James Dalessandro
Encyclopedia
James Dalessandro is an American writer. He is best known for his non-fiction novel
1906 (Chronicle Books, 2005), a story based on the events surrounding the great San Francisco earthquake and fire of 1906.
A film adaptation of 1906 is in development, and it's being co-produced by Warner Bros.
and Pixar Animation Studios
, in asscociation with Walt Disney Pictures
. Brad Bird
is set to direct 1906, after completing "Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol".
on September 3, 1948, and attended Valley Forge High School. He received his BA degree at Ohio University
, in Athens, Ohio
, and studied screenwriting at UCLA, but did not receive a degree. For many years, he worked as a writer in the trailer/marketing department at Columbia Pictures
, where he worked on dozens of films.
From 1973-77, he was co-founder of The Santa Cruz Poetry Festival, with Lawrence Ferlinghetti
, and served as its director for four years. As the nation's largest annual literary festival, it brought Charles Bukowski
, William S. Burroughs
, Allen Ginsberg
, Ken Kesey
, Michael McClure
, Gary Snyder
, and musicians like Anthony Braxton
and Charles Lloyd to the seaside town of Santa Cruz
, which set attendance records (over 2,000 people per night) at the Civic Auditorium. It ushered in what Lawrence Ferlinghetti called "A new birth of American Poetry."
Dalessandro was also the writer of "The House of Blues Radio Hour," which was hosted by Dan Aykroyd
(as Elwood Blues). He was also the writer/creator of "Rock On" with The Doors
' keyboardist Ray Manzarek
. Both projects were produced for Ben Manilla Productions of San Francisco.
He has published four books, Canary In A Coal Mine (poetry), Bohemian Heart (detective fiction), Citizen Jane (true crime), and 1906 (historical fiction). He is also the writer/director of the award winning documentary film, The Damnedest, Finest Ruins.
In September of 2009, Hallmark Channel broadcast the movie "Citizen Jane", the story of Jane Alexander, a Marin County woman who had spent 13 years tracking down and helping to convict the man who had murdered her 88-year old aunt. Dalessandro wrote the teleplay and served as one of the film's producers. He is also the award winning writer, director and producer of the documentary film, THE DAMNEDEST, FINEST RUINS, narrated by actor Peter Coyote, which a definitive look at the great San Francisco Earthquake and Fire, which Robert Ericksson of the History Channel called "astonishing."
He is married (since 1988) and has an adopted son.
Non-fiction novel
The non-fiction novel is a literary genre which, broadly speaking, depicts real historical figures and actual events narrated woven together with fictitious allegations and using the storytelling techniques of fiction. The non-fiction novel is an otherwise loosely-defined and flexible genre...
1906 (Chronicle Books, 2005), a story based on the events surrounding the great San Francisco earthquake and fire of 1906.
A film adaptation of 1906 is in development, and it's being co-produced by Warner Bros.
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
and Pixar Animation Studios
Pixar
Pixar Animation Studios, pronounced , is an American computer animation film studio based in Emeryville, California. The studio has earned 26 Academy Awards, seven Golden Globes, and three Grammy Awards, among many other awards and acknowledgments. Its films have made over $6.3 billion worldwide...
, in asscociation with Walt Disney Pictures
Walt Disney Pictures
Walt Disney Pictures is an American film studio owned by The Walt Disney Company. Walt Disney Pictures and Television, a subsidiary of the Walt Disney Studios and the main production company for live-action feature films within the Walt Disney Motion Pictures Group, based at the Walt Disney...
. Brad Bird
Brad Bird
Phillip Bradley "Brad" Bird is an Academy Award-winning American director, voice actor, animator and screenwriter. He is best known for writing and directing Disney/Pixar's The Incredibles and Ratatouille . He also adapted and directed the critically acclaimed 2D animated 1999 Warner Brothers...
is set to direct 1906, after completing "Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol".
Biography
James Dalessandro was born in Cleveland, OhioCleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
on September 3, 1948, and attended Valley Forge High School. He received his BA degree at Ohio University
Ohio University
Ohio University is a public university located in the Midwestern United States in Athens, Ohio, situated on an campus...
, in Athens, Ohio
Athens, Ohio
Athens is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Athens County, Ohio, United States. It is located along the Hocking River in the southeastern part of Ohio. A historic college town, Athens is home to Ohio University and is the principal city of the Athens, Ohio Micropolitan Statistical Area. ...
, and studied screenwriting at UCLA, but did not receive a degree. For many years, he worked as a writer in the trailer/marketing department at Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production and distribution company. Columbia Pictures now forms part of the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, a subsidiary of the Japanese conglomerate Sony. It is one of the leading film companies...
, where he worked on dozens of films.
From 1973-77, he was co-founder of The Santa Cruz Poetry Festival, with Lawrence Ferlinghetti
Lawrence Ferlinghetti
Lawrence Ferlinghetti is an American poet, painter, liberal activist, and the co-founder of City Lights Booksellers & Publishers...
, and served as its director for four years. As the nation's largest annual literary festival, it brought Charles Bukowski
Charles Bukowski
Henry Charles Bukowski was an American poet, novelist and short story writer. His writing was influenced by the social, cultural and economic ambience of his home city of Los Angeles...
, William S. Burroughs
William S. Burroughs
William Seward Burroughs II was an American novelist, poet, essayist and spoken word performer. A primary figure of the Beat Generation and a major postmodernist author, he is considered to be "one of the most politically trenchant, culturally influential, and innovative artists of the 20th...
, Allen Ginsberg
Allen Ginsberg
Irwin Allen Ginsberg was an American poet and one of the leading figures of the Beat Generation in the 1950s. He vigorously opposed militarism, materialism and sexual repression...
, Ken Kesey
Ken Kesey
Kenneth Elton "Ken" Kesey was an American author, best known for his novel One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest , and as a counter-cultural figure who considered himself a link between the Beat Generation of the 1950s and the hippies of the 1960s. "I was too young to be a beatnik, and too old to be a...
, Michael McClure
Michael McClure
Michael McClure is an American poet, playwright, songwriter, and novelist. After moving to San Francisco as a young man, he found fame as one of the five poets who read at the famous San Francisco Six Gallery reading in 1955 rendered in barely fictionalized terms in Jack Kerouac's Dharma Bums...
, Gary Snyder
Gary Snyder
Gary Snyder is an American poet , as well as an essayist, lecturer, and environmental activist . Snyder is a winner of a Pulitzer Prize for Poetry...
, and musicians like Anthony Braxton
Anthony Braxton
Anthony Braxton is an American composer, saxophonist, clarinettist, flautist, pianist, and philosopher. Braxton has released well over 100 albums since the 1960s...
and Charles Lloyd to the seaside town of Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz, California
Santa Cruz is the county seat and largest city of Santa Cruz County, California in the US. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, Santa Cruz had a total population of 59,946...
, which set attendance records (over 2,000 people per night) at the Civic Auditorium. It ushered in what Lawrence Ferlinghetti called "A new birth of American Poetry."
Dalessandro was also the writer of "The House of Blues Radio Hour," which was hosted by Dan Aykroyd
Dan Aykroyd
Daniel Edward "Dan" Aykroyd, CM is a Canadian comedian, actor, screenwriter, musician, winemaker and ufologist. He was an original cast member of Saturday Night Live, an originator of The Blues Brothers and Ghostbusters and has had a long career as a film actor and screenwriter.-Early...
(as Elwood Blues). He was also the writer/creator of "Rock On" with The Doors
The Doors
The Doors were an American rock band formed in 1965 in Los Angeles, California, with vocalist Jim Morrison, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, drummer John Densmore, and guitarist Robby Krieger...
' keyboardist Ray Manzarek
Ray Manzarek
Raymond Daniel Manzarek, Jr., better known as Ray Manzarek , is an American musician, singer, producer, film director, writer, co-founder and keyboardist of The Doors from 1965 to 1973, Nite City from 1977–1978 and Manzarek-Krieger since 2001.Manzarek is listed #4 on Digital Dreamdoor's "100...
. Both projects were produced for Ben Manilla Productions of San Francisco.
He has published four books, Canary In A Coal Mine (poetry), Bohemian Heart (detective fiction), Citizen Jane (true crime), and 1906 (historical fiction). He is also the writer/director of the award winning documentary film, The Damnedest, Finest Ruins.
In September of 2009, Hallmark Channel broadcast the movie "Citizen Jane", the story of Jane Alexander, a Marin County woman who had spent 13 years tracking down and helping to convict the man who had murdered her 88-year old aunt. Dalessandro wrote the teleplay and served as one of the film's producers. He is also the award winning writer, director and producer of the documentary film, THE DAMNEDEST, FINEST RUINS, narrated by actor Peter Coyote, which a definitive look at the great San Francisco Earthquake and Fire, which Robert Ericksson of the History Channel called "astonishing."
Current status
He teaches screenwriting at Academy of Art University in San Francisco. He has lectured at the Cinequest Film Festival and the L.A. Screenwriting Expo. He formerly taught "Screenwriting as a Pro" at Fort Mason Art Center in San Francisco.He is married (since 1988) and has an adopted son.