Thanks

Like Robin Hobb’s books, the story in The Name of the Wind is very much a character-driven one Some people dislike the narrator, Kvothe (and, indeed, it

I liked that it started right at the beginning, and in my experience, giving a character some powerful desire is one of the most important steps to making

You may or may not know my name – I am Marshall Blonsky and once had the audacity to publish a book in homage to Barthes, called “American Mythologies.” Eco was my teacher and indeed friend and were it not for him, my first book “On Signs” would not have seen the (presumptive) light from the readers’ eyes.

I just saw “Angels and Demons,” and had the sense 1) that I was rereading “Foucault’s Pendulum,” as Eco himself has remarked, and 2) that perhaps Dan Brown was trying (miserably) to write on semiotics.

But what I find hard to believe is that Brown would dare to plagiarize Eco. I was wondering if you would specify a bit where,in FP, the plagiarized words have been acquired?

Actually, I don’t know this website, but would like to. I came on it by a Google search for “Umberto Eco Dan Brown.”

I ran across your 2007 article about Japanese actors in American film. It struck a chord. I have just finished polishing a screenplay that I am ready to shop. Ideally, the movie would be produced by an American company and a Japanese company and open simultaneously in both countries. (stick with me; I’m getting there) I am just beginning to identify production companies in both countries that are interested in movies that cross cultures. I am also trying to identify a likely young Japanese-American actor who could play the role of my 20-year old lead. He has to be Japanese-American (not Chinese-American or Vietnamese-American or Korean-American, etc.) since he must speak Japanese with an American accent. Actually, he doesn’t speak any Japanese until he goes to Japan for the first time at age 20. I’m just beginning the promotion process.

I hope you have kept up your interest in Japanese actors in American film. If you have any suggestions or leads for companies or actor, I would be most grateful to hear them. In fact, I would like to get a good, promising actor on board early. If I can interest an actor in the story and the part, this would be enormously useful in attracting a production company.

The screenplay is titled “Butterfly’s Child”. The premise: Whatever happened to the child of Madame Butterfly and Lt. Pinkerton. The movie begins where Puccini’s opera ends.

Harlan

steve

Frustrated and Broke