June 12, 2005

Tea and books

I met up with Elizabeth yesterday for a post-lunch tea where she gifted me with an inscribed copy of her book. This is one book I'm planning to hand-carry home. I've also begun reading and it's deliciously chilling.

Apart from discussing my agent questions, and writing and moving woes, we talked about casting for the film. The producer (the production people are the ones doing Memoirs of a Geisha) had asked her if she had any ideas. I quickly told her to forget Irene's suggestion of Orlando Bloom for the romantic interest of the narrator. Get Hugh Dancy instead - he's a better actor, slightly older, less well-known (and therefore less expensive to hire).

I also threw in the name, "Jeremy Irons," for an older version of Professor Rossi. Emmy Rossum looks appropriate for the role of the narrator - precocious and full of innocence. I peeked at the other names Elizabeth has on her list - Alan Rickman, Anthony Hopkins (for the narrator's father), Helena Bonham Carter, Natascha McElhone.

Apart from the excitement about the film, she's been really busy with the children - Yanka (look out for her name in the novel) just graduated from kindergarten and Tony is off to camp in North Carolina soon. Kiril is probably up to cheeky business as usual. Elizabeth's days are filled with phone interviews, email interviews, personal interviews - the picture Entertainment Weekly took of her was shot at 1 in the morning! - and writing. I'm surprised she can still squeeze in writing at this stage, but Little, Brown is planning to reprint Bram Stoker's Dracula and asked her to write the introduction. Who wouldn't say "yes" to that? She's also writing a travel piece on Eastern Europe for BBC History.

Last weekend, she was at BookExpo America in New York City, and I read that many people wanted to catch a glimpse of "the two-million dollar woman." One blogger said she looked like a cross between J.K. Rowling and Caroline Kennedy. Bizarre!

Although I'm in awe of her talent and success, she's still Elizabeth to me - former classmate; the friend I used to drive home after workshop; whose beautiful and playful children sapped my energy; whose teaching advice I valued very much; and with whom I traveled to Chicago by train, where we danced (she loves to dance!) and had borsch at the Russian tearoom. I'm going to miss her when I leave. Her Japanese publisher has invited her to Japan though, and if she does make it there next year, Irene, Elizabeth, and I will have a little reunion!

Posted by Monoceros at June 12, 2005 3:04 PM
Comments

i went to kino and saw both covers =) but unfortunately i was in a rush and only spotted them after i paid for my book. i'll go back again soon to get a copy.

ah, yes - forget Orlando Bloom, esp if you need some gravitas.

Posted by: a l at June 12, 2005 10:59 PM

you are a lucky girl to be in the company of writers who are also friends!

enjoy the book launch!!!

Posted by: tiggie at June 13, 2005 5:05 AM

Vanessa, I'm reading this now and there is only one actor i can imagine playing the girl's father: Jason Isaacs.

(Alan Rickman and Anthony Hopkins are surely too old anyway, though since the role is made for Jason Isaacs that's a moot point...)

Posted by: Andrew at June 15, 2005 1:39 AM

PS Emily Browning as the narrator.

Posted by: Andrew at June 15, 2005 1:49 AM

Hey a l, did you manage to get the book yet? =)

Tigs, the reading last night was splendid! Will write more soon.

hey boss, is there a particular movie starring Isaacs that Elizabeth can watch? I've only seen him in villainous roles. Good choice of Emily Browning; by the time the movie starts filming, she'll have grown up sufficiently.

Posted by: monoceros at June 15, 2005 8:58 AM

oooh, i can't wait... =C) wheee.

btw, will your friend and writer Elizabeth be in Minneapolis too at some point late in the summer?!

Posted by: tiggie at June 15, 2005 9:12 AM

Hey Tigs, I could only find the US tour dates. I know she's reading in the UK as well - London and Dublin, but maybe elsewhere? Will keep looking online.

http://www.twbookmark.com/jrun/authorslounge/ontheroad.jsp?directory_contact_id=3224

Posted by: monoceros at June 15, 2005 9:31 AM

wow... that's a long tour! how fun. maybe she might be around in the UK later... but i won't be around by then... how annoying. thanks for the link, though!

Posted by: tiggie at June 15, 2005 10:25 AM

My two cents worth. Orlando Bloom looks good only in scenes that require him to hold a bow and shoot arrows. Other than that, I think he is not much of an actor.

Posted by: fatgirl at June 16, 2005 12:37 PM

i forgot to mention how much i like the "tea and books" combination... =C)

Posted by: tiggie at June 16, 2005 2:11 PM

i haven't had time to head down to Kino yet...! perhaps sometime this weekend, or next, when i have a bit more time to chill out. or sleep. =)

Posted by: a l at June 16, 2005 10:26 PM

Well, it's a bit embarassing, but maybe The Tuxedo?! It's true he seems to get a lot of villainous roles but I think he has the talent and the range to pull this off; he seems perfect for this (kind of mid 40s Boston Brahmin, am sure he'd do the pale, thin, troubled yet devoted father role perfectly).

As i said, the other guys (Rickman, Hopkins) are too old; he's supposed to have fathered a 17 year old daughter in his 20s, no? Perhaps they could be considered for Rossi; one generation older.

Posted by: Andrew at June 16, 2005 11:39 PM

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/4102728.stm

Posted by: Barney at June 21, 2005 9:12 AM

the book is still not out here... sigh... i am so intrigued... does the story take you to the Bran Castle in Brasov? i visited the castle some years ago... it looked so sweet i couldn't imagine a Vlad lived there... there's this myth about him and a long vertical pole with a sharp end onto which he (supposedly) flinged his enemies, let them fall with gravity down the pole and die just like that. gruesome.

interesting article, Barney. hmm... (my one penny's worth) i think omission of apostrophes might work only if the grammar of the language allows it, e.g. German (Genitive case), otherwise it would be rather confusing... but having said that German Cases are pretty tricky.

hope you are enjoying NY, monoceros! i'm missing your posts.

Posted by: tiggie at June 21, 2005 7:48 PM

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/4117974.stm

Posted by: BP at June 22, 2005 8:12 AM

Still here Tigs, not leaving till Friday. Just been busy. Sigh. I haven't finished the book yet. I only read at midnight every night, so this will take me a while to finish! =)

Yeah, thanks, B, for the articles. Very good reads.

Posted by: monoceros at June 23, 2005 2:27 AM