No Impact Man

There's Going to Be a Book!

Okay, it’s true that we will profit from this experiment in a small way—much smaller than I’d like, believe me—because I’ve been contracted to write a book on our no impact experiences by the publishers Farrar, Straus, Giroux (and yeah, I’m totally psyched to be an FSG author).

By profession I’m a writer and by temperament a megalomaniac (though I like to think a nice one). Until now, I’ve happily satisfied my little family’s need for cash (nearly…ok, not even nearly) and my weak ego’s need for recognition by writing history books.

Okay, it’s true that we will profit from this experiment in a small way—much smaller than I’d like, believe me—because I’ve been contracted to write a book on our no impact experiences by the publishers Farrar, Straus, Giroux (and yeah, I’m totally psyched to be an FSG author).

By profession I’m a writer and by temperament a megalomaniac (though I like to think a nice one). Until now, I’ve happily satisfied my little family’s need for cash (nearly…ok, not even nearly) and my weak ego’s need for recognition by writing history books.

There's Going to be a Movie!

My wife Michelle’s best high school friend—actually best friend, period—is this hot chick named Laura Gabbert (sorry, she already has a hot husband and two hot kids). Laura is an independent film maker whose credits include the documentary Sunset Story, which won the Special Jury Prize at the 2003 Tribeca Film Festival and the Sundance Competition feature Getting to Know You. She is currently at work on the film adaptation of the Joyce Carol Oats novel Starr Bright Will Be With You Soon.

Anyway, shortly after I sold No Impact Man idea as a book to Farrar, Straus, Giroux, Michelle had dinner with Laura and her also hot friends Eden Wurmfeld (producer of Kissing Jessica Stein, Puccini for Beginners, and co-producer with Laura on Sunset Story) and Justin Schein (co-owner of Shadow Box Films). While they ate tapas and woopped it up, I was suffering incredible knee pain on a week long Zen meditation retreat.

Michelle got to telling the three of them about No Impact Man--the book--and Laura, Eden and Justin decided it should also be a documentary. Well, crippled and sensitive from too much meditation, I hated the idea at first, but the idea grew on me. And now, when I’m not in the Writer’s Room writing, or trying to figure out how to get from A to B without using mechanized transport, or shopping for food that was grown within 250 miles, I’m being followed around by a film crew, and so is Michelle.

Clips from the footage will soon be available on this blog. The movie, like the book, will come out in 2009, and meanwhile, we’re looking for investors in No Impact Man, the movie. Want to invest in our ecological thriller? Contact me here.

Guidelines for Discussion

I love it when people leave comments and suggestions on the blog. How could I stumble through this project without everyone’s help and ideas? Once in a while, though, people may be tempted to write things that wouldn’t make their mothers proud or that detract from rather than add to the conversation. To deter such temptation, I’ve adapted the following code of conduct from Blogging Wikia:

• The comments section of this blog is intended to provide a forum for discussions about positive change.
• Post your comments on the blog entry you are referring to, and keep them relevant to the topic of the post.
• Pursue long back and forth discussions by private email rather than in the comments.
• Advance ideas and add positive knowledge; nitpicking has its place but it isn't here.
• Be courteous.
• Give accurate information in the spirit of being helpful.
• Disagree respectfully.
• Credit others when you quote them.
• Be brief (ish).
• Admit the possibility of fault and respect different points of views.
• Accept that your comment may be deleted if you don’t adhere to these guidelines.