monoceros blogsThis is celebrity week. I managed to attend the conversation with Audrey Niffenneger at the English department. Strangely, there weren't too many people. The conversation was actually arranged by an instructor here, a friend of Audrey's, who's teaching the novel, The Time Traveler's Wife, in her class. So the conversation was sort of a class event for the two sections she teaches. Guests were allowed, of course, which explained why I was there, as well as my old friend and climbing partner, Jackie, director of the New England Literature Program (NELP) that I joined years ago.
Audrey looks very much like her author photo, except she donned glasses for the event. Her hair, she confessed, is actually a "mousy brown." She had dyed it red as a way of saying goodbye to Clare when she finished the book. (For those who haven't read it, Clare, the title character, is a redhead.)
Most of us had read the novel so Audrey didn't waste time reading and jumped straight to questions. I asked her which section was particularly difficult to write, and it was the bit about Dr. Kendrick, when they got into the whole issue about time travel. Audrey was afraid that it would turn out too scientific and she didn't really want to go into all the nuts and bolts. So to get around it, she just made up the rules and left it at that. Henry, the protagonist, couldn't change any events, and that took away the problem of paradoxes. She said that she'd read as many books with a time-travel theme and had a movie fest as well. The Back to the Future series was helpful, and she read H.G. Wells' The Time Machine too. Because Audrey is a visual artist, the process of writing her book resembled making a movie - she actually created storyboards for her novel before writing it.
Audrey finished the novel in January 2002 (she began work on it in 1997) and sent out query letters to 25 agents. Only one asked to see the whole novel, and that one eventually became her agent. They went to an independent publisher and expected only a small readership. Lucky for her, it went quite the other way.
We got juicy titbits about her new novel, which will be titled Her Fearful Symmetry. The protagonists - twins from Lake Forest, Illinois, who inherit an apartment in London. One evntually works as a guide in the cemetery that's next to the apartment. The novel will be about people coping with what they fear. One of the sisters is obsessive compulsive (I'm not sure if this is the one who works in the cemetery), another fears death and is afraid of drifting away from her twin.
So the movie for The Time Traveler's Wife is in the works. Three production companies, including New Line Cinema and Plan B (that's Brad Pitt's and Jennifer Aniston's company), were competing for the rights when they all decided to join forces to make the movie. It turns out that Brad will play Henry, but Aniston won't play Clare, which Audrey is pleased about because Aniston, she says, looks nothing like Clare. I asked her if she had someone in mind, and she professed a preference for Lauren Ambrose, who plays the youngest daugther (with lovely red hair) in HBO's Six Feet Under. Director? Gus Van Sant! He'll certainly help the movie avoid an overdose of sentimentality. Audrey's happier with Van Sant than Spielberg, who was a potential candidate over the summer, but that didn't work out.
After the conversation, I had to get her to sign my book, of course. Because the line wasn't long, I spoke to her a little about my fear of working on novels and finding time to write. She recommended applying to The Ragdale Foundation, where she was a Fellow nine times, and where she got her inspiration for Clare's home. Lake Forest is also a setting in her new novel.
So now the inside of my book reads: "To V____, good luck with your writing. Audrey N."
Posted by Monoceros at December 8, 2004 2:34 PMoh how exciting!
Re the choice of actor: Pitt wouldn't be too bad, but it has to be a rather lean, rather than beefed-up Pitt. His face has to look rather gaunt too. And he would have to uglify himself. Henry can't be tttoooo handsome 'cos that's not how i imagine him to be.
Lauren Ambrose's a very good actress. Incidentally, her character's name in Six Feet Under is Claire too! However, if Pitt's really going to be Henry, i don't think they'd look very good together. But somehow, Ambrose doesn't quite seem like the Claire in the novel. I just can't picture her in that role. Can't think of anyone else at the moment though.
Posted by: dsd at December 12, 2004 10:14 AMI think Henry's suppose to be rather handsome, actually! Tall, black hair (can you imagine Pitt with black hair)? But of course, not the Hollywood studmuffin type. Certainly lean! =)
While I think Lauren Ambrose is a great actress, I prefer another talened redhead. Her name's Alicia Witt. She's a very bright and a gifted pianist, though that is of no relevance. But I do think she pulls off elegant and mysterious and a little kooky as well. Lauren seems a little more bad-girl actually. Clare is supposed to be the "good girl" among her siblings. Although I think it's a lovely coincidence that Lauren's character in "Six Feet Under" is named Clare/Claire as well!
Posted by: monoceros at December 12, 2004 10:45 AMoh oooh i read the first bit of the book at Kino but will have to return to get a longer browse.... hmmmm
to reiterate..."good luck with your writing!"
Posted by: tiggie at December 12, 2004 3:43 PMYep, i know Henry's supposed to be rather handsome, hence i wrote not ttooooo handsome. heehee. He can't be the drop-dead gorgeous type but rather pleasantly good-looking. Someone who makes you go rather weak in the knees with a smile two from him, but won't cause you to hyperventilate or your salivary glands to become overactive.
I don't know who Alicia Witt is, but she does sound better than Ambrose as Clare. I share your sentiments re Ambrose. She lacks the sort of elegance which the character possesses. And yeah, she seems more like the bad girl too. Or maybe we're just too used to her character in Six Feet Under. Still, i don't think she's Clare. Also, I think Clare should be played by someone with more refined features, like a leaner face (Ambrose's face is a little round), a smaller and more aristocratic nose, and almond-shaped eyes.
That's my take on this anyhow!
Posted by: dsd at December 12, 2004 7:54 PMTigs, definitely read the whole thing.
DSD, okay I guess we concur on our profile of Henry then. =) Did you get the link on Alicia? Incidentally, she used to date Peter Krause, the actor who plays Lauren Ambrose's brother in Six Feet Under! A number of people felt Alicia would have made a better Mary-Jane in Spider-man than Kirsten Dunst. But she'd be too tall for Tobey Maguire, I believe.
Posted by: monoceros at December 12, 2004 8:41 PMmonoceros: Just surfed by the link you emailed me. YES! I think Alicia Witt is Clare! That's exactly how I pictured Clare would look like. Also, she's a few years older than Ambrose, and I think Witt would be able to bring out more of that feminine sensuality, womanly charm, and maturity befitting that of a married woman because of her age.
Posted by: dsd at December 12, 2004 8:43 PMoh btw, I quite like Peter Krause! I think he's pretty charming!
Posted by: dsd at December 12, 2004 8:45 PMMaybe Peter Krause should play Henry. He's tall enough, can pull off long hair - he is dark-haired too - and is good-looking without being too good-looking.
If you look through her pictures in that link I sent you, there's a picture of Alicia and Peter together. They look great!
Posted by: monoceros at December 12, 2004 9:08 PMYes, they look really good together! And you're quite right re Peter Krause playing Henry. Good-looking without being too good-looking. And going his performance in Six Feet Under, he'd be able to bring across the myriad of emotions that Henry experiences.
Yes, i think Alicia Witt's much better than Lauren Ambrose for the role of Clare. Alicia Witt can look young enough to be an undergraduate in her early 20s, and can also play the woman in her late 20s which is the age Clare is for most part of the book.
Look at us. We speak as if we are casting agents!
Posted by: dsd at December 12, 2004 9:18 PMdamn, now I wish I'd thought of this sooner, then I could've mentioned Alicia Witt to Audrey Niffenegger on Wednesday!
Posted by: monoceros at December 12, 2004 9:52 PMhmm, fascinating, although i haven't read the book. =) I remember Alicia Witt and Peter Krause from Cybill - perhaps that's where they met!
Posted by: a l at December 13, 2004 3:12 AMoh! Now i remember who Alicia Witt is! She acted as Cybil's daughter Zoe! Don't remember Peter Krause in Cybil though.
Monoceros: Maybe you can still email Audrey Niffenegger or something to suggest it to her! Check for an email or website address on the book!
Posted by: dsd at December 13, 2004 3:45 AMi bought the book today!!!! rah. :C)
Posted by: tiggie at December 13, 2004 9:11 AMOh, I didn't know they were both on Cybill. I only knew Alicia was on it.
Tell us how you like it, Tigs.
Posted by: monoceros at December 14, 2004 5:55 PMHi monoceros, I bought and read the book after I learnt about it from your site. It was a delicious read and I really got into it. It's nice to read about your meeting with Audrey. I'm not sure about Henry played by Brad Pitt :(
Will drop you an email soon -- have been wanting to write to you. Take care!
hi queenie, yes, I recall you reading it - and your boyfriend too. Glad you like it very much!
Posted by: monoceros at December 17, 2004 11:42 AM