Elisberg Industries
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Products
    • Books
    • Movies
  • About Elisberg Industries
    • Our Corporate Board
    • Information Overstock
    • Elisberg Industries Entertainment Information
    • Elisberg Statistical Center of American Research
    • Consultancy Service
  • Contact
    • How to Find Us
  • Kudos
  • Good Things to Know
    • The BOB Page
    • Sites You Might Actually Like
Decent Quality Since 1847

What Remains of Bart

3/26/2013

0 Comments

 
A few weeks back, I wrote about my pal, professional ranter extraordinaire Bart Baker. I have developed a new theory that his ranting probably serves him well as a professional writer.  Unlike most writers who stare at the blank page, Bart dives in with a passion.  And that passion comes out in his works that keep pouring out of him.  And they do pour.

Only about three weeks ago, in fact, Bart was back in Los Angeles on one of his periodic “stay-in-touch with producers” visits.  We were having lunch when his cell phone rang, and he excused himself.  (He normally wouldn’t take the call, but he recognized the number as being important.)  A few minutes later, he came back to the table with a beaming smile.  “I just sold a script!”  The final details of the deal haven’t been signed yet, but let’s just say it’s for a cable TV movie tied to an extremely popular song.  So popular you’d know it, even if you don’t follow music today.  But the best news about all this were the words that followed.  “Lunch is on me!”

In fact, lots more words have followed.  The guy’s on a roll.  Bart just published his second novel, What Remains.  It’s pretty remarkable, as well.  Again, I’m biased, having served as editor on an early draft, but he subsequently did his own thorough rewrite that it has its own life.  But just like his first novel was so widely praised, I’m right about this one, too. 

(Side note:  my editing the early draft brought forth one of my favorite “Hollywood negotiations” when we argued about money.  But it’s not what you think.  As a friend, I refused to take any.  And Bart wouldn’t give me the manuscript until I agreed to accept his check.  The debate continued all the way through lunch.  In the end -- hey, I’m a nice guy, but not an idiot.)

I’m sort of in awe of Bart’s writing style.  It’s powerfully aggressive, but wild with humor and heart-breaking romantic tenderness.  I don’t have a clue how he does it.  I know of few other writers who can do it.  But he does all the time.  What Remains falls right into that.   A disgraced ladies man whose life crashes and burns has to move in with his gay brother.  When the brother’s life hits its own crisis and falls apart, the slacker is aghast to have responsibilities dumped onto him – forcing him to take a journey to the jungles of Colombia and complicated further when he falls in love with their mixed-race nanny with her own, unsuspected and dangerous problems.  As they say, complications, hilarity, and serious angst ensue.  How Bart gets hilarity out of this deeply emotional drama, and he does, that’s his magic trick 

Picture
I keep looking forward to the next thing Bart writes.  I don’t mean just novels or movies, I include rants.  They’re as good as his other works.  And the great thing about the rants is that I don’t have to wait six months for them to come to fruition.  If I’m feeling devoid of good Baker reading material, I can just send him an email and ask, “So, what do you think about…?”, and sit back to wait for the rant to arrive.
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Picture
    Picture
    Elisberg Industries gets a commission if you click here before shopping on Amazon.
    Picture
    Follow @relisberg

    Author

    Robert J. Elisberg is a political commentator, screenwriter, novelist, tech writer and also some other things that I just tend to keep forgetting. 

    Elisberg is a two-time recipient of the Lucille Ball Award for comedy screenwriting. He's written for film, TV, the stage, and two best-selling novels, is a regular columnist for the Writers Guild of America and was for
    the Huffington Post.  Among his other writing, he has a long-time column on technology (which he sometimes understands), and co-wrote a book on world travel.  As a lyricist, he is a member of ASCAP, and has contributed to numerous publications.



    Picture
           Feedspot Badge of Honor

    Archives

    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013

    Categories

    All
    Animals
    Audio
    Audio Land
    Books
    Business
    Chicago
    Consumer Product
    Education
    Email Interview
    Entertainment
    Environment
    Fine Art
    Food
    From The Management
    Health
    History
    Huffery
    Humor
    International
    Internet
    Journalism
    Law
    Los Angeles
    Media
    Morning News Round Up
    Movies
    Music
    Musical
    Personal
    Photograph
    Piano Puzzler
    Politics
    Popular Culture
    Profiles
    Quote Of The Day
    Radio
    Religion
    Restaurants
    Science
    Sports
    Technology
    Tech Tip
    Theater
    The Writers Workbench
    Tidbits
    Travel
    Tv
    Twitter
    Video
    Videology
    Well Worth Reading
    Words-o-wisdom
    Writing

    RSS Feed

© Copyright Robert J. Elisberg 2023
Contact Us    About EI    Chicago Cubs
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Products
    • Books
    • Movies
  • About Elisberg Industries
    • Our Corporate Board
    • Information Overstock
    • Elisberg Industries Entertainment Information
    • Elisberg Statistical Center of American Research
    • Consultancy Service
  • Contact
    • How to Find Us
  • Kudos
  • Good Things to Know
    • The BOB Page
    • Sites You Might Actually Like