Looking at examples from writers including John Grisham, Michael Connelly, George Pelecanos, J. D. Salinger, Suzanne Collins, Thomas Harris, and more, Mr. Bell analyzes first what makes a novel, and then, what makes a novel successful. He also provides his own insights by exploring the role luck plays in creating a best seller.

Based on Thomas Frank's best-seller, What's the matter with Kansas? shows how Kansas transformed from an outpost of radicalism to a bastion of hard-core conservatism. Unforgettable characters and their stories shed new light on our nation's political divide.

Go behind the scenes to learn how Mr. Krist set about capturing photos for the New York Times best seller, In Tuscany. It's a beautiful Tuscan adventure that demonstrates how a great travel photographer tells the story of a region - and the many lives within it.

Judith Ralitzer, novelist and femme fatale, is seeking characters for her next best-seller. Meanwhile a serial killer has just escaped from a high security prison. Their paths are about to cross in Claude Lelouch's tricky thriller, which features a number of characters and a timeline that skips back and forth, keeping the audience guessing

After the expiration of the statute of limitations, serial killer Lee Doo-Suk (Park Si-Hoo) publishes his book "I'm A Killer" which becomes a best seller. The book depicts crimes he committed in the past. Meanwhile, Det. Choi Hyung-Goo (Jung Jae-Young) attempts to capture the serial killer he missed 15 years ago

Investigates how elements of a novel, short story or play are retained, altered, or deleted in the translation to film. Examines commercial considerations that affect the choice of literary sources and shows why producers choose Broadway musicals, best sellers and other popular genres. Use such cinematic works as "The Birth Of A Nation" and "The Informer" to help illustrate how the elements of a novel, short story or play are retained, altered or...

Speculate with Professor Wolfe to consider how science fiction may be evolving in the future, as this genre is gaining popularity, acknowledgement, and recognition as an art form worthy of literary respect. Science fiction writers are topping the best-seller lists, and many works of literary fiction now seamlessly weave in elements that half a century ago would have been dismissed as science fiction. As more people realize that science fiction stories...

Douglass escapes slavery, eventually joining Garrison in the anti-slavery movement. Threatened with capture by his former owner, Douglass flees to England, returning to the U.S. in 1847. He launches his own anti-slavery paper. John Brown meets with Douglass, revealing his radical plan to raise an army, attack plantations and free the slaves. Harriet Beecher Stowe publishes Uncle Tom’s Cabin in 1852. A best-seller, and then wildly successful stage...

"A gem sparkling with humour and intelligence and radiating with the warmth of unsentimental understanding." SCREEN INTERNATIONAL "A joy to behold!" FRED YEAGER, ASSOCIATED PRESS  Told with a delicate blend of satire and nostalgia, this award-winning coming-of-age tale introduces one of Australian literature's most beloved characters to the screen, Laura Tweedle Rambothan (Susannah Fowle). Chronicling her stormy passage through the sedate halls of...

A new look at a classic of the American heartland, which unraveled the myths about people who lived and died in the supposedly idyllic days of rural America. Director Thomas G. Smith has digitally remastered his original 1976 production, which captured Edgar Lee Masters' lyrical realism with dramatic readings, authentic settings, and period photography. Smith's brand-new film adds nearly half an hour of new material exploring Masters' life and works,...