Scott Ryan

David Bushman

Smart, quirky, female-centric, drenched in pop-culture references - Amy Sherman-Palladino's singular TV voice has won her legions of fans and critical appreciation over the past two decades, thanks to shows like Gilmore Girls, Bunheads, and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. Sherman-Palladino - the first woman ever to win Emmy Awards for both comedy writing and directing in a single year - may write about different decades and milieus, but her sensibility is unique and unmistakable throughout. Her greatest contribution may be her pantheon of unforgettable female characters, including Lorelai Gilmore (Lauren Graham), Rory Gilmore (Alexis Bledel), Sookie St. James (Melissa McCarthy), Michelle Simms (Sutton Foster), Susie Myerson (Alex Borstein), and Miriam "Midge" Maisel (Rachel Brosnahan). In The Women of Amy Sherman-Palladino, writers from different walks of live - scholars, critics, writers, comedians, dancers -- take us on a journey through the worlds of these characters, and how they have influenced their own lives. This is the second book in the Women of series, after The Women of David Lynch, published in June 2019. This unique series, covers great female characters in television and film.

Gilmore Girls, Bunheads and Mrs. Maisel

The Women of Amy Sherman-Palladino

In 1990, David Lynch was on top of the world. Wild at Heart won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival and Twin Peaks was the hottest show on TV. In 1992, he released Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me. It sure is amazing how fast coffee can get cold. The film was not well received, to say the least, by critics or ticket buyers. It seemed like the verdict was in: Twin Peaks was dead and wrapped in plastic. Thirty years later, the film is thought by many to be Lynch's masterpiece. Author Scott Ryan (Moonlighting: An Oral History, The Blue Rose magazine) was among the few Twin Peaks fans who saw the film on the day it was released and loved it from the beginning. He takes an in-depth look at the film, its legacy, and the people who created it, weaving in his own story of how the film has inspired him throughout his life, and still does. The book features Interviews with cowriter Bob Engels, editor Mary Sweeney, lead actress Sheryl Lee, and other cast members, as well as Ryan's essays covering the different iterations of the script, and Angelo Badalamenti's superb score. This is an ambitious, unique exploration of one of the darkest films ever created by the master himself, David Lynch.

Your Laura Disappeared

Fire Walk With Me

" I feel like Scott Ryan could have written this directly to me and others in our generation who have basically ' given up' on movies. It is at once tribute and eulogy, so bittersweet." - Screenwriter Helen Childress (Reality Bites) " The nineties are lucky to have Scott Ryan." - Actress Natasha Gregson Wagner (Two Girls and a Guy, Lost Highway) Ah, the nineties. Movies were something in those days. We're talking about a decade that began with GoodFellas and ended with Magnolia, with such films as Malcolm X, Before Sunrise, and Clueless arriving somewhere in between. Stories, characters, and writing were king; IP, franchise movies, and supersaturated superhero flicks were still years away. Or so says Scott Ryan, the iconoclastic author of The Last Days of Letterman and Moonlighting: An Oral History, who here turns his attention to The Last Decade of Cinema-- the prolific 1990s. Ryan, who watched just about every film released during the decade when he was a video store clerk in a small town in Ohio, identifies twenty-five unique and varied films from the decade, including Pretty Woman, Pulp Fiction, Menace II Society, and The Shawshank Redemption, focusing with his trademark humor and insight on what made them classics and why they could never be produced in today's film culture. The book also includes interviews with writers, directors, and actors from the era. Go back to the time of VCR' s, DVD rentals, and movies that mattered. Turn off your streaming services, put down your phones, delete your Twitter account, and take a look back at the nineties with your Eyes Wide Shut, a White Russian in your hand, and yell " Hasta la vista, baby" to today's meaningless entertainment. Revel in the risk-taking brilliance of Quentin Tarantino, Amy Heckerling, Spike Lee, Robert Altman, Paul Thomas Anderson, and others in Scott Ryan's magnum opus, The Last Decade of Cinema.

Twenty-Five Unique Films from the Nineties

The Last Decade of Cinema

An Oral History

Moonlighting

A first-time-ever exploration of the 290 songs from the entirety of win Peaks, sure to entice fans of the David Lynch-Mark Frost's cult classic that revolutionized TV, with brand-new interviews with Frost and several of the key composers and musicians involved. "Where we're from, the birds sing a pretty song and there's always music in the air." When author Scott Ryan (Fire Walk With Me: Your Laura Disappeared, The Last Days of Letterman) heard those words on the television series Twin Peaks in 1990, he wanted to live there as well. Problem was, most of the music that played in Twin Peaks were not released. Only one soundtrack came out from the series, and one from the film. It wasn't until 2011 that director David Lynch and composer Angelo Badalamenti opened the archives and released every track on MP3. These tracks were never officially released and do not stream anywhere today. Ryan interviews band members who performed the songs and music editors and directors from the series and draws from archived interviews with the late Badalamenti and singer Julee Cruise. This book explores all the music that was in the air, from Cruise's 1989 release Floating into the Night through all the Twin Peaks soundtracks, the 2011 online releases called the Twin Peaks Archives, and the releases from Twin Peaks: The Return in 2017. Ryan conducts brand new-Interviews with Dean Hurley (composer for The Return, curator of the Twin Peaks Archive), Tim Hunter (director), Lori Eschler (music editor), David Slusser (composer, music editor), Kevin Laffey (A&R for Julee Cruise), Duwayne Dunham (editor, director), Kinny Landrum, (keyboards) and Al Regni (saxophone). Also included are excerpts from Ryan's 2018 interview with Cruise. Foreword by Brad Dukes (Reflections: An Oral History of Twin Peaks).

The Sound of Twin Peaks

Always Music in the Air

Babyboomers in their thirties never possessed a collective voice until thirtysomething (1987-1991), a thirteen-time Emmy Award-winning series, captured the essence of their angst. Author Scott Ryan now gives the cast and crew their voice on the making of all 85 episodes. Revealing behind-the-scenes stories are recalled by Ken Olin, Timothy Busfield, Mel Harris, Melanie Mayron, Peter Horton, Patricia Wettig, Polly Draper, Brandy Alexander, Joseph Dougherty, Liberty Godshall, Jill Gordon, Paul Haggis, Ann Lewis Hamilton, Winnie Holzman, Richard Kramer, Ron Lagomarsino, Ellen S. Pressman, Susan Shilliday, Scott Winant, Kenneth Zunder, Edward Zwick, and Marshall Herskovitz. They remember the episode plots, controversies, and fights with censors in revealing, no-holds-barred detail. Enjoy other remembrances from actors David Clennon, Dana Delany, Michael Feinstein, David Marshall Grant, Patricia Kalember, Nick Meglin, Corey Parker, Charlotte Stewart, and Lenny Von Dohlen. Discover: · How the series was canceled, and how the creators decided to end the series without telling anyone, and read the originally scripted ending that was never produced. · A special section on directing. · An essay by actor Peter Horton (Gary). · An essay by a Mad magazine editor, who appeared in a cameo. · How Ken Olin and his real life wife, Patricia Wettig, managed to work together. · Writer Richard Kramer on writing the controversial “Strangers” episode. · Actors Timothy Busfield, Melanie Mayron, and Peter Horton on acting and learning to direct. Illustrated with over 150 rare photos, including original TV Guide ads, press pictures, and sets and props. Foreword by Emmy-nominated writer Ann Lewis Hamilton. Afterword by Emmy-winning writer, Joseph Dougherty.

thirtysomething at thirty: an oral history

Joseph Dougherty

“I was a writer before I knew what a writer was.” -Joseph DoughertyJoseph Dougherty has been a successful playwright and television writer, producer, and director for more than thirty years. He's written for breakthrough series that have changed the way we look at television drama, from thirtysomething to Pretty Little Liars, winning everything from Emmys to Teen Choice Awards along the way.In A Screenwriter's Companion, Dougherty offers insights and advice both practical and nonpractical to writers and would-be writers. Dougherty's voice comes off the page with anecdotes about the writing process, hard-learned tips for survival in “the business,” and reflections on the influences that head led him to a successful career. Honestly, entertainingly, without cynicism, he gives readers permission to embrace the writer they want to be, so they can experience the rewards and satisfactions of writing. Beyond an insider's take on story and structure, dialogue, action and outlining, A Screenwriter's Companion is as much mentor as it is manual. With every insider observation about how to keep a potential producer reading till the last page of a script, there's encouragement to explore your thoughts and memories, things a writer needs to embrace in order to become more than “a pro.” In short, to see writing not as merely a career, but as a way to greater self-understanding.

Instruction, Opinion, Encouragement

A Screenwriter's Companion

Bill Scheft

On May 20, 2015, Dave said, "Thank you and goodnight." The Foo Fighters sang "Everlong," and Late Show with David Letterman ended its run. The final six weeks of the series had guests like Julia Roberts, George Clooney, Oprah Winfrey, and the Obamas. All names you have heard many times. But it was the people behind the scenes who pulled off these twenty-eight unforgettable episodes of late-night television. Author Scott Ryan conducted over twenty interviews with the staffers of David Letterman. Most of the participants had never given interviews before. The writers, directors, producers, and stage managers offer a behind-the-scenes look at what it was like to work on these shows. Find out what it takes to write a Top Ten list, book a president for a guest spot, and what it was like working at the Ed Sullivan Theater. Long time Letterman writer Bill Scheft penned the foreword for the book. Included are over 100 color photos from staffers' personal collections, as well as publicity photos from the show. Get the first truly inside look at creating an episode of Late Show. Interviews with: Barbara Gaines - Executive Producer; Sheila Rogers - Supervising Producer/ Talent Executive; Randi Grossack - Associate Director; Kathy Mavrikakis, Supervising Producer; Rick Sheckman, Associate Producer; Brian Teta - Supervising Producer/Segment Producer; Sheryl Zelikson - Music Producer; Jay Johnson - Creative Director, Digital Media; Jerry Foley - Director; Michael Barrie - Writer; Lee Ellenberg - Writer; Jim Mulholland - Writer; Joe Grossman - Writer; Jeremy Weiner - Writer; Steve Young - Writer; Vincent Favale - Executive of Late Night Programing; Eddie Valk - Stage Manager; Bill Scheft - Writer; Janice Penino - Vice President, Human Resources; Jill Goodwin - Writer; and Mike Buczkiewicz - Senior Producer/Segment Producer; Rupert Jee - Hello Deli Owner.

The Last Days Of Letterman

In 1990, David Lynch was on top of the world. Wild at Heart won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival and Twin Peaks was the hottest show on TV. In 1992, he released Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me. It sure is amazing how fast coffee can get cold. The film was not well received, to say the least, by critics or ticket buyers. It seemed like the verdict was in: Twin Peaks was dead and wrapped in plastic. Thirty years later, the film is thought by many to be Lynch's masterpiece. Author Scott Ryan (Moonlighting: An Oral History, The Blue Rose magazine) was among the few Twin Peaks fans who saw the film on the day it was released and loved it from the beginning. He takes an in-depth look at the film, its legacy, and the people who created it, weaving in his own story of how the film has inspired him throughout his life, and still does. The book features Interviews with cowriter Bob Engels, editor Mary Sweeney, lead actress Sheryl Lee, and other cast members, as well as Ryan's essays covering the different iterations of the script, Angelo Badalamenti's superb score. This is an ambitious, unique exploration of one of the darkest films ever created by the master himself, David Lynch.

Fire Walk with Me

Charlotte Stewart

Melanie McFarland

Lindsay Hallam

Philippa Snow

Lindsey Bowden

Hannah Klein

Marisa C. Hayes

Mädchen Amick

David Lynch has been accused for decades of sexism and even misogyny in his work, due largely to frequent depictions of violence against women. Yet others see in Lynch's work the deification of the female, and actresses like Laura Dern and Naomi Watts jump at every opportunity to work with him. "He is the master of the juxtaposition of the creepy and the sweet, the sexual and the chaste," wrote W's Lynn Hirschberg. "And at the heart of this tense, intriguing friction, you will always find Lynch's women." The Women of Lynch is a deep, provocative dive into this paradox, featuring ten essays, thought pieces and impressionistic interpretations of Lynch's depiction of women on screen, by an eclectic array of accomplished female critics, scholars, performers, and writers, each tackling this vexing conundrum in her own unique way. The book also contains an interview with actress Mädchen Amick (Shelly Johnson in Twin Peaks) where she gives first hand knowledge on what it is like to be a woman of Lynch. Lisa Hession interviews the original woman of Lynch, Charlotte Stewart (Eraserhead, Twin Peaks) about being the actress with longest active span of working with David Lynch. This is the first essay book about the work of David Lynch by all female writers. Readers will enjoy The Women of Lynch: A Collection of Essays. This book contains essays by: x. An Introduction by Philippa Snow 1. The Uncanny Electricity of David Lynch's Women by Leigh Kellmann Kolb 2. Women's Films: Melodrama and Women's Trauma in the Films of David Lynch by Lindsay Hallam 3. A Colorless Sky: On the Whiteness of Twin Peaks by Melanie McFarland 4. Warding off the Darkness with Coffee and Pie by Mallory O'Meara 5. "This is where we talk, Shelly." An Interview with Mädchen Amick by Lindsey Bowden 6. Welcome to the Bipolar Silencio Club! by Hannah Klein 7. The Triple Goddess by Lauren Fox 8. Isabella Rossellini: The Shocking "Real" in Blue Velvet by Kathleen Fleming 9. Tea And Sympathy: Mrs. Kendal and The Elephant Man by Rebecca Paller 10. Jade: Ornamental Gem or Protective Talisman? A Character Study by Marisa C. Hayes 11. "Mary X Marks The Spot." An Interview with Charlotte Stewart by Lisa Hession 12. Impressions of Lynch: Journaling a Requiem by Mya McBriar Edited by David Bushman Concept by Scott Ryan Front Cover by Blake Morrow Art by Wayne Barnes & Hannah Fortune

A Collection of Essays

The Women of David Lynch

Australia has enjoyed an unprecedented period of prosperity in recent decades, yet despite this there has been a widely reported loss of faith in politics and institutions. With the COVID-19 pandemic, Australia faces its most significant economic and social challenges in decades. How is politics placed to deal with these challenges and what is the capacity of our key institutions to do so? What are the lessons and warnings from history?In Challenging Politics, longtime politician Scott Ryan argues that the way we determine issues, the way we practice politics, and what we expect from politicians and government, is in flux. To some, the virtue of compromise has become the sin of sellout. The louder voices of fringe and single-issue movements attract attention, money and commitment, and apply litmus tests to those who seek to govern. This makes it more difficult for our institutions, and therefore our politics, to function effectively. The long-talked-about collapse of the centre isn't solely about extreme ideas. It is also about how our expectations of politics and our institutions have changed.

Challenging Politics

Once upon a time ABC-TV's Moonlighting was among the most buzzed-about shows in the country, thanks largely to the bravado of creator Glenn Gordon Caron, who never met a television convention he didn't want to break, and the sizzling on-screen chemistry between glamorous erstwhile film star Cybill Shepherd and a New Jersey bartender nobody had ever heard of before named Bruce Willis, who bickered and flirted ceaselessly on screen and engaged in epic off-screen battles that all these years later remain the stuff of Hollywood legend. This combustible blend of creative brilliance produced some of the most acclaimed, audacious, and innovative programming of the eighties, including a black and white tribute to film noir, with an introduction by Orson Welles; a parody of Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew, written in iambic pentameter; an homage to The Honeymooners; and countless metafictive episodes breaking through the fourth wall — almost unheard of at the time for hourlong comedy-dramas. Without a doubt, Moonlighting helped pave the way for the era of prestige television we are now all enjoying. The real story of this pioneering television series and the extraordinary behind-the-scenes challenges, battles, and rewards has never been told — until now, Author Scott Ryan (The Last Days of Letterman, thirtysomething at thirty: an oral history, The Blue Rose, Scott Luck Stories) conducted over twenty interviews with the actors, writers, directors, and producers who made Moonlighting such a dynamic, unforgettable show, delving deep into their thoughts and feelings as they relive this magical moment in pop culture history in this full color oral history. Interviews with:Glenn Gordon Caron Creator, Executive Producer, WriterJay Daniel Executive Producer, DirectorRoger Director Writer, Producer, Season 4 ShowrunnerAllan Arkush DirectorBob Butler Pilot DirectorCurtis Armstrong Cast Member &“Herbert Viola&”Allyce Beasley Cast Member &“Ms. Agnes Dipesto&”Suzanne Gangursky Production CoordinatorRon Osborn Writer, ProducerReuben Cannon Casting AgentJeff Reno WriterDebra Frank WriterMelissa Gelineau AssistantChic Eglee Writer, Producer, Season 5 ShowrunnerPeter Werner DirectorSheryl Main Post-ProductionKaren Hall WriterNeil Mandelberg EditorWill Mackenzie DirectorDennis Dugan Cast Member &“Walter Bishop,&” DirectorChris Leitch DirectorMel Harris ActressDana Delany Guest StarDavid Patrick Kelly Guest StarSandahl Bergman DancerBill Landrum ChoreographerRay Wise Guest Star

Focuses on the final six weeks of the Late Show with David Letterman, and combines interviews with more than 20 Late Show crew members, Ryan recaps and analyzes the last 28 episodes wrapping up Letterman's 33-year late night career. The writers, directors, producers, and stage managers offer a behind-the-scenes look at what it was like to work on these shows. Find out what it takes to write a Top Ten list, and what it was like working at the Ed Sullivan Theater.

The Last Days of Letterman

Smart, quirky, female-centric, drenched in pop-culture references—Amy Sherman-Palladino's singular TV voice has won her legions of fans and critical appreciation over the past two decades, thanks to shows like "Gilmore Girls," "Bunheads," and "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel." Sherman-Palladino—the first woman ever to win Emmy Awards for both comedy writing and directing in a single year—may write about different decades and milieus, but her sensibility is unique and unmistakable throughout. Her greatest contribution may be her pantheon of unforgettable female characters, including Lorelai Gilmore (Lauren Graham), Rory Gilmore (Alexis Bledel), Sookie St. James (Melissa McCarthy), Michelle Simms (Sutton Foster), Susie Myerson (Alex Borstein), and Miriam "Midge" Maisel (Rachel Brosnahan). In The Women of Amy Sherman-Palladino, writers from different walks of life—scholars, critics, writers, comedians, dancers—take us on a journey through the worlds of these characters, and how they have influenced their own lives. This is the second book in "The Women of" series, after The Women of David Lynch, published in June 2019. This unique series, covers great female characters in television and film.

Women of Amy Sherman-Palladino: Gilmore Girls, Bunheads and Mrs. Maisel

Ayn Rand presented Objectivism as a philosophy of reason. But is it? That is the question Scott Ryan seeks to answer in this careful examination of the Objectivist epistemology and its alleged sufficiency as the philosophical foundation of a free and prosperous commonwealth. Sorting painstakingly through Rand's writings on the subject, Mr. Ryan concludes that the epistemology of Objectivism is incoherent and debases both the concept and the practice of rationality.

Scott Ryan

Books

Your next favorite book is out there