Lessons in the art of writing
The prolific filmmaker and author Francis Ford Coppola discusses his book picks, many of which are ‘rarely popular bestsellers’
WHAT BOOKS ARE ON YOUR NIGHTSTAND? the light and attempting to make good notes and underlining sections. Of course the trouble with highlighting sections of a real book is that later when you need the information you have to hunt it down with that particular copy. So in this case, I will send the marked-up book to an associate and ask them to go through it and type up all of my highlighted sections and notes.
I recently read by Arthur Koestler and I now understand why it is a major work. It is memorable and has all the elements of a great story: Surprises, elucidation, lasting political insights and a touching ending. It’s a great one!
Now I am about a third through Walter Isaacson’s and really enjoying it. It makes me realise that so many of those great figures in history we feel we know so much about, we
really know little.
WHAT’S THE LAST GREAT BOOK YOU READ?
by Louisa May Alcott, just before that was
by Naguib Mahfouz and before that was by Herman
Melville.
WHAT INFLUENCES YOUR DECISIONS ABOUT WHICH BOOKS TO READ? WORD OF MOUTH, REVIEWS, A TRUSTED FRIEND?
Sometimes word of mouth or a trusted friend. I never read within the subject I am working on at the moment. I try to always be reading something in those last moments before sleep only for pleasure and as relaxation. The important thing is that I cycle between novels, histories, philosophy, physics, cellular biology and occasionally, the odd contemporary political science offering, like the recent one about
by Joshua Green.
WHAT’S THE MOST INTERESTING THING YOU LEARNT FROM A BOOK RECENTLY?
From that the true expressions of love are modest, simple things. Often poverty teaches us to express love in the most profound
ways. WHICH CLASSIC NOVEL DID YOU RECENTLY READ FOR THE FIRST TIME?
Well,
and
WHOSE WRITING TODAY MOST
INSPIRES YOU?
Jeffrey Eugenides. I loved
of course, as it was the debut film of my daughter, Sofia, but very much I also loved
WHAT BOOKS HAVE BEEN THE MOST INSPIRATION AND/OR INFLUENTIAL IN YOUR CAREER AS A FILMMAKER?
by Joseph Conrad. by Gustave Flaubert. I love well, by Sir Walter Scott.
WHAT BOOKS WOULD YOU LIKE TO ADAPT TO FILM? DO YOU READ WITH AN EYE TO ADAPTATION?
I no longer think that way, searching for material to make into films. I’m interested in original screenplays that I write myself. The books I read for myself are lessons into the art of writing. Also when you read something wonderful, it tends to make you enthusiastic about writing something.
DO YOU HAVE A FAVOURITEBOOK ABOUT WINE?
Alexis Lichine’s
as
WHEN AND HOW DO YOU LIKE TO READ? PRINT OR E-BOOK? MORNING, NIGHT? ONE BOOK AT A TIME OR SEVERAL SIMULTANEOUSLY? DO YOU READ ON SET?
Aside from reading for research on a project, I read myself to sleep. One book at a time, always completed. I read on a Kindle (why?) A) it’s light to hold in bed. B) it’s selfluminous C) highlighted sections are easy to access later on without having to find the original book you marked up. This is
WHAT KIND OF READER WERE YOU AS A CHILD? WHICH CHILDHOOD BOOKS AND AUTHORS STICK WITH YOU MOST?
I read all the fairy tales as a young child, knew them so well that in kindergarten I was popular for telling them to other children. Hans Christian Andersen and Brothers Grimm. Later, I found I could concentrate better when I read plays, such as at age 15 picking up a copy of
which I felt was magical.
IF YOU COULD REQUIRE THE PRESIDENT TO READ ONE BOOK, WHAT WOULD IT BE?
by Bill McKibben.
YOU’RE ORGANISING A LITERARY DINNER PARTY. WHICH THREE WRITERS, DEAD OR ALIVE, DO YOU INVITE?
Tolstoy, Flaubert and Virginia Woolf.
DISAPPOINTING, OVERRATED, JUST NOT GOOD: WHAT BOOK DID YOU FEEL AS IF YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO LIKE, AND DIDN’T? DO YOU REMEMBER THE LAST BOOK YOU
PUT DOWN WITHOUT FINISHING?
I felt that way about — I liked Dharma Bums much more, thought it was beautiful. I try to always finish each book I select whether or not I am into it, on the belief that I gain something no matter what.