Kira Jane Buxton's "Tartufo"

Kira Jane Buxton's writing has appeared in The New York Times, NewYorker.com, McSweeney’s, The Rumpus, Huffington Post, and more. Her debut novel Hollow Kingdom was an Indie Next pick, a finalist for the Thurber Prize for American Humor, the Audie Awards, and the Washington State Book Awards, and was named a best book of 2019 by Good Housekeeping, NPR, and Book Riot.

Here Buxton dreamcasts an adaptation of her new novel, Tartufo:

Tartufo is a funny Italian caper about a dying village, its cast of delightfully eccentric characters and what happens when truffle hunter Giovanni (along with his truffle hunting dogs) unearth the biggest truffle the world has ever seen. There are a lot of characters, so it is a tremendously fun novel to imagine casting. I will focus on the three main characters to avoid this becoming a novella!

For the role of Delizia Micucci, I have only ever envisioned Sabrina Impacciatore. She is a phenomenal comedic actress whom you might have seen steal the show in season two of The White Lotus. I imagine she would be phenomenal at playing the stressed out Delizia Micucci as she tries to save her village from extinction.

Giovanni Scarpazza is the kind, sensitive truffle hunter of the village. He is grieving his partner, and being in the woods with his dogs is where he feels most at home. I can picture Andy Serkis nailing this role—being able to balance Giovanni’s gentle nature, while also upholding the comedic moments he finds himself in throughout Tartufo.

Giuseppina Micucci is the village bartender and has been described as New Year’s Eve if it were a person. She is the estranged wife of Umberto, a world famous chef and snob of the highest order. Giuseppina is a firework, a gorgeous bombshell who believes in the spiritual, consults with psychics and lives life to the fullest. I think Jennifer Coolidge would smash this role with her radiance, her beauty and magnetism, her range as an actress, and her killer comedic timing.

Lastly, Stanley Tucci has a tiny, hilarious cameo in the novel as himself, and it would be tremendous fun if he reprised it for the movie.

Visit Kira Jane Buxton's website.

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--Marshal Zeringue