Mrs. Rutherford, the social climbing wife of the owner of the city’s most fabulous department store.

One important part I found hard to cast was Louise Tyler, née Benchley, Jane’s shy employer who is unsuited to society life and to whom Jane feels enormous loyalty. So few actresses are allowed to be individual enough that they can believably play awkward, while hinting at great potential. One instinct took me to Shelley Duvall, another to Gwendoline Christie. I thought of Cynthia Nixon, who did such a wonderful job as Eleanor Roosevelt in Warm Springs. Then my friend Leontine Greenberg suggested Sally Hawkins and I think Ms. Hawkins gets the part.

Visit Mariah Fredericks's website.

My Book, The Movie: The Girl in the Park.

--Marshal Zeringue

Brigit Young's "The Prettiest"

Brigit Young, born and raised in Ann Arbor, Michigan, has published poetry and short fiction in numerous literary journals. She is a proud graduate of the City College of New York, and has taught creative writing to kids of all ages in settings ranging from workshops at Writopia Lab to bedsides at a pediatric hospital. Young is the author of the middle grade novels Worth a Thousand Words and The Prettiest. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband and daughters.

Here Young dreamcasts an adaptation of The Prettiest:

The Prettiest explores the fallout of an anonymously written list of the fifty “prettiest” eighth grade girls in a Michigan middle school. The story alternates between the perspectives of Eve Hoffman, a shy girl disturbed by her spot as “number one” on the list; Sophie Kane, the school’s most popular girl who is furious about her number two ranking; and Nessa Flores-Brady, a confident and gifted kid who is not on the list at all.

I’m not quite up to speed on current child actors, and boy, do they grow fast, anyway. (Are the Stranger Things kids getting their PhDs by now?) When I dream up my middle school aged characters, I usually picture the younger selves of adult actors. I envision the shy, sensitive, and wide-eyed Eve as a young Rachel Weisz. For Sophie, I imagine a 13-year-old Brie Larson, who emanates an inner steely strength underneath her America’s sweetheart looks. And for Nessa, I picture a young Adrienne Lovette, an up and coming actress most recently seen on a recent episode of Better Call Saul as the first female dealer in the Breaking Bad universe. A kid with her energy would be fantastic at capturing Nessa’s poise and humor.

The most important adult character in the novel is the empathetic principal, Principal Yu, who wants to help the girls but feels a bit helpless at times. I can see the put-together but relatable Constance Wu capture the chaos of this moment in Principal Yu’s professional life quite well.

As for a director, I’d love for Olivia Wilde to take the helm. She’d infuse the story with the emotional authenticity it needs. Plus, she’d highlight the jokes!

Visit Brigit Young's website.

The Page 69 Test: The Prettiest.

--Marshal Zeringue

Dan Stout's "Titan’s Day"

Dan Stout lives in Columbus, Ohio, where he writes about fever dreams and half-glimpsed shapes in the shadows. His prize-winning fiction draws on his travels throughout Europe, Asia, and the Pacific Rim, as well as an employment history spanning everything from subpoena server to assistant well driller.

Here Stout dreamcasts an adaptation of his new novel, Titan’s Day:

I admit that I'm not one for knowing actors and casting, but if there was going to be a Titan's Day movie, there is one element that I definitely have a feel for: the cinematography. Titan's Day (and the Carter Archives series) is a blend of noir fantasy, set in a world with 1970s-era technology. That means disco glam and narrow, cobblestone streets, contrasts of dark and light, and a feeling that the killers lurking in the shadows might only be matched by the secrets held in people's hearts. I try to put that feeling on each page, entwined inextricably with the story itself. A great source of inspiration are the directors of photography who helped shape classic noir.

The visual language of film doesn't translate directly to the page, but as I write these books, I'm often thinking of the way great noir imagery makes me feel. Films like Night of the Hunter (DP: Stanley Cortez), The Third Man (DP: Robert Krasker), Chinatown (DP: John Alonzo, who replaced Stanley Cortez), and Out of the Past (DP: Nicolas Musuraca). The powerful visuals of those creators, combined with the deft editing of Thelma Schoonmaker (Raging Bull, Cape Fear) would make fore a pretty great translation for Carter, Ajax, and the rest of the residents of Titanshade.

Visit Dan Stout's website.

My Book, The Movie: Titanshade.

The Page 69 Test: Titan's Day.

