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About The Clackamas print. (Oregon City, Oregon) 1989-2019 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 20, 2002)
6 A&E WedNEsdAy, FebRUARy 20, 2002 The CI ac I îamas P rînt ’’Kissing in Manhattan”: dark and sexy ERINNLERTEN StaffWriter aware priest “How would you know the first David Schickler’s debut novel, thing about who I am, about what’s choking me, about what I can or can not endure?” While he is confronta “Kissing In Manhattan,” offers what at first appears to be a slick, hilarious collection of romantic tales but soon reveals its true dark, sexy and deeply tional in voice, the reader’s heart still goes out to Patrick, a man who can only endure his life by the comfort he receives from these things. tender mood. In a series of linked stories, Schickler follows a group of young undertone, some are more sharp-wit ted and sly in their tone, without the Manhattanites in their sometimes- failed quests for love. The characters dark tension of the more intense sto ries but with the same intimacy. In are diverse, yet they are all connected by the dark gothic apartment building, “Checkers and Donna,” Donna is a real estate agent who wears “a suit and important shoes” and agrees to go on a blind date with Checkers. the Preemption, which readers first dis covered in the short story “The Smoker” in The New Yorker. Various characters also appear in seemingly in nocuous situations, the significances of which are revealed later. Amongst his characters area smart talking bad boy, a misunderstood ac tor and an awkward schoolteacher whose teenage student proposes mar riage to him. The characters are com plex in their lives and loves, yet he writes Although all the stories carry a dark Donna is somewhat jaded in her outlook on love: “[She] felt mostly pity for men... Their biceps and laughter were ungodly strong, but, as far as Donna could see, men never used the full force of these 'strengths against women. This was cowardice, Donna felt. She wanted a man who would crush himself into her—psychically, sexually, utterly, daily — and never them with a simple elegance that brings them close to the reader. The writing is cool yet full of emo apologize.” Donna may have found such a man in Checkers, whose name has nothing tion: “Rally McWilliams was pro foundly lonely,” begins the title story. “She wanted to believe that she had a to do with the game and who opens a door for Donna and shows her what love can be, and what it doesn’t have soul mate, a future spouse gestating somewhere in Nepal or the Australian Outback But in Manhattan, where to be. Charged with a deadly sense of hu Rally lived, all she found were guys.” As Rally’s story continues, she meets Patrick Riggs, who escapes the demons of his past by seducing and tying up beautiful women until they see their beauty as he does, while keeping a gun close to his heart and attending the services of an eerily mor and wit, Schickler offers a daring new vision with “Kissing in Manhat tan.” “With these wonderfully haunting, strange, and hilarious stories, David Schickler has established himself as a major new voice in American fiction.” —Ron Hansen, author of “Mariette in Ecstasy” and “Hitler’s Niece.” Screenwriters share experiences with students and community at CCC DAISY BAIN A&E Editor “Screenwriting:. The Art and The Agony” was the topic for Authors’ Night last Wednesday in the Gregory Forum, featuring two acclaimed screen writers, Gill Dennis and Ebbe Roe Smith. The hour-and-half-long event packed the house with an estimated 70 plus people, kicking the night off with Dennis reading from his newly finished screenplay “Cash.” Based on the early days of Johnny Cash, it was his amazement with Cash as a person. “He would sing to you as other people rate the humor as he read a scene where the rotten man tries to feed the very would speak to you. It was really beau snobby kidnappee. Some of Smith’s credits include tiful.” Dennis’ work includes an adapta tion of A.L. Kennedy’s novel “So I Am Glad” for Ed Harris and Amy Madigan. He also wrote the screenplay for “Return to Oz,” “Home Fries,” and “On My Own” and adapted the Zane Gill Dennis Screenwriter Gray novel “Rid ers of the Purple Sage.” Cash proposed to his girlfriend, and she said no, over and over./ I Dennis founded the Squaw Valley Community of Writers along with au According to Dennis, six to seven days was spent in research talking to Cash himself. He would ask him ques thor Tom Rickman and is currently a Filmmaker in Residence at the Ameri fying moment that has ever happened to you? The saddest or proudest?’ He also spent time with people who knew Cash personally and read many of his biographies. “Nick of Time” and “Falling Down,” (featuring Michael writers of America are standing all around me." written for director James Mangold and Columbia Pictures. The audience laughed as Dennis read lines from when tions such as, “What’s the most terri “Sweet Smell ofSuccess,” “Power and Gkxy,”‘TheScore,”“U.S. Marshalls,” can Film Institute in Los Angeles. Among his film directing credits in clude “WithoutEvidence,”afilm about the Michael Francke murder case. Ebbe RoeSmith followed Dennis by reading from his own comedy, “Spoiled Rotten.” Again, the audience was greatly entertained by this nationally acclaimed actor, playwright and An audience member asked Dennis if Cash has read the script, and the answer was no. “You could write (about) anything Cash has done; he was just worried about hurting oth screenwriter. “Spoiled Rotten” is about a very rich girl who is kidnapped by a “rotten” and very dumb man. ers,” said Dennis. He also expressed Smith used his acting skills to elabo ■ ■■■ Douglas and Robert Duvall). After both screen writers read from their own scripts, they were bom barded with ques tions regarding how to get started in the business, how long a typical screenplay should be (according to Smith, about 111 pages is typical), or how do you avoid long drawn out arguments while working with a partner. Smith provided a nutty answer to the latter question: Rather than hash out an argument, he would lay out his idea by saying this simple phrase, ‘T have a potato idea.” He says this is to prevent too many apologies for ideas that are half- baked. As the night dwindled down, Dennis summed up the evening by saying, “I have a feeling that the fu ture writers of America are standing all around me.” Across: 1. Why will school be cancelled Feb.28? 2. Last weeks holiday was_____ day? 3. July 23 - August 22. Down: 1. Featured animation. 2. Major problem in Oregon. 3. In the Southern region, which place is the women's basket ball team in?
