My top 5 TV shows (in no particular order) 1. I’ve always been intrigued by cults, their charismatic leaders, and the devoted followers. That’s why THE FOLLOWING naturally drew my attention. Joe Carroll, the villain, is an absolute mesmerizing perfect leader. 2....
THE INSTANT ENEMY by Ross Macdonald When I first decided to become a film producer in 1974, I called Ken Millar (Ross Macdonald) and asked him if he’d write a screenplay for me based on one of his books. He’d never worked on a film before. We chose The...
SISTER LOVERS by Big Star: Really, this album never gets old. I CAN HEAR THE HEART BEATING AS ONE by Yo La Tengo : I appreciate Yo La Tengo more all the time. More than I did a decade ago. LEONARD COHEN by Leonard Cohen: This is not an unusual favorite. I'm...
I cannot imagine writing a novel that doesn’t have music mentioned in it. My debut mystery, BLESSED ARE THE DEAD, also mentions the theme song for the Cops TV show, but that probably doesn’t count. I include music in my novels to not only set a mood, but, also,...
Hey, it’s not by accident that Mitch Berger, one of the heroes of my Berger-Mitry series, is a film critic. I spent immense chunks of my childhood sitting in the dark watching old movies on television exactly like Mitch did. “Everything I know in life I learned...
THE STAND by Stephen King I first read The Stand in junior high, after it was re-released in its extended, uncut form. This book is like a master class in creating interesting characters, and experiencing a story through their various points of view. If we say a...
