TUROW’S CHANGE OF VENUE
Latest novel’s research brought author- lawyer to cities in Europe
When it’s time to escape his daily grind of practicing law and writing novels, Scott Turow chooses a world where he can observe the insights of other writers.
In a recent chat, Turow said he and his wife, Adriane, really enjoy “seeing a lot of theater. We have season tickets to Steppenwolf and Lookingglass [ theaters], and we’re going to see ‘ Shakespeare in Love’ at Chicago Shakespeare Theatre,” said Turow. “By far, beyond any other culture pursuit, we really love going to see a lot of theater.”
The Evanston resident’s imagination and fertile mind has propelled him to write 10 novels— plus two nonfiction books— over the past 30 years. The inspiration for his latest, “Testimony,” has been germinating for many years.
The premise takes the Bill ten Boom attorney character out of that frequent Turow setting— the Chicago/ Cook County- esque Kindle County— to The Hague in the Netherlands. That’s where ten Boom becomes a special war crimes prosecutor at the International Court investigating the alleged massacre of 400 Roma people ( also known for centuries as gypsies) during the Bosnian War. In the process, ten Boom also journeys to the Balkans for a bit of first- hand snooping— turned by Turow into a thriller yarn with many twists and turns.
Turow points to two incidents in his life that inspired him to write “Testimony.” While in Holland about 17 years ago on a book tour, he was introduced to lawyers working at the International Tribunal on the former Yugoslavia. “They told me, ‘ You’ve got to write a book about this place. You won’t believe what goes on here! There’s so many back- channel intrigues!’ ” said Turow.
The pitch struck a chord with Turow and made him think of something else that he said “has been on my author’s bucket list for many, many years: writing a book about the Roma.”
About 40 years ago Turow was visiting a dying family member at what is now Rush Medical Center. At the same time, a man who was the leader of the local Roma community was in the hospital, causing a lot of grief for the staff. “The nurses were going crazy, constantly having to lock patients’ rooms, because watches and cufflinks and other valuables kept disappearing.” explained Turow.
That incident made Turow wonder, “What goes on with these people who are so enmeshed in their own value system that they engage in petty thievery, making them unwelcome in a place where everybody wants to be welcomed— a hospital?
As part of his research, Turow spent several weeks both back in The Hague and in Bosnia, where he visited Tuzla and Sarajevo.
One of his challenges in writing “Testimony” was to lay out a compelling pageturner that still explained the intricacies of the court in The Hague, and the issues that surfaced during the Bosnian War. “Of course, it’s very, very complicated on so many levels. These people have been hissing at each other since the 14th century.”
NOTE: Scott Turow will be signing copies of “Testimony” beginning at 7 p. m. May 25 at Barnes & Noble, 55 Old Orchard Center, Skokie.
Chicagoans go to the dog
Back in town to boost interest in their new ABC sitcom “Downward Dog” ( previewing at 8: 30 p. m. Wednesday on WLS Channel 7, then moving to its regular Tuesday slot on May 23), Andersonville native Lucas Neff and former Chicago resident Allison Tolman made it clear that their canine co- star was key to making the series work.
“The dog frames the story,” said Neff, who finished a five- season run on Fox’s “Raising Hope” in 2014. “The dog is what it’s all about.
“If nothing else, if we’re back for a second season, that dog has more of a lock on being back— even more than Allison and me,” he said with a big laugh, which Tolman joined in.
In “Downward Dog,” Tolman (“Fargo”) plays Nan, a 30- something woman who struggles to balance her personal life and traumas with the frustrations of her job. Neff plays her ex- boyfriend, whom she still sleeps with on a regular basis.
The key thing here: Martin the dog ( voiced by Samm Hodges, the show’s co- creator) is the lonely but frequently insightful narrator, who drives the storyline in each episode. Martin is totally devoted to Nan, who he loves without reservation— though he has a lot of reservations about how much he’s left to fend for himself during the day.
The stars were delighted to learn that their canine co- star, whose real name is Ned, was found at Chicago’s own PAWS shelter. “He was cast just from his headshot,” quipped Tolman. “We just got lucky that his adorable face and expression in that photo turned out to be just what was needed.”
Tracy Morgan loves Chicago
“You’ve got a great city,” Tracy Morgan said upon learning I was from Chicago. “Agreat city in somany ways, but especially for comedy and for stand- up comics. The clubs are cool. ”
Having survived that horrendous highway crash that nearly extinguished his life in 2014, Morgan is performing again and is releasing a comedy special, “Staying Alive,” for streaming Tuesday on Netflix.
“I just had a session with my psychiatrist,” he said, “who reminded me of something. He said, ‘ The two biggest and most infamous car crashes in history were yours— and Princess Diana’s. But you lived.’ ”