“I like art that comes from other art,” Jonathan Lethem writes on his website, “and I like seeing my stories adapted into other forms.” So, after writing an essay about adaptation and free culture for Harper’s, and having found a way to give a preliminary green light to both a cinematic and theatrical adaptation of his novel The Fortress of Solitude*, Lethem is inviting filmmakers and playwrights to have a go at several of his stories—and all you have to do is ask him nicely (and try to keep the film or theatrical production short). Also there are song lyrics waiting for your melodies.
“I’m eager to see the results,” Lethem writes. “But I’m not seeking to collaborate with other artists on these projects… My preference is to relinquish creative control of the material, in favor of seeing what someone else might do with it… In fact, a few independent film producers and DVD distributors have expressed some interest in gathering the results, when and if they’re substantial enough to make such a gathering interesting.”
*Oh, please tell me the stage version is going to be a musical and Ben Greenman will co-write the songs…