Alix Lambert joins the Ann Rittenberg Literary Agency

Acclaimed artist and filmmaker Alix Lambert has joined the agency. Named by The New York Times as one of "30 people under 30 who will change the culture in the next 30 years," Alix has also been described by Time Out as the Aaron Spelling (with a "dollop of Russ Meyer") of postconceptualism. She has shown her work at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Museum of Contemporary Art in Philadelphia, the Georges Pompidou in Paris, and The Venice Biennale. Her documentary about Russian prison tattooing, "The Mark of Cain," was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award in 2002. She also writes fiction. Wow. Welcome, Alix!

Sales!

Last week, we reported three sales to Publishers Marketplace:

A "thinking man's thriller" based on probability theory and quantum physics, Adam Fawer's IMPROBABLE is about a brilliant mathematician suffering from epileptic seizures who gains the ability to "see" into the future by gauging the consequences of his actions and the probability of various outcomes. Mauro diPreta at William Morrow, who bought the book, calls the book "'A Beautiful Mind' meets Michael Crichton."

Christine Kehl O'Hagan's memoir THE BOOK OF KEHLS, which carries us through four generations of muscular dystrophy, was sold to Dori Weintraub at St. Martin's.

Stephen Moore at the Paul Kohner Agency sold, on our behalf, the film rights to Brad Smith's ALL HAT to Jennifer Jonas at New Real Films.

Congratulations Adam, Christine, and Brad!

More fabulous reviews for "Mystic River"

Clint Eastwood's adaptation of Dennis Lehane's MYSTIC RIVER opened in select cities yesterday and received more stellar reviews. Kenneth Turan of The Los Angeles Times said, "'Mystic River' is a major American motion picture, an overpowering piece of work that involves some of the most basic human emotions: love, hate, fear, revenge, despair.” In The New Yorker, David Denby wrote, “Clint Eastwood has directed good movies in the past...but he has never directed anything that haunts one’s dreams the way 'Mystic River' does. This extraordinary film [is] an outburst of tragic realism and grief...” And Stephanie Zacharek wrote in Salon.com, "'Mystic River' is hard-boiled beyond toughness: It's so tender the skin falls away from the bone. It's Eastwood's most soulful, and most organic, movie."

The New York Times raves about the film of MYSTIC RIVER

Continuing the near-universal praise "Mystic River" garnered at Cannes, A.O. Scott says that the film, based on Dennis Lehane's novel and directed by Clint Eastwood, is "the rare American movie that aspires to-—and achieves—-the full weight and darkness of tragedy." Scott also lauded the film, which opens the New York Film Festival tonight, for the acting. He was especially nice to Sean Penn, who plays Jimmy Markum. Scott says: "Sean Penn...is almost beyond praise. Jimmy Markum is not only one of the best performances of the year, but also one of the definitive pieces of screen acting in the last half-century, the culmination of a realist tradition that began in the old Actor's Studio and begat Brando, Dean, Pacino and De