Why ‘Mud Season' is the season's hottest media-world must-read
A former reporter with the Los Angeles Times and Boston Globe, Jeff Kramer's new novel, 'Mud Season' (Köehler Books) tells the story of Atwood 'Woody' Hackworth, a journalist laid off after accusations of inventing a source in one of his stories.
Which, as Kramer tells The Post, has never happened to him. 'Incredibly, I've never been fired,' he says, 'but there were probably a few jobs where I should have been!'
Set in rural Vermont, 'Mud Season' explores the conflict between family relationships and the pursuit of personal success.
With his marriage and livelihood dangling by a thread, Woody attempts to write an online novel and hopes it will be a hit. 'Woody Hackworth will write a novel, a great one, one that is three hundred pages or longer and not padded by oversized print,' writes Kramer.
Author Jeff Kramer
'And it will be commercially successful – perhaps even a Netflix adaptation – yet of undeniable critical merit.'
'Mud Season' also examines the changing face of publishing, from the decline of print to the new, online world, where acclaim is instant but so too is disapproval.
'Social media fuels the story,' adds Kramer. 'It gives Woody an opportunity to publish his book in real time and the immediate reaction he gets influences his behavior and his emotional state, not to mention his book.'
With social media taking over Woody's work, he begins to lose control of his real life, alienating his wife, Mandy, and his family. 'Mandy has no interest in a keystroke-by-keystroke account of his return to non-newspaper writing,' writes Kramer. 'Her husband has a history of diving into fiction projects and quietly abandoning them.'
Soon, though, Woody's new fiction, published chapter by chapter online, starts to mirror his own existence, with disturbing consequences. 'It's a cautionary tale of internet doom,' he adds.
For Kramer, the object of writing 'Mud Season' was two-fold. 'My first goal in writing the book was to make people laugh, but I was also striving for themes of dislocation,' he says.
'But no one who knows me will believe that, and with good reason.' —Gavin Newsham
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Los Angeles Times
21 hours ago
- Los Angeles Times
'Étoile' Stars Gideon Glick and Luke Kirby Reflect on Canceled Series, Dance Immersion, and Palladino Magic
Actors Gideon Glick and Luke Kirby of the Prime Video series 'Étoile' recently discussed the show's first season with Los Angeles Times moderator Matt Brennan. The Q&A, held on June 11 at the NeueHouse in Hollywood, covered various aspects of the series, which is set in New York City and Paris and follows two ballet companies swapping their star dancers to save their institutions. Glick and Kirby revealed they learned of the show's cancellation shortly before Glick received an award for the series. Both actors shared their introduction to the dance world for their roles; Glick, from musical theater, shadowed choreographers, while Kirby, with family ties to dance, took ballet classes, gaining appreciation for the art form's physicality and dedication. A significant part of the discussion focused on their collaboration with creators Amy Sherman-Palladino and Dan Palladino, with whom they previously worked on The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. Glick likened the Palladinos' writing to Steven Sondheim, noting, 'It is all there and it's so well constructed and it's psychologically potent that for an actor it's pretty much a dream.' Kirby compared it to Shakespeare, explaining, 'You don't do the text, the text does you ... things are revealed in the writing in the moment.' Glick, who also worked in the 'Étoile' writer's room, described Amy Sherman-Palladino's creative bursts as 'being struck by lightning,' with dialogue 'spitting out almost word for word.' He also shared that his character, Tobias, was specifically written for him, an experience he called 'pretty life-changing' that expanded his ambitions to include writing. The actors also reflected on filming in Paris. Glick, who is hearing impaired, found the French accents challenging but noted, 'I did feel a little isolated and I felt it really helped me stay in Tobias's mind.' Kirby described the experience as 'just great to be in Paris,' highlighting the dedication of the French crew and the 'rare gift' of working with international talent. They reminisced about shooting pivotal romantic scenes, with Glick calling it 'the most magical day of shooting.' Kirby, recalling his scene, praised his co-star Lou de Laâge: 'Lou is exceptional and I was staggered by her, always staggered by her talent.' Finally, they touched upon the show's theme of art as a form of 'insanity' or 'ecstasy.' Glick described the creative process as sometimes 'manic,' akin to the Greek word 'ecstasis,' meaning 'to leave the body.' Kirby said, 'I think it's a shame if you've never been insane ... it's a great gift to know you have that option.' They concluded by expressing profound gratitude for the collaborative and enriching experience of making 'Étoile,' with Glick stating, 'It was one of the greatest artistic experiences of my life. Everybody was extraordinary.' Kirby added, 'I think it asserted the whisper that we all have within us. And to listen to the whisper, don't shut it down.'
San Francisco Chronicle
a day ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
AP WAS THERE: 'Jaws' and the parental debates it set off
LOS ANGELES (AP) — It didn't take long for 'Jaws' to make an impression. The movie that launched the summer blockbuster season and changed how people view sharks and the ocean 50 years ago also created a dilemma for parents: Was it a movie their children could watch? To help answer that, The Associated Press went to the film's star, Roy Scheider. Legendary AP Special Correspondent Linda Deutsch interviewed Scheider and others for a story that ran on July 28, 1975, roughly a month after 'Jaws' arrived in theaters. The story is included below as it ran. ___ At a sunny hotel swimming pool, a small freckle faced boy rushes up to Roy Scheider and exclaims with delight: 'I think you played really good in 'Jaws.'' 'You see,' says Scheider as the boy runs off to swim. 'Some children seem able to handle it.' Scheider, star of the smash hit film which is breaking box-office records, was reacting to a stormy issue now almost as hot as the movie itself — should children see 'Jaws'? The debate stems from the rating given to the movie — PG, meaning parental guidance suggested. Several critics and members of the movie industry have called the rating too lenient. Some use it as an example of flaws in the frequently criticized rating system. In practice, PG places no restrictions on who may see a film. Any child with the price of a movie ticket can view 'Jaws,' which climaxes with a man vomiting blood as a giant shark chews him up. Los Angeles Times critic Charles Champlin noted that the PG 'does not sufficiently warn parents that the giant shark includes children among its victims and that children are known to be particularly impressed by what happens to children on the screen.' Movie makers whose films recently were give the more restrictive 'R' rating — requiring an adult to accompany any child under 17 — have protested loudly. Some have even appealed to the rating board of the Motion Picture Association of America for a rating change. 'With some of our innocuous action pictures we've been hit with Rs,' says Paul Heller, producer of 'Enter the Dragon.' 'But here we get a picture where there's all sorts of gore and blood, where arms and legs are seen floating in the water, where a girl is seen covered by crabs on the beach, and other horrifying scenes, and it gets a PG.' Producers of the film 'Rollerball' unsuccessfully appealed their R rating after 'Jaws' was released, claiming their film's violence was far less objectionable. Universal Studios, which released 'Jaws,' has taken the unusual steps of warning in its advertisements that the film 'may be too intense for younger children.' Youngsters interviewed at a Los Angeles area beach after the movie's release expressed fears of swimming in the ocean. One 12-year-old girl confessed 'I think about it so much. I dreamed about it. It really scared me.' But Universal has no complaints about the PG rating, and, according to Rating Administration, no one may appeal a film's rating other than its producer and distributor. Scheider, who portrays the sheriff of the beach resort menaced by the killer shark, recalls that 'Jaws' was made with the intention of obtaining a PG rating. 'The picture was judiciously shot to avoid unnecessary amounts of gore,' he says, recalling that some bloody scenes were added after final footage was reviewed by the filmmakers. 'When the film was brought back to the post, the editor and director found that it was necessary to show, after an hour and a half, what the shark does. the audience demands it.' The scene of the girl covered with crabs was added later, he notes and the finale in which Robert Shaw is chewed up was embellished. 'I personally think that scene could have been modulated a bit,' says Scheider. But Jack Valenti, president of the MPAA and father of the seven-year-old rating system, defends the 'Jaws' rating. 'In the view of the rating board, 'Jaws' involved nature's violence, rather than man's violence against man,' Valenti has said. 'This is the same kind of violence as in 'Hansel and Gretel.' Children might imitate other kinds of violence, but not the kind seen in 'Jaws.'' Valenti declared that, 'If this were a man or woman committing violence as seen in 'Jaws,' it would definitely go in the R category. But it's a shark, and I don't think people will go around pretending they're a shark.' The rating controversy hasn't hurt business. Universal reports that 'Jaws' grossed an incredible $60 million in its first month and seems destined to grow richer than 'The Godfather,' the current record holder. Scheider says his own 12-year-old daughter has seen 'Jaws' twice — but only after he and his wife explained 'which things she was going to see were real and which ones were not real.' 'She was scared in many parts, but she knew it was a movie,' he says, suggesting that parents who let children see the movie explain first that 'This is going to scare you. It's going to be like a roller coaster ride.' 'Some kids understand his and some don't,' he concedes. '... I would be very careful about children under 10. If they're susceptible to nightmares, get scared easily and are impressionable, I'd say no, don't see it. If the child can handle it, fine, see it.' Scheider holds the cynical view that the rating system exists because 'most parents don't give a damn what their kids see.' But he is convinced that a child who sees 'Jaws' without guidance won't be permanently traumatized by it. 'It'll go away,' he says. 'You can live through it. Traumatic shocks in entertainment disappear. Traumatic shocks through the lack of love and ill treatment by parents and peers persist through all of life.'
Hamilton Spectator
a day ago
- Hamilton Spectator
AP WAS THERE: ‘Jaws' and the parental debates it set off
LOS ANGELES (AP) — It didn't take long for 'Jaws' to make an impression. The movie that launched the summer blockbuster season and changed how people view sharks and the ocean 50 years ago also created a dilemma for parents: Was it a movie their children could watch? To help answer that, The Associated Press went to the film's star, Roy Scheider. Legendary AP Special Correspondent Linda Deutsch interviewed Scheider and others for a story that ran on July 28, 1975, roughly a month after 'Jaws' arrived in theaters. The story is included below as it ran. ___ At a sunny hotel swimming pool, a small freckle faced boy rushes up to Roy Scheider and exclaims with delight: 'I think you played really good in 'Jaws.'' 'You see,' says Scheider as the boy runs off to swim. 'Some children seem able to handle it.' Scheider, star of the smash hit film which is breaking box-office records, was reacting to a stormy issue now almost as hot as the movie itself — should children see 'Jaws'? The debate stems from the rating given to the movie — PG, meaning parental guidance suggested. Several critics and members of the movie industry have called the rating too lenient. Some use it as an example of flaws in the frequently criticized rating system. In practice, PG places no restrictions on who may see a film. Any child with the price of a movie ticket can view 'Jaws,' which climaxes with a man vomiting blood as a giant shark chews him up. Los Angeles Times critic Charles Champlin noted that the PG 'does not sufficiently warn parents that the giant shark includes children among its victims and that children are known to be particularly impressed by what happens to children on the screen.' Movie makers whose films recently were give the more restrictive 'R' rating — requiring an adult to accompany any child under 17 — have protested loudly. Some have even appealed to the rating board of the Motion Picture Association of America for a rating change. 'With some of our innocuous action pictures we've been hit with Rs,' says Paul Heller, producer of 'Enter the Dragon.' 'But here we get a picture where there's all sorts of gore and blood, where arms and legs are seen floating in the water, where a girl is seen covered by crabs on the beach, and other horrifying scenes, and it gets a PG.' Producers of the film 'Rollerball' unsuccessfully appealed their R rating after 'Jaws' was released, claiming their film's violence was far less objectionable. Universal Studios, which released 'Jaws,' has taken the unusual steps of warning in its advertisements that the film 'may be too intense for younger children.' Youngsters interviewed at a Los Angeles area beach after the movie's release expressed fears of swimming in the ocean. One 12-year-old girl confessed 'I think about it so much. I dreamed about it. It really scared me.' But Universal has no complaints about the PG rating, and, according to Rating Administration, no one may appeal a film's rating other than its producer and distributor. Scheider, who portrays the sheriff of the beach resort menaced by the killer shark, recalls that 'Jaws' was made with the intention of obtaining a PG rating. 'The picture was judiciously shot to avoid unnecessary amounts of gore,' he says, recalling that some bloody scenes were added after final footage was reviewed by the filmmakers. 'When the film was brought back to the post, the editor and director found that it was necessary to show, after an hour and a half, what the shark does. the audience demands it.' The scene of the girl covered with crabs was added later, he notes and the finale in which Robert Shaw is chewed up was embellished. 'I personally think that scene could have been modulated a bit,' says Scheider. But Jack Valenti, president of the MPAA and father of the seven-year-old rating system, defends the 'Jaws' rating. 'In the view of the rating board, 'Jaws' involved nature's violence, rather than man's violence against man,' Valenti has said. 'This is the same kind of violence as in 'Hansel and Gretel.' Children might imitate other kinds of violence, but not the kind seen in 'Jaws.'' Valenti declared that, 'If this were a man or woman committing violence as seen in 'Jaws,' it would definitely go in the R category. But it's a shark, and I don't think people will go around pretending they're a shark.' The rating controversy hasn't hurt business. Universal reports that 'Jaws' grossed an incredible $60 million in its first month and seems destined to grow richer than 'The Godfather,' the current record holder. Scheider says his own 12-year-old daughter has seen 'Jaws' twice — but only after he and his wife explained 'which things she was going to see were real and which ones were not real.' 'She was scared in many parts, but she knew it was a movie,' he says, suggesting that parents who let children see the movie explain first that 'This is going to scare you. It's going to be like a roller coaster ride.' 'Some kids understand his and some don't,' he concedes. '... I would be very careful about children under 10. If they're susceptible to nightmares, get scared easily and are impressionable, I'd say no, don't see it. If the child can handle it, fine, see it.' Scheider holds the cynical view that the rating system exists because 'most parents don't give a damn what their kids see.' But he is convinced that a child who sees 'Jaws' without guidance won't be permanently traumatized by it. 'It'll go away,' he says. 'You can live through it. Traumatic shocks in entertainment disappear. Traumatic shocks through the lack of love and ill treatment by parents and peers persist through all of life.'
