William L Bryan

News

7/13/08 Sins of the Father – Ange and I finished our most recent and much maligned (by us) screenplay, and it is presently visiting producers without us. Ange is taking a meeting with one next week. If you want to know why, check out an excerpt here.

5/27/08 Eva, Pilcrow and Nick Hornby – A delightful time was had by all at the Pilcrow Lit Fest in Chicago. We were pithy and witty and wise on our panels, met many neat people and witnessed a fine reading of an excerpt of The Body of Eva Peron by Blindfaith Theatre Company, who have asked permission to develop the script in cooperation with the Chicago Arts Council to celebrate the opening of a new space there. Cool. At the Saturday night benefit for the New Orleans Public Library, writing partner Ange bought me a page from Nick Hornby’s notebook where he made notes about songs for Songbook, or 31 Songs, his book of essays on his favorite songs. It’s framed in my office, you should come see it.

4/3/08 Pilcrow Lit Fest Interview – As noted, I will be participating in the Pilcrow Lit Fest in Chicago over Memorial Day weekend, and today you can read their interview with me here. If you are around Chitown late Sunday morning into the early afternoon, you can catch a reading of a couple of scenes from Eva and the yours truly blathering like Dickie V on a panel about writing in different media. Like Van says – c’mon, it will be fun.

3/3/08 Pilcrow Lit Fest – I am pleased to be participating in the Pilcrow Lit Fest in Chicago in May. I will probably be signing autographs and basking in my own glory, but it is also possible that I will sneak around like Gollum, soaking up knowledge from people more wise and learned than I. All my Chicago heads step forth, come strong. In honor of this event (or perhaps because my lovely and talented co-writer complained about being underrepresented), I have posted a bit of Eva and a dash of In Case of War in the Writings section here. So enjoy that.

1/22/08 The Greenblatt Model - For the first round of the NYC Midnight Movie Making Madness 2008 Short Story Challenge, I wrote a short story (check it out here). The terms for the story were that I had a week to write it, it had to be less than 2500 words (like Concrete Blonde told you, "You know I never could say anything in 20 words or less"), and it had to be a fantasy story involving digging. 550 participants this year, so it is much more likely a great exercise than an opportunity to dominate the writing world.

12/18/07 In the Tube – Before we write Hot Cross Nuns, Angela and I are finishing a horror movie workingly titled The Sins of the Father. This gives me previously unfathomed street cred with my seven year-old son. The children’s novel on which I have been working since last year is on pace to be done by 2019. So look for that.

12/8/07 Eva in Business – Finished off negotiations for Double Play Connections and Wild Bird Productions to option the mighty Body of Eva Peron for the New York stage. We argued about percentages for the eventuality that they produce the play in Liechtenstein. Imagine. For our next trick, Angela and I are writing a show improbably called Hot Cross Nuns for the Fringe Festival in Edinburgh. Nobody will tell me what the play is about, short of it being a cloistered transgender thing.

10/30/07 Eva Onstage and On Your Computer - Our lovely and talented producer has arranged an Eva reading in New York on November 5 so we can check out the new version and show it off for a select few somebodies. You can also come be Eva’s friend on MySpace, and keep an eye out for a spiffy new Body of Eva Peron website. Now if we just had some paperwork signed with our lovely and talented producer...

8/27/07 Eva Off Broadway? - Angela and I are in discussions with our dear friend Meredith Lucio, a producer who would like to put up an Equity Showcase of The Body of Eva Peron off Broadway in the spring. You can check out some of her other producing projects here and here.

8/26/07 Bill on the Big Screen - Somehow as I become further embroiled with my very talented former college classmates, I find more stuff to do. Now, I may act. Hugh Richard Massey III, Richard to his friends and Hugh to me, is making an independent film that he would like me to be in, a sort of mockumentary of the single ads dating process. My wife is developing an elaborate set of rules regarding body parts I may and may not touch. This would be a great opportunity to observe the filmmaking process to make myself a better screenwriter. Check out Hugh's reels here.

7/30/07 Eva's Makeover - The Body of Eva Peron was extremely well-received at The Last Frontier Theatre Conference, with one guy telling Angela that it was the best show at the conference. I would like to think the guy was Hal Prince, but it's just as likely that he came for the bagels and did not actually see the show. As soon as we get done with the first draft of our new show (working title: FATCHIX), we will re-write Eva with all of our newfound wisdom.

5/21/07 Chew Them Out - I accepted an offer to write for a brand new sports website, ChewThemOut.com. Go check out my first column there. You can even check out Van. Like Millie said in Bull Durham, you can do whatever you want.

5/19/07 Eva in New York - Yesterday's reading of The Body of Eva Peron at 37 Arts in New York was a marvelous experience for all involved, or at the very least for me. I had the chance to tip a few back with many old and new friends. How do people find creative energy outside of New York? I feel like I just returned from another dimension. After Eva goes up in Alaska, Angela and I will rewrite it and then we will see who among the interested parties steps up to run it.

3/16/07 Eva in Alaska - The Body of Eva Peron has been accepted for the Last Frontier Theatre Conference in fabulous Valdez, Alaska. The play will receive a full reading sometime the week of June 24-30, which makes it a great opportunity for anyone who misses it in New York and, erm, just happens to be in Valdez around that time.

3/1/07 The Body of Eva Peron - The play that I wrote late last year with partner Angela Gant (winner of the Kennedy Center's 2006 Paula Vogel Award for her play Social Darwinism) has been selected by Broadway producers who should really know better for a reading off-Broadway at 37 Arts on Friday, May 18. So, if you find yourself in the City with nothing to do on that day, come check it out. Angela and I are presently working on a screenplay. More on that as the news breaks - and it will.

2/10/07 Say What? Update - After answering questions on our own for a few weeks, Van Walker, the LCT winner, and I opted to begin answering the questions in a point/counterpoint format. We do not intend to inform our friend Barry of our decision and both acknowledge that we may be fired any time now.

1/31/07 Say What? Super Bowl - Check out our second panel question in today's paper or see the less cool monochrome version here.

1/19/07 Say What? - The good folks at the Denver Rocky Mountain News saw fit to capitalize on my semi-celebrity status from LCT (their words, not mine)and regularly publish my short answers to sports questions o' the day roughly weekly as a member of a panel they call Say What? It will be operated by my boy from LCT, the exceedingly decent Barry Forbis.

12/28/06 Last Columnist Typing Post-Mortem - After seventeen long weeks of abuse at the hands of one Van Walker, I finally succumbed today, losing in the final round of the Rocky Mountain News' Last Columnist Typing Competition. Van and I have become friends over this time and I can tell you that his e-mails are actually better than his columns. You can check out our body of work here.

12/3/06 North Denver Literary Challenge Reception - Normally I would sooner set myself on fire than attend a reception, but as I won this it seemed classless not to go, so I overcame my agoraphobia long enough to make this one. Hosted and catered by the inimitable Jay Solomon of Jay's Patio Café, the driving force behind the contest, it was a very pleasant event with lots of neat people, including my new pals Nick Arvin and Jody Reale. By the way, if you live in Denver and haven't eaten lunch at Jay's, that could only be your loss.