Lorenzo Carcaterra has made a career out of writing gritty, powerful novels that become bestsellers. He will discuss these compellingly human stories of crime and violence for the Assembly Series on Wednesday, September 21 at 11 a.m. in Graham Chapel. The event is free and open to the public.
Carcaterra’s writing career is a story in itself, a journey from journalist to screenwriter and New York Times bestselling author. He has written several feature film scripts and teleplays, including a stint as writer and producer for the NBC series, “Law and Order,” from 2003-2004.
Among his most well known works are his first two books: A Safe Place: The True Story of a Father, a Son, A Murder; and Sleepers. A Safe Place contains Carcaterra’s trademark pitiless portrayal of violence and drama, describing his relationship with his abusive, yet affectionate father. In his memoir, Sleepers, he relives the tough life of an adolescent in New York’s Hell’s Kitchen and the harrowing, brutal experience of being sent to a juvenile detention center. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution called it “A gut-wrenching piece of work … Carcaterra’s graphic narrative grips like gunfire in a dark alley.”
One of his recent novels, Street Boys, is a unique narrative set during the German takeover of Italy in 1943, inspired by the true story of a World War II battle. It tells the tale of children, orphaned and alone in Naples, Italy, who take on the advancing German army in one last desperate attempt to save their city.
In 1996, Carcaterra produced the feature film adaptation of Sleepers. He has since worked on other screenplays with film director Barry Levinson, including “Dreamer,” a profile on the singer Bobby Darin. He has also worked on a number of TV pilots for various networks.
Carcaterra began writing as a journalist. After working his way up to entertainment reporter at The New York Daily News, he wrote for a number of prominent publications, among them People Magazine, Entertainment Tonight Magazine, and The New York Times Sunday Magazine. He then switched over to television, working as a managing editor for the CBS weekly series, “Top Cops,” for four years.
He has written several other novels, including Apaches, Gangster, and Paradise City. His new book, Chasers, is scheduled for publication in December 2005. He also contributes articles to The National Geographic Traveler magazine.
His ties to Washington University include a daughter, Katherine Carcaterra, a 2004 graduate of Arts & Sciences. Carcaterra is currently an adjunct instructor for the Film and Media Studies Department at Washington University. This fall semester, he will teach a course called “Writing for Episodic Television.” He is also a member of the Center of Humanities advisory board in Arts and Sciences.
Graham Chapel is located just north of Mallinckrodt Center (6445 Forsyth Blvd.) on the Washington University campus. For more information, check the Assembly Series Web site at http://assemblyseries.wustl.edu or call 314-935-4620.