Last Wednesday evening, Dennis Lehane spoke at the Wellesley Free Library. First, he read a chapter from "Mystic River" that he said was his favorite, but that had had to be cut from the movie for reasons of time. Chapter 20, titled "When She Comes Home," for those of you following along with the home game.

Lehane then talked about "Gone, Baby, Gone" which was optioned a good while back by Ben Affleck, and how that might turn out when it finally gets made. He was very funny about it, and one can't help but wonder how that might have turned out, if it had gotten made before Ben got JLObotomized.

Then Lehane had a great question and answer session during which a woman whom I can only describe as a typical Welleslyan (Wellesley-ite?) called him on the carpet for his use of profanity in the book, and then seemed to expect that the rest of the audience would agree with her. Lehane responded that he put the profanity in because that's the way people spoke where he grew up.

The woman took issue with that, and tried to say that no, they don't speak like that, but from appearances, I'm guessing she grew up nowhere near Southie or Chelsea or Charlestown, so how would she know? Most of the rest of the audience didn't seem to mind the use of the language at all.

I only mention this because it *sort of* bears on my own novel-in-progress. More on that later.

Anyway, after Q&A, Lehane signed books. When I finally neared the table, from out of his backpack, the guy in front of me pulled several copies of every book Lehane's ever written, and then asked him to autograph them all to him. After that pile was finished, he pulled out several more, and asked Lehane to autograph those books to his friends. Lehane sighed, but graciously signed them all.

When Autograph Hound was finally out of books, I plopped down my measely single copy of "Mystic River" for Lehane to sign, as AutoHound stood off at the end of the table, packing his books back up, one by one.

Feeling a little dorky, I asked Lehane what advice he might have for an aspiring novelist. He gave it some thought, and started to reply, but then Autograph Vampire butted in with some anecdote that didn't really apply. Lehane stopped thinking, signed my book, then suggested I find a good writer's group. Good advice, of course, but I had the sense he would have said more if Vampire Boy hadn't jumped in, and hadn't been still standing at the end of the table, waiting to pounce on the next morsel from his mouth. *sigh*

That aside, it was a great evening. Lehane is very entertaining, and quite gracious, and I may try to take a class he's teaching next semester.

I took Lehane's advice on writing groups. As luck would have it, almost the very next day, I heard of a new one forming, and I went to the first meeting last night. I got some great feedback. Everyone else in the group was already published in some form or another, and seemed to know a lot about the business. It was great fun, quite stimulating, very inspiring, and certainly a great way to stay in motion. I hope to go back in a few weeks. Next week, I'm going to a local screenwriter's group for the reading of a friend's script.

For now I'm "Gone, Baby, Gone." ;-)
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© 2003 m. lucas