(by the way of Michael Klein)
What is your working title of your book?
At points I’ve thought of my current manuscript in progress as “Wolf,” “The One Who Ruined His Life,” or “The Green Room.”
Where did the idea come from for the book?
One morning I saw a picture in the Times that drew me into glancing over an accompanying story I could not quickly piece together in my usual reading frames.
What genre does your book fall under?
Lyric Crime
Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?
I would want Evan Peters (AMERICAN HORROR STORY) to be the father. Maybe Stephen Graham (BOARDWALK EMPIRE) for the best friend. I don't know about the boys.
What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
“It takes one to know one” might be a tag.
How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?
The current draft has been going on about 2 years. I finally might know just how much has to be said and when it all has to end. An earlier draft spanned 2-3 years. I started taking notes back in 2002.
To what other pieces would you compare this manuscript?
It works against much of what is great or celebrated about IN COLD BLOOD. I have kept Camus' THE STRANGER always close. And THE MAIDS by Genet.
What else about your book might pique the reader's interest?
Perhaps the same things that will frustrate easy placement. No proper names. Or easy answers. I once told someone it was a rewriting of MYSTIC RIVER and that seemed to generate excitement.
NEXT: Jenny Boully, Paul Lisicky, Juliana Spahr. Recently I was tapped for this again, by Elena Georgiou, "& there is this miniscule sense of connection"