--Marshal Zeringue

Beth Morrey's "The Love Story of Missy Carmichael"

Beth Morrey‘s work has been published in the Cambridge and Oxford May Anthologies and shortlisted for the Grazia Orange First Chapter competition. She lives in London with her family and dog.

Here Morrey dreamcasts an adaptation of The Love Story of Missy Carmichael, her debut novel:

I used to work in TV, so it’s reasonable to assume I would have actors in mind when I wrote my book, but I didn’t, initially - I had real people in mind. Yes, there’s a disclaimer that says any resemblance is accidental etc, and that’s true – my characters are not wholly based on real people, but there might be one thing about someone I know that I use to kick-start a figure, and the rest follows from there. However, as I got to the end of writing the first draft, and indulged in fantasies about selling the movie rights for millions, I did start to cast it mentally, and it was quite helpful for embedding characters in my mind, so that when I went over the text again in the edit, I could strengthen them, enrich their dialogue and deepen their back stories. So here is who I would choose…

There is no working actor dog, to my knowledge, who could play Bobby, so we’d have to do an open casting to find a new canine star, who would go on to win the Palm Dog Award. Bobby is probably some sort of Collie/German shepherd mix, and I’d insist on finding a mixed breed with an incredibly plumy waving tail and melting brown eyes. I would personally have to audition a lot of dogs to find the right one.

Angela would be played by Saoirse Ronan. She would have to dye her hair red, and age by about ten years. As long as she did that, we’d be grand. Saoirse would be good at that barnstorming, tempestuous edge Angela has, and she’s a big star so she’d draw in the crowds. Emerald Fennell would play Sylvie – again, she’d have to age by at least a decade. She could nail that bracing, flippant style Sylvie has, but equally be capable of hinting what a dark horse she is. She could also help with adapting the novel for screen as she’s wonderful writer too.

The young Leo (who appears in flashback) would be played by James Norton, who I reckon would be able to look impossibly handsome but also convey a kind of careless arrogance and self-absorption. He’d be so dashing you’d be able to see how Missy could overlook it, or be blinded to it.

Missy is obviously crucial, and I’d want an experienced, respected actress to give the film gravitas. But she’d have to have a kind of diffidence, a reserve, hinting at untold depths. Missy is a very attractive woman, and although she’s nearly 80, she doesn’t look it. I imagine her with lovely cheekbones, a tall, sparse figure, and long dark-grey hair. Who fits the bill? Harriet Walter, who read the audiobook, could do it. She has the necessary spiky reserve. But that makes me look like I’m lacking in imagination, choosing the book’s narrator. The actress I kept coming back to, while I was editing, is Geraldine James. She looks right, and is doing such wonderful work in the Netflix adaptation Anne with an E. She’s got immense warmth under the prickly surface, such nuance to her performance, and I think she would take the role of Missy and run with it. She’d win awards, and I would bask in her glory.

The movie would be directed by Greta Gerwig, who would bring lashings of poignancy and resonance to the story, and I would insist on a cameo appearance as a dog walker with my own dog Polly.

Visit Beth Morrey's website.

The Page 69 Test: The Love Story of Missy Carmichael.

Coffee with a Canine: Beth Morrey & Polly.

--Marshal Zeringue

Aaron Jackson's "The Astonishing Life of August March"

Aaron Jackson is a writer and comedian. With Josh Sharp, he optioned and adapted a screenplay of their stage musical Fucking Identical Twins which is currently in development with Chernin Entertainment. He was recently a cast member on Comedy Central's The Opposition with Jordan Klepper, and has also appeared on Broad City, The Detour, Crashing, The National Lampoon Radio Hour, and Funny or Die’s Jared and Ivanka, a series he also cowrote. He lives in New York City.

Here Jackson dreamcasts an adaptation of The Astonishing Life of August March, his first novel:

My book is about a boy who was born and raised in a New York City theatre during the middle of the 20th century, so it's full of over the top, theatrical characters.

It's tricky to cast the main character, August, as it's a coming of age novel and he goes from birth to his late thirties. No matter his age, he's always precocious, adventurous, rebellious and opinionated. For the adult August, I think someone like a young Ben Whishaw would've been great.

Percyfoot is so fun to think about casting wise. He's a celebrated, pompous stage actor. I've always imagined Stephen Fry who I grew up watching in A Bit of Fry & Laurie and Jeeves and Wooster. Kevin Kline would obviously be amazing. A younger Ian McKellan would've been divine.

Miss Butler is the ancient and stubborn laundress who finds and "adopts" August. Angela Lansbury, Cecily Tyson, Maggie Smith. Any iconic legend would do.

Most of the book takes place in New York City. The whimsy and comedy of a Woody Allen New York would serve nicely. Also, since much of it takes place in a theater, to capture the busyness and bustle of a cramped theatre, the long tracking shots of filmmakers like Alfonso Cuarón or Joe Wright in the 2005 Pride and Prejudice would be amazing to set the mood.

Follow Aaron Jackson on Twitter.

The Page 69 Test: The Astonishing Life of August March.

--Marshal Zeringue

Patricia Marcantonio's "Felicity Carrol and the Murderous Menace"

Patricia Marcantonio was born in Pueblo, Colorado. She has won awards for her journalism, short stories and screenplays. Her children's book Red Ridin’ in the Hood and Other Cuentos has earned an Anne Izard Storyteller’s Choice Award and was named an Americas Award for Children’s and Young Adult Literature Commended Title, and one of the Wilde Awards Best Collections to Share with recommendations from Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books. She now lives in Idaho.

Here Marcantonio dreamcasts an adaptation of her first Felicity Carrol mystery, Felicity Carrol and the Murderous Menace:

Being such a huge movie fan, I really love this idea. I've talked to writers who will picture certain actors when writing characters. I don't do that. But after the book is published, I do amuse myself thinking who would be great if my novel is adapted into film (which I always hope for.)

For Felicity Carrol and the Murderous Menace here is my dream cast and I had so much fun putting it together.

Felicity - Margot Robbie

Jackson Davies - Aaron Taylor-Johnson

Sheriff Tom Pike - Chris Evans

Hellie - Emma Thompson

Reverend Phoenix - Ron Perlman

Dr. Lennox - Tom Hiddleston

Mrs. Albert - Robin Wright

Hollywood please take notice.

Visit Patricia Marcantonio's website.

The Page 69 Test: Felicity Carrol and the Murderous Menace.

Writers Read: Patricia Marcantonio.

--Marshal Zeringue

Jack Heath's "The Truth App"

Jack Heath is the award-winning author of more than thirty thrillers, including Hangman (for adults) and 300 Minutes of Danger (for children). His novels have been translated into seven languages and adapted for film.

Here Heath dreamcasts an adaptation of his new novel, The Truth App:

Casting is tough. One of the best things about a book is that the characters look different in the heads of every reader, so it's hard to find an actor who suits everyone. But here are the actors who suit me for The Truth App:

Even though the other characters nickname him "Gary Oldman", the hitman who tries to murder Jarli on page 1 should instead be played by Scott Glenn (from The Leftovers, Sucker Punch and Daredevil). He's lean and mean, with scary eyes and a threatening growl. What more could you ask for in a villain?

Anya, the teenage boxing champion, could be played by Ever Gabo Anderson (from Resident Evil: The Final Chapter and the forthcoming Peter Pan movie). She has a quiet intensity which would be perfect. And when it's time to kick Scott Glenn's butt, she can channel her mom, Milla Jovovich (The Fifth Element, Hellboy 3).

Maria Eaton, the ex-army surgeon turned school nurse, could be played by Marta Dusseldorp (from A Place to Call Home and Janet King), who does a great weathered "I've seen it all" gaze. Compassionate but firm, honest but secretive. The more I think about it, the better it works.

The giant mercenary known as Anaconda isn't in book 1 of the series ... but when he shows up, he should be played by Dave Bautista (Stuber, Guardians of the Galaxy). Who else could rip an air vent out of the wall and use it as a club?

Visit Jack Heath's website.

Writers Read: Jack Heath.

--Marshal Zeringue

Serena Burdick's "The Girls with No Names"

Serena Burdick is the Toronto Star, Publishers Weekly and international bestselling author of The Girls with No Names, now out in the US, Canada and Australia. It is forthcoming in Portugal, Spain, Lithuania and Russia. She is the 2017 International Book Award Winner for Historical Fiction for her novel Girl in the Afternoon. Burdick studied creative writing at Sarah Lawrence, holds a Bachelors of Arts from Brooklyn College in English literature and an Associates of Arts from The American Academy of Dramatic Arts in theater. She lives in Massachusetts with her husband and two sons.

Here Burdick dreamcasts an adaptation of The Girls with No Names:

The Girls with No Names is told from three, first person perspectives, Effie, Mable and Jeanne.

In the role of Effie Tildon, a thirteen-year-old girl with an incurable heart condition, I’d cast Millie Bobbie Brown who has a perfect mix of innocence and strength. She’s a solid actor who could pull off this off well.

In the role of Mable Winter, a feisty, hardened sixteen-year-old who’s gone through sever trauma and loss, Saoirse Ronan would shine. She has just the right spunk and vivacity.

Lastly, since I am an actor turned writer, and because it’s always nice to cast a fresh face, if you will, I’d go ahead cast myself in the role of Jeanne Tildon, Effie’s mother who finds herself with two missing daughters and a husband who does as he pleases. She has a quiet strength, and rare endurance in the face of loss.

Visit Serena Burdick's website.

--Marshal Zeringue

Ed Ruggero's "Blame the Dead"

Ed Ruggero is a West Point graduate and former Army officer who has studied, practiced, and taught leadership for more than twenty-five years. His client list includes the FBI, the New York City Police Department, CEO Conference Europe, the CIA, the Young Presidents Organization, Forbes, among many others. He has appeared on CNN, The History Channel, the Discovery Channel, and CNBC and has spoken to audiences around the world on leadership, leader development and ethics. He lives in Philadelphia.

Here Ruggero dreamcasts an adaptation of his new novel, Blame the Dead:

Lieutenant Eddie Harkins, the protagonist of Blame the Dead, is a former Philadelphia beat cop investigating the murder of a US Army surgeon in the wake of the Allied invasion of Sicily in 1943.

I’d like to see Eddie Harkins played by Lucas Hedges, an Academy Award nominee for Manchester by the Sea. Hedges is about the right age and looks like the kind of All-American kid who—like Eddie Harkins—stepped up to become a citizen soldier when his country needed him. In his role as a closeted gay teen in Ladybird, Hedges’ shows the kind of emotional and moral confusion Harkins exhibits as he investigates the murder of a particularly loathsome victim while dealing with his own personal demons. And because Harkins, a former patrolman, has never been a detective, he is in over his head from the start. Hedges can portray that confusion while still getting across the strong underlying sense of justice that drives Eddie.

Lieutenant Kathleen Donnelly is a US Army nurse who, along with her comrades, contends with heat, dirt, chaos and the constant threat of imminent, violent death as she cares for her patients in a field hospital in war-torn Sicily. Donnelly and Harkins grew up in the same Philadelphia neighborhood.

Saoirse Ronan is Kathleen Donnelly and has been since I conceived of this character. I’m a huge fan of the Irish actress (Eddie Harkins has a sister named Saoirse and another character’s last name is Ronan). The fictional Kathleen displays the kind of courage, both moral and physical, that Ronan brings to the role of Jo March in Little Women. Here’s Eddie Harkins’ take on Kathleen:

He thought about Kathleen Donnelly, her tired eyes and blood-splattered uniform, her dazzling competence and the way her mouth tasted.

If any actress can get all that into one scene, one line, one look, it’s Ronan. There is a short but powerful scene in Brooklyn in which Ronan’s character, Ellis, stands up to a bully in her Irish hometown. Up to this point, and even at the beginning of the scene, Ellis has been in this woman’s grip; she breaks that spell by summoning up just the kind of courage that Kathleen Donnelly displays when she cares for wounded GIs a few miles behind the front lines.

Private Dominic Colianno is Eddie Harkins’ driver and a somewhat reluctant sidekick in the investigation. Colianno is a combat veteran who has seen and done awful things.

Timothée Chalamet is a great choice for the deeply troubled Colianno. In Beautiful Boy, in which he plays a teenage addict and for which he was nominated for a Golden Globe, Chalamet shows a dark side that he struggles mightily to control. He leaves the viewer wondering if, like Dominic Colianno, he just might be a little crazy. Just as important for the role of this soldier, Chalamet displays a good—though understated--comic sensibility in his role as Laurie in Little Women. Finally, Chalamet looks like he could be the son of Sicilian immigrants to the US and is certainly up to the challenge of showing the soldier’s conflicted attitude about his role as an invader in his family’s native country.

Visit Ed Ruggero's website.

Writers Read: Ed Ruggero.

--Marshal Zeringue