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Not really a fan of his movies.
But I recently discovered he has another life as a novelist and short story writer and he's very very good. Incredible ear for language and delineation of character. His plotting is well, cinematic, maybe more so than his actual films. So here's what I've been reading of his so far: Two short story collections, The Anarchists' Convention, and Dillinger in Hollywood. The stories are uneven, but when they're good, they're very good, and as a body of work, they're impressive. And then two novels--First, his most recent, A Moment in the Sun, 995 pages, that covers the Spanish American War from multiple character perspectives--even Soapy Smith is a character, almost Dickensian in the fun he has with his characters as he follows them from the Alaska Gold Rush to Cuba to the Phillipines to the hills of Colorado. And then an earlier novel from the 90s called Los Gusanos which is about survivors of the Bay of Pigs invasion planning, on the 20th anniversary of the failed invasion, another go at the Cuban shores. Wonderful portraits of the Miami Cuban community, and the intense politics of disillusionment on all sides from the Fidelistas to the Pro Batista right, to the Anti-Fidel left. He's got another novel, much earlier from the 70s called Union Dues, which I haven't started yet, but I'm looking forward to it. One thing I have to say, is that I think a would-be writer could learn a lot reading Sayles's work, you can see the craft and how it's put together--which is why it's not genius, just very admirable, and enjoyable reading. Would be curious if anyone else knows of his written work.
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