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message 1:
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Carol/Bonadie
(new)
Jun 11, 2013 03:15PM
I'm at the JFL Library waiting for a Dennis Lehane talk to begin. It's a benefit for the OneFund foundation for the victims of the Boston Marathon Bombing. There must be 500 people here and the place isn't full yet! Will report any news later....
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Carol/Bonadie wrote: "I'm at the JFL Library waiting for a Dennis Lehane talk to begin. It's a benefit for the OneFund foundation for the victims of the Boston Marathon Bombing. There must be 500 people here and the p..."can't wait to hear your report, carol!
It's interesting to look around the room. I'd love to hear why every one of them is here. Lehane? OneFund supporter? JFK Library member? Mostly Caucasian and over 40 I'd say. Probably not representative of his fan base but more a function of location. JFKL is on a peninsula slightly south of Boston. Gorgeous, and accessible, but still a bit off the beaten path.....
Lehane is such a great speaker. Self effacing too. In Groton, he said we loved him as a stand up comic just because he wasn't one.
How fun, Carol! I was thrilled to get to see Dennis Lehane in person a few months ago and would go see him again in a heartbeat. I hope the event raised a lot of money for the bombing victims, and that you learned some new tidbits to share with us.
Tell us more Carol. I met Lehane several years ago after his 3rd book came out at a small indie bookstore that doesn't exist anymore. He was good and I enjoyed his lecture.
Brakedrum wrote: "Tell us more Carol. I met Lehane several years ago after his 3rd book came out at a small indie bookstore that doesn't exist anymore. He was good and I enjoyed his lecture."Lorraine, thanks for asking. I am on vacation and don't have my notes with me but when I get home I will do a proper write-up.
Okay, here's my summary of the event. Hope it all fits in one post.-----
Dennis Lehane appeared before an audience of about 500 at the JFK Library. The entrance fee was a donation in any amount to the One Fund, set up to aid the victims of the Boston Marathon Bombing. He was interviewed by Brian McGrory, editor of the Boston Globe. Some excerpts:
- his three favorites of his novels are: Mystic River, The Given Day, and Gone, Baby, Gone
- he looks back on his first novel A Drink Before the War with embarassment. he would rewrite it if he could he feels it was so bad.
- Shutter island was meant to confound the critics who thought they had him pegged after Mystic River, and also was written because he was pissed off about Iraq, the “new McCarthyism,” the Patriot Act. He said “only the French get it.”
- what he loves about Mystic River is the voice. he thinks of it as a funny story, told by a guy in a bar who is about to tell you the best story he knows.
- when asked about why he continues to write about Boston he says that Bostonians are unique, crazy, a couple of cans short of a 6-pack. He told a story he thought captured the spirit, about a friend who he bumped into and hadn’t seen in a while. When asked how he was, the friend said that he had been stabbed. “I don’t know what you’ve heard,” the friend said, “but being stabbed sucks.” It was the "I don't know what you've heard" part that cracked Lehane up.
- his wife doesn’t get it (Bostonians)... he described being with her walking around in the Back Bay, Newbury Street (street where all the high price stores are), going to the Frog Pond, eating ice cream, when all of a sudden someone shouts out at him “Lehane, you’re a tre-zuh!” (that’s “treasure” in Bostonian).
- GBG is about fathers and sons, “haves” and “have-nots”, irreconcilable conflicts
- he falls in love with his subjects
- his writing path cost him a lot of readers, publishers--bigger house
- he is amazed by writers like Lee Child (who is a friend). He says Child is an economical writer -- he writes the same book every time (Reacher enters a town, runs into something bad that is happening, and sets out to right it) and yet you can’t wait to find out what happens.
- Lehane researches for books only as he needs the information
- he now has an imprint (Dennis Lehane Books) that publishes other people’s books. The first was a novel by someone named Attica Locke.
- he mentioned that he was working for Leonardo DiCaprio to adapt the Travis McGee books for film.
- he is moving his family to California for a year so that they will be with him while he works in film. His daughter is too young for him to be away from her for too long.
- he spoke lovingly of his time working on the TV show The Wire with David Simon and Ed Burns. He said “there was no money and no handcuffs.”
- he enjoyed the movie of “Gone, Baby, Gone,” enough time had passed since he’d written the book that it was like new to him. “Mystic River” was done too soon after he’d written the book, he couldn’t suspend disbelief enough to enjoy it.
- he has written a screenplay of “Animal Rescue” (I think this is a short story, I googled it and found it on the Boston Noir website) and it is in editing now. Reading about this reminded me that someone asked if he ever got his dog back, the one he posted about on FB and offered to name a character after the person who found her. He did not. He said that he just posted on FB as one of the ways to get help, and it developed into this big story.
- Live by Night is being filmed in the fall (I googled this and see that it is being directed by and stars Ben Affleck, who directed GBG)
- his next book is coming out in 2014. It is NOT an Angie/Patrick book
I could listen to him for hours. If he comes to your town do not miss him.
Thanks Carol! You cannot imagine my excitement at seeing your post with more Lehane related details! When i saw him a few months ago I was intrigued by Dennis' comments on his new imprint too. His writing chops are so good, I imagine anyone would be thrilled to be published under it. I second the "don't miss him" advice.
Carol/Bonadie wrote: "Okay, here's my summary of the event. Hope it all fits in one post.-----
Dennis Lehane appeared before an audience of about 500 at the JFK Library. The entrance fee was a donation in any amount ..."
thanks, carol. sounds like a great evening!
Thanks so much Carol! If he ever gets to KC, I would do anything to see him! I have seen Harlen Coben who I love and talks just like he writes!! Looking forward to more Lehane!,
Wow Carole, thanks for your report. Very concise.
