Barry Gifford
Encyclopedia
Barry Gifford is an American
author
, poet
, and screenwriter
known for his distinctive mix of American landscapes and film noir
- and Beat Generation
-influenced literary madness.
Gifford is best known for his series of novels about Sailor and Lula, two sex-driven, star-crossed protagonists on the road. The first of the series, Wild at Heart, was adapted by director David Lynch
for the 1990 film of the same title
. Gifford went on to write the screenplay for Lost Highway with Lynch. Perdita Durango was adapted into film by Alex de la Iglesia
. Gifford also writes non-fiction.
Gifford's fourth novel, Wild at Heart: The Story of Sailor and Lula, caught the eye of director David Lynch, who adapted it into the screenplay and movie Wild at Heart
. The movie won the Palme d'Or
, the highest honor, at the Cannes Film Festival
in 1990. The success of this film boosted interest in Gifford's novels.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
, poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
, and screenwriter
Screenwriter
Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
known for his distinctive mix of American landscapes and film noir
Film noir
Film noir is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize cynical attitudes and sexual motivations. Hollywood's classic film noir period is generally regarded as extending from the early 1940s to the late 1950s...
- and Beat Generation
Beat generation
The Beat Generation refers to a group of American post-WWII writers who came to prominence in the 1950s, as well as the cultural phenomena that they both documented and inspired...
-influenced literary madness.
Gifford is best known for his series of novels about Sailor and Lula, two sex-driven, star-crossed protagonists on the road. The first of the series, Wild at Heart, was adapted by director David Lynch
David Lynch
David Keith Lynch is an American filmmaker, television director, visual artist, musician and occasional actor. Known for his surrealist films, he has developed his own unique cinematic style, which has been dubbed "Lynchian", and which is characterized by its dream imagery and meticulous sound...
for the 1990 film of the same title
Wild at Heart (film)
Wild at Heart is a 1990 American film written and directed by David Lynch, and based on Barry Gifford's 1989 novel Wild at Heart: The Story of Sailor and Lula. Both the book and the film revolve around Sailor Ripley and Lula Pace Fortune , a young couple from Cape Fear, North Carolina who go on...
. Gifford went on to write the screenplay for Lost Highway with Lynch. Perdita Durango was adapted into film by Alex de la Iglesia
Álex de la Iglesia
Alejandro "Álex" de la Iglesia Mendoza is a Spanish film director, screenwriter, film producer and former comic book artist.Most of De La Iglesia's films reached cult status due to their weird sense of humour.- Biography :...
. Gifford also writes non-fiction.
Biography
Gifford was born in a Chicago hotel room in 1946. His father was in organized crime, and he spend his childhood largely in Chicago and New Orleans living in hotels. After college he joined the Air Force Reserves. After a short stint pursuing a possible career in baseball, Gifford focused on writing, both as a journalist and a poet.Gifford's fourth novel, Wild at Heart: The Story of Sailor and Lula, caught the eye of director David Lynch, who adapted it into the screenplay and movie Wild at Heart
Wild at Heart (film)
Wild at Heart is a 1990 American film written and directed by David Lynch, and based on Barry Gifford's 1989 novel Wild at Heart: The Story of Sailor and Lula. Both the book and the film revolve around Sailor Ripley and Lula Pace Fortune , a young couple from Cape Fear, North Carolina who go on...
. The movie won the Palme d'Or
Palme d'Or
The Palme d'Or is the highest prize awarded at the Cannes Film Festival and is presented to the director of the best feature film of the official competition. It was introduced in 1955 by the organising committee. From 1939 to 1954, the highest prize was the Grand Prix du Festival International du...
, the highest honor, at the Cannes Film Festival
Cannes Film Festival
The Cannes International Film Festival , is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films of all genres including documentaries from around the world. Founded in 1946, it is among the world's most prestigious and publicized film festivals...
in 1990. The success of this film boosted interest in Gifford's novels.
Poetry
- The Blood of the Parade (1967)
- Coyote Tantras (1973)
- Persimmons: Poems for Paintings (1976)
- The Boy You Have Always Loved (1976)
- A Quinzaine in Return for a Portrait of Mary Sun (1977)
- Lives of the French Impressionist Painters (1978)
- Horse Hauling Timber out of Hokkaido Forest (1979)
- Beautiful Phantoms: Selected Poems 1968-1980 (1981)
- Giotto's Circle (1987)
- Ghosts No Horse Can Carry: Collected Poems 1967-1987 (1989)
- Flaubert at Key West (1994)
- Replies to Wang WeiWang WeiWang Wei , was a Tang Dynasty Chinese poet, musician, painter, and statesman. He was one of the most famous men of arts and letters of his time. Many of his poems are preserved, and twenty-nine were included in the highly influential 18th century anthology Three Hundred Tang Poems.-Name...
Essays and Short Stories
- A Boy's Novel (1973)
- Kerouac's Town, photographs by Marshall Clements (1973)
- Francis Goes to the Seashore (1982)
- The Devil Thumbs a Ride and Other Unforgettable Films (1988)
- New Mysteries of Paris (1991)
- Night People (1992)
- American Falls: The Collected Short Stories
- Do the Blind Dream? (2005)
Non-fiction
- Jack's Book: An Oral Biography of Jack Kerouac, with Lawrence Lee (1978)
- Saroyan: A Biography, with Lawrence Lee (1984)
- Day at the Races: The Education of a Racetracker
- The Devil Thimbs a Ride & Other Unforgettable Films
- The Neighborhood of Baseball: A Personal History of the Chicago CubsChicago CubsThe Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
- Really the Blues (introduction)
- The Phantom Father: A Memoir
- Out of the Past: Adventures in Film Noir
Novels and Novellas
- Landscape With Traveler: The Pillow Book of Francis Reeves (1980)
- Port Tropique (1980)
- Unfortunate Woman (1983)
- Wild at Heart: The Story of Sailor and Lula (1990) - Part 1 in the Sailor and Lula series
- Sailor's Holiday: The Wild Life of Sailor and Lula (1991) - Part 2 in the Sailor and Lula series
- 59° and Raining: The Story of Perdita Durango (1992) - Part 3 in the Sailor and Lula series
- A Good Man to Know: A Semi-Documentary Fictional Memoir (1992)
- Arise and Walk (1995)
- Baby Cat-Face (1995) - Sailor and Lula make a brief appearance
- Sultans of Africa - Part 4 in the Sailor and Lula series
- Consuelo's Kiss - Part 5 in the Sailor and Lula series
- The Sinaloa Story (1998)
- Wyoming (2000)
- Bad Day for the Leopard Man - Part 6 in the Sailor and Lula series
- The Stars Above Veracruz (2006)
- Imagination of the Heart (2007) - Part 7 in the Sailor and Lula series
- Memories from a Sinking Ship (2007)
- Sailor & Lula: The Complete Novels (2010)
- Sad Stories of the Death of Kings (2010)
Other works
- Read 'em and Weep
- Back in America
- Bordertown (2002)
- My Last Martini
- The Rooster Trapped in the Reptile Room: A Barry Gifford Reader
- Rosa Blanca
Filmography
- Wild at HeartWild at Heart (film)Wild at Heart is a 1990 American film written and directed by David Lynch, and based on Barry Gifford's 1989 novel Wild at Heart: The Story of Sailor and Lula. Both the book and the film revolve around Sailor Ripley and Lula Pace Fortune , a young couple from Cape Fear, North Carolina who go on...
(novel only) (1990) - Hotel RoomHotel RoomHotel Room is a three episode 1993 HBO television series produced by David Lynch . Each drama takes place in the same New York City hotel room at different times .Barry Gifford wrote, and David Lynch directed, the first and third episodes; Jay McInerney wrote, and James Signorelli...
(screenplay, episodes "Blackout" and "Tricks") (1993) - Lost Highway (screenplay, with David LynchDavid LynchDavid Keith Lynch is an American filmmaker, television director, visual artist, musician and occasional actor. Known for his surrealist films, he has developed his own unique cinematic style, which has been dubbed "Lynchian", and which is characterized by its dream imagery and meticulous sound...
) (1997) - Perdita DurangoPerdita DurangoPerdita Durango, released as Dance with the Devil in the US, is a film directed by Alex de la Iglesia as a cross between the crime and horror genres. The film is based on Barry Gifford's novel 59° and Raining: The Story of Perdita Durango...
(screenplay, with David Trueba, Álex de la Iglesia, and Jorge Guerricaechevarría) (1997) - City of GhostsCity of GhostsCity of Ghosts is a 2002 drama film co-written, directed by and starring Matt Dillon, about a con artist who must go to Cambodia to collect his share in money collected from an insurance scam...
(screenplay with Matt DillonMatt DillonMatthew Raymond "Matt" Dillon is an American actor and film director. He began acting in the late 1970s, gaining fame as a teenage idol during the 1980s.- Early life :...
and Mike Jones) (2002)