RandomCha

RIP Gary Indiana, the matchless novelist, essayist, and author. I was fortunate enough to have dinner with him one night in June 2022. His publisher Dan Simon set it up after I had expressed my love of his writing. Over Japanese food and wine we talked about a myriad of interesting topics. Though his acerbic wit on the page made me a little nervous to meet him, in person that night he was gracious and funny. For some reason, what I’m remembering right now is him telling me about a project he worked on with filmmaker Mike Hodges for a time, a remake of Bunuel’s THE EXTERMINATING ANGEL. Apparently, they’d been toiling away on it and then he suddenly realized, “We’re crazy! The movie is perfect and can’t be remade!” I shared my film ROY’S WORLD: BARRY GIFFORD’S CHICAGO with Gary and he said that he liked it but it made him sad. I knew what he meant. The melancholy of remembering childhood. I’m so pleased that he connected with that. This is your cue to read any and all of his brilliant writing, especially I CAN GIVE YOU ANYTHING BUT LOVE, THE CAN THAT SOLD THE WORLD, FIRE SEASON and of course (my favorite) DEPRAVED INDIFFERENCE, which I have been trying to make into a film with Gary’s blessing.