A Correspondence With an Old Friend

DRU FARRO:

I'm glad we're friends now [in reference to the social network "Facebook"]. I think often of you and Beast and have frequently wondered what you're doing and how your bid for an award from the Academy is going. I heard some indistinct whisperings about a successful story or script...I can't get any good news from home. As for me, I'm living in Montreal right now, and was just accepted to Columbia to study literature, so I'm staying up nights worrying about quitting my job, moving, financing, and whether I should start rooting for the Knicks. The orbits of my and Beast's life have for 4 years or so been unfortunately unsympathetic, but I have lately eclipsed him and vow (supergiant that he is) to become his satellite.
I'm sorry O.J. Mayo is in hot water.
I look forward to hearing from you.

DOUG BAILEY:

Farro!

I couldn't be happier that you accepted my friend request.

I am in LaLa Land with my beautiful wife, graduated from USC (I left before the water started boiling for OJ so I pretend it's not happening) in December, and am now an assistant to an insane talent agent. If you've ever seen ENTOURAGE, you'll know what I mean. It's a common step that people take to make connections and learn the industry - hopefully after about a year, I'll have learned and met enough people to myself my own agent so I can just sit at home and WRITE! I sold one of my scripts, but I don't get paid until it goes into production (which may never happen). It was a good experience though, and if it ever gets made, I can join the Writer's Guild.

I feel like I've talked to much about myself. I'd rather have talked about Beast and his adventures in Kazakhstan, or about the time we spent the night at Braxton Restivo's and played pogs all night, or about when we were playing basketball in my basement and you put a hole in the wall the size of your entire body, or about making mirrors in Boyd's garage...

Good times.

Sounds like good times are in your future too - or at least good opportunities. I'm sure you'll be alright, whatever you decide.

Let me know, brother.

Douglas

DRU FARRO:

've never seen ENTOURAGE, but I was recently in Los Angeles. I was there only briefly visiting a friend, but did go on a VERY long walk (from Silver Lake to the Pacific Ocean via Sunset Blvd.) It was kind of eerie, actually, walking 25 miles, being passed by thousands and thousands of cars while encountering only 2 other people on the sidewalks...
Thanks for updating me. I'm very excited for you and your prospects as a storyteller. Since my descension (or ascension...probably a little of both) into 'academia' (whatever that term is supposed to mean), I find that I have had little to no time free for creative writing, though I wonder about it constantly. I've often tried to guess at what has emerged from the seeds we planted in Diane Panazzo's classes...it would be a real joy and learning experience to sit down with you and Beast someday and talk books/films/art/basketball.
What's already clear to me is that your memory is vastly superior to mine. If it weren't for you I might've forgotten that hole! I can still feel my stomach drop, it's dropping right now.
I'm hoping that I'll be able to find a way to swing the Columbia offer financially. Before I arrived in Montreal my girlfriend and I took a cross-country tour visiting different universities we were planning on applying to and, sadly, New York was by far my least favorite place. Harlem, however, I liked WAY more than downtown. I stayed with a friend who is living in Harlem whose girlfriend goes to Columbia, so I am assuming that I, too, will likely live there, which I would greatly prefer to living anywhere else in the city. This year off, though, has made me hungry, and I imagine I want to think to the same degree you want to write (each of us doing plenty of the other in the process I'm sure).
I'll be sad to leave Montreal, though.
It's been great hearing back from you, Doug, and I hope you keep me posted on every development in your and Frannie's lives. I don't even know if this is legal, but if you've got a draft of your script I would love to read it. I've got a fantastically boring job at McGill University with plenty of time either to look at amazing tennis shots on youtube or reading Doug's movie scripts. If not, that's fine, of course. Let me know and the next time you talk to Beast tell him he owes me WAY more than a dinky (though tender) message on my Facebook wall...

DOUG BAILEY:

Dru,

It is indeed illegal for me to let you read the screenplay that I wrote (and yet don't own the rights to) for these producers. I do, however, have a couple of comedy/dramedies that I'm happy to send your way. I always respected your opinion when it came to literature, and while screenplays aren't exactly literature, I would appreciate any thoughts/feedback you might have.

And actually, I've been working on a little something that isn't a screenplay at all. I'm not really sure what it is - part memoir, part fantasy? I'm not sure. But it is the seeds planted in Panozzo's class that you speak of which have sprouted in me again. I was unemployed for about a month and half, and I decided to start doing something while I was doing nothing. So I picked up a pen again. Unfortunately, now that I have a job and am doing "something," I have no time to do the "nothing" I truly enjoy. Interesting how that works.

I guess it's all part of the curse of Adam. "By the sweat of thy brow shalt thou eat thy bread..."

Hopefully after a few years of these insane hours at the agency, I'll have earned the right to relax a little more, and have made the connections which will allow me to write for a living. We'll see.

In the meantime, I'll keep sweating, and getting up early in the morning to dabble a little here and there.

Keep me posted on Columbia, and I'll keep you posted of the happenings out here (it IS a strange land of cars and freeways - thank goodness there's also the beach and the ocean).

Peace,
Douglas

PS I'll send you an email with the screenplays "Pablo Mariachi" and "'Tis Himself," as well as the work-in-progress mentioned above. Enjoy, and let me know what you think.

PPS In keeping you posted, I guess I ought to mention that a little Bailey is on the way. Frannie's due in September.