Allison Amend's "A Nearly Perfect Copy"

{[['']]}

Allison Amend, a graduate of the Iowa Writers' Workshop, is the author of the Independent Publisher’s Award-winning short story collection Things That Pass for Love and the novel Stations West, which was a finalist for the 2011 Sami Rohr Prize for Jewish Literature and the Oklahoma Book Award. She lives in New York City.

Here Amend dreamcasts an adaptation of her new novel, A Nearly Perfect Copy:

So I’m sitting in the casting chair, a binder full of Hollywood super stars open on the desk (because such things exist, right? And because authors get to choose who stars in the movie version of their book?). I have turned down Leo (we’re on a first name basis) because, while I like his work, he’s just not right for the role.

A Nearly Perfect Copy is set in the high-intrigue, high-stakes art worlds of Paris and New York. Grieving the loss of her son, art director Elmira “Elm” Howells starts to explore ways in which she might bring him back. Meanwhile, Gabriel Connois is a 40-something Spanish artist living in Paris who can’t seem to catch a break in the art world. They both turn to forging art, with disastrous consequences.

Jeremy Sisto plays Gabriel with just the right amount of frustration, vulnerability, and self-denial. (Full disclosure: Jeremy is a friend and classmate from high school). His girlfriend, Colette, a scheming young Frenchwoman, will be played by Clémence Poésy or Emma Watson. Her uncle, who tempts Gabriel into the work of art forgery, will be portrayed by Sir Anthony Hopkins (and I will ask him to say “fava beans and a nice chianti” over and over).

Kate Winslet is perfect for the role of overwhelmed Elm, and she will rearrange her schedule for it. Her Irish husband has to be Chris O’Dowd, who coincidentally will fall in love with the author who wrote the book on which the film was based. Her colleague and young friend Ian can be played by Daniel Radcliffe, or maybe Andrew Rannells if that isn’t too obvious. We can get the youngest Fanning to play the daughter Moira, and might there be a role for me? Maybe Relay, the curvy young art advisor?

Learn more about the book and author at Allison Amend's website.

--Marshal Zeringue