Friends Writing Books

— My great friend Dan Callahan has written a biography of Vanessa Redgrave – Vanessa: The Life of Vanessa Redgrave – which comes out today! I went to his book party last Saturday night, and the whole joint was festooned with photos of Vanessa Redgrave throughout her career, and every available screen (two TVs and a laptop) were playing obscure Vanessa movies on an endless loop. I have not read the book yet, but it’s on its way to me and I can’t wait. Dan Callahan is one of the best writers on acting today. He understands acting, he understands both the craft of it AND the magic of it, and even better: he can tell you WHY, he can let you into how he sees things, what he sees, and what it means. Was at the Barnes & Noble today and saw it on the shelf.

— Another great friend, Farran Nehme (aka The Self-Styled Siren), has been working on a novel, and it will be published in November. It is called Missing Reels, which is just too perfect when you consider Farran’s obsession with classic films, old films, pre-Code films, and film preservation. I cherish her film writing. I can’t wait to read her novel. She has put up an announcement on her site about Missing Reels, and the description of the plot makes me YEARN to read the damn thing so I can find out what happens!