I know your heart, Joseph Purcell

[shunn]

I love the AMC series Rubicon so much that I tracked down a copy of one of the out-of-print collections of producer/writer Henry Bromell's New Yorker short stories from the '70s. I've started I Know Your Heart, Marco Polo, and so far I'm very taken with the hallucinatory prose style. Can't wait to finish it.

I think it's the first time that someone's television work has prompted me to seek out his or her fiction. Racing through The Wire is what finally prompted me to read David Simon's non-fiction Homicide, a book that had been mocking me from the shelf for twenty years. (Interestingly, Bromell also worked on the Homicide television series.) I started watching Justified precisely because I was a fan of the Elmore Leonard novels featuring Raylan Givens. (Of course, it also didn't hurt that Timothy Olyphant from Deadwood was playing the character.)

But I'm pretty sure the Bromell conversion is a first. If I keep enjoying the stories, his novel Little America, a semi-autobiographical (I gather) tale of a son trying to understand his father's C.I.A. career, sounds pretty interesting.

---

Any of you other Rubicon fans recognize the name Joseph Purcell?

Comments

[laurel]

I haven't tackled Rubicon yet and really should if Bromell is involved; he's one of my favorite TV writers/producers. I still haven't watched Brotherhood yet either.

I'm very familiar with his good work on both Homicide and Chicago Hope. I had his movie Panic and the book it was based on on my wishlist for years; I should add them back. I finally saw the movie and liked it well enough.

I've been a fan of David Simon's since Homicide.

Several years ago I was taken aback when I realized that one of my fave writers from Homicide was also the author of a play that I loved. Small world! That was Eric Overmyer who went on to work on various Law & Order shows, The Wire, New Amsterdam, Treme, and other stuff after his work on Homicide. The play of his I loved (and saw three times at the Guthrie Theater) was On The Verge.

[shunn.livejournal.com]

Oh, yes, you must tackle Rubicon. It's flawed, but I love the way it moves slowly, establishes atmosphere and pacing, and accelerates as the season progresses. And the acting and directing are just choice.

I feel like I saw Panic at some point, but don't really remember it. Need to rewatch.

Wish I could see that Overmyer play. Sounds fantastic.