One of the best film books of the year is also one of the most unusual. Conversations With Clint, edited by Kevin Avery, presents the “lost interviews” conducted by the writer Paul Nelson between 1979 and 1983, for a Rolling Stone cover story that Nelson, who could be stone-cutter slow in the composing process, never completed. Eastwood’s a good interview, well-schooled in the art, but Nelson was an unusually sensitive and knowledgable interlocuter, which Eastwood is known to appreciate (I recall during our own single conversation, a phoner for a sidebar in Première, Eastwood was inclined to extend our brief discussion for a bit after I had demonstrated that I knew who henry Bumstead was), and the two men had friends in common, and they got on. So these chats go well beyond standard interview stuff and give you a lot of unfiltered Eastwood, which is pretty entertaining in and of itself, but also shows just what a deft filmmaking mind the man has, how thoroughly well-versed he is in pretty much every aspect of moviemaking. In this respect, I’d say it’s as crucial a text as Lumet’s Making Movies, for instance, and of course it’s just as impressive a study in voice, if you will.
On Thursday, December 1, at 7 p.m., I’ll have the privilege of leading a discussion with Kevin Avery, the editor of this volume and the writer/editor of the equally impressive and crucial Everything Is An Afterthought: The Life And Writings Of Paul Nelson at the 7th Avenue Barnes and Noble store in Park Slope, Brooklyn. If you can make it, please do; it ought to be a very stimulating chat.
Wow! I had no idea about this or the other Avery book on Paul Nelson. I’m going to purchase them directly! I am particularly excited because I ‘knew’ Paul Nelson. Not much in a personal or professional sense but he and I spoke regularly and sometimes at length about films. I had just moved here from NC and Evergreen Video was my VHS joint back in ’92. They had a wonderful selection and I was a budding cineaste just getting my legs regarding cinematic styles and such. Paul worked there (when it was across from the Film Forum) and in his slow and charming way would recommend films by directors I was keen on and tell me what he thought I should avoid. After watching the tape I’d come back and if he were around, which was most of the time, we would talk about what I’d just watched. We talked A LOT about the “This Is Orson Welles” set that had just been released about that time by Bogdanovich. For years I thought he was just a sweet, old, hippy-trippy G‑Villager until I read his obit in the Times in 2006. (I hadn’t been to the Evergreen at that point for a couple of years.) I was floored, this dude who laconically fought with this cat jumping all over his customers and turned me on to Mizoguchi was such a fabulous and influential writer. I went on-line and couldn’t find much he’d written aside from a piece on Neil Young and kinda gave up looking after that. I’m so happy that these books are out and can’t wait to read them.
Funny, I don’t remember a single discussion about music. I still have his obit tacked up beside my desk (along with Bergman, Edward Yang, Rudy Ray Moore and Lorenzo Charles.)
I’m travelling in from out of town but I’m going to try my best to make it Thurs night.
Did not know this book existed. I have now ordered a copy. Well played, Glenn.
We will be there with bells on, as the kids say.
Are we sure it’s 7pm, BTW?
weightloss program
Some Came Running: Conversation about “Conversations With Clint”