Everywhere an Oink Oink: An Embittered, Dyspeptic, and Accurate Report of Forty Years in Hollywood

Chicago-born playwright, screenwriter, novelist, and director Mamet (Recessional) offers observations on actors and filmmakers as both an outsider (after success in the theater) and insider (since his move to Hollywood in 1980 to work in the industry). Famed as a writer who advises against narration in film in favor of simple imagery and fast, cynical dialogue, he confesses his love for movies. He directed 10 feature films and wrote more than 20 produced screenplays. He name-drops personal acquaintances Myrna Loy, Billy Wilder, Paul Newman, Denzel Washington, Gene Hackman, and John Malkovich and recounts their witty remarks. This is a breezy, anecdote-filled collection of brief essays that often extend to footnotes at the bottom of pages to continue tales. The book has a constant stream of stories and tangents, but readers will consistently be entertained. As a bonus, Mamet’s own cartoon sketches decorate the text.