Elizabeth Crane's "That May Not Mean What You Think"

Elizabeth Crane is the author of several collections of short stories, including Turf, When the Messenger is Hot, All this Heavenly Glory, and You Must Be This Happy to Enter, a memoir, This Story Will Change, as well as two novels, We Only Know So Much and The History of Great Things.

Here Crane dreamcasts adapations for a couple of selections from her latest story collection, That May Not Mean What You Think:

For the story "Nepo Babies, An Extinction Story," set in a bizarro apocalyptic future where there is no longer anyone alive who isn't a descendant of a nepo baby, I would cast only nepo baby actors. So I think Dakota Johnson would be great as the character of the white feminist's grandchild (the characters don't have actual proper names in the story), and Billie Lourd would be great as the shady tech heiress, Patrick Schwarzenegger as the grandson of the muckety-muck, and perhaps Kiefer Sutherland and Gwyneth Paltrow as Harvard Rubble Guy and Harvard Rubble Guy's Wife.

And for the story "Senior Living For the Unknowables," set in a retirement home for aging reality TV stars: I like to call this story my Vanderpump Rules Fan Fiction, and so I'd like to see this story cast with the actual cast members of Vanderpump playing the fictional very old versions of themselves, which would necessitate a phenomenally talented makeup artist to age them.

Visit Elizabeth Crane's website.

Writers Read: Elizabeth Crane (April 2008).

The Page 69 Test: We Only Know So Much.

My Book, The Movie: We Only Know So Much.

Coffee with a Canine: Elizabeth Crane & Percy.

Q&A with Elizabeth Crane.

Writers Read: Elizabeth Crane.

The Page 69 Test: That May Not Mean What You Think.

--Marshal Zeringue

Tessa Wegert’s “The River Runs Black”

Tessa Wegert is the critically acclaimed author of the Shana Merchant mysteries, as well as the North Country series, beginning with In the Bones. Her books have received numerous starred reviews and have been featured on PBS and NPR Radio. A former journalist and copywriter, Wegert grew up in Quebec and now lives in Connecticut, where she co-founded Sisters in Crime CT and serves on the board of International Thriller Writers (ITW).

Here she dreamcasts an adaptation of her new novel, The River Runs Black.

The River Runs Black is the second book in my North Country thriller series—following In the Bones—and it’s a spinoff of my previous Shana Merchant series. As such, I already had actors in mind for the key roles of Tim Wellington (Adam Driver), Shana Merchant (Emma Stone), Maureen “Mac” McIntyre (Jane Lynch). This book also introduces three new points of view, though, so I had some fun imagining who might be the best fit for those roles.

Bobby Ott: I’d love to see Catherine "Katie" Laga'aia take on the role of sixteen-year-old Bobby, daughter of French Polynesia-born New York State Police Investigator Valerie Ott (who’d ideally be portrayed by Courtney Eaton, in case you were wondering). Playing a small-town teenager abducted during a cross-border drug investigation would be a far cry from portraying Disney’s Moana, but while Bobby is pushing hard to grow up, she’s still a kid who watches Gilmore Girls and is excited about Halloween, and Laga'aia would capture that nuance beautifully.

Phoebe Reed: Since part of The River Runs Black takes place in Ontario, Canada and I’m Canadian myself, it would be great to see a Canadian actor in one of the roles. Abby Ross immediately comes to mind. Known for Riverdale and Once Upon a Time, Ross would bring both innocence and inner strength to this young, motherless heiress in possession of information that could cost Phoebe her life.

Raymond Stoll: State Trooper Raymond Stoll might be one of my most surprising characters; without giving anything away, he stunned me on several occasions while I was writing the book—particularly in the final chapter, which I hope will reframe the reader’s perspective and leave jaws on the floor. Based on his role in the MacGyver reboot, I think Lucas Till would bring the energy that’s inherent in Raymond’s scenes, and also nail the trooper’s insecurities and all- consuming desire to become a detective himself.

Visit Tessa Wegert's website.

My Book, The Movie: The Dead Season.

The Page 69 Test: The Dead Season.

Q&A with Tessa Wegert.

The Page 69 Test: Dead Wind.

Writers Read: Tessa Wegert (April 2022).

Writers Read: Tessa Wegert (December 2022).

The Page 69 Test: Devils at the Door.

The Page 69 Test: The Coldest Case.

Writers Read: Tessa Wegert (November 2025).

--Marshal Zeringue

Humphrey Hawksley's "Operation Icebreaker"

Humphrey Hawksley has reported on key trends, events and conflicts from all over the world.

His work as a BBC foreign correspondent has taken him to crises on every continent.

Here Hawksley dreamcasts an adaptation of his new Rake Ozenna thriller, Operation Icebreaker:

The key for an Operation Icebreaker movie is casting a compelling lead character whose script demands he is economical with words yet has a vivid screen presence that will hold a movie theatre. He should also be an Alaskan native. I’m looking for a modern-day blend of Charles Bronson in Chato’s Land, Clint Eastwood in Where Eagles Dare and Yul Brunner in The Magnificent Seven. Martin Sensemeier would work well playing Red Harvest the Comanche Warriot in the 2016 Magnificent Seven remake. Kiowa Gordon, who plays Jim Chee, the tribal police officer in Dark Winds would be great, and he’s mid-thirties, Rake’s age. Asivak Koostachin could also work well. He was in Red Snow, about an Inuit soldier captured by the Taliban in Afghanistan who draws on his Indigenous heritage to survive. Another idea would be to screen test unknown actors in Alaska itself and surround the lead with famous names.

Kelly Reilly from Yellowstone could play Rake’s on-off girlfriend, Carrie Walker, emotionally complex but highly skilled at her work as a trauma surgeon. Michelle Dockery, Lady Mary from Downton Abbey, would be superb as Stephanie Lucas, projecting authority and warmth. Rufus Sewell from his roles in The Diplomat and Man in the High Castle is exactly the Harry Lucas character. Mark Strong could portray Brett Laine’s emotional coldness and contradictions that allow him to morally justify evil.

The idea directors would be Taylor Sheridan (Wind River, Yellowstone) brilliant at capturing American wilderness and culture clashes; Paul Greengass (the Bourne series, United 93) is really good at tension and pace; and Katherine Bigelow (The Hurt Locker, Zero Dark Thirty, A House of Dynamite) completely understands building tension and how political big pictures impact individuals.

Visit Humphrey Hawksley's website.

The Page 69 Test: The History Book.

My Book, The Movie: Security Breach.

My Book, The Movie: Man on Ice.

Writers Read: Humphrey Hawksley (May 2018).

The Page 69 Test: Man on Ice.

The Page 69 Test: Man on Fire.

Writers Read: Humphrey Hawksley.

--Marshal Zeringue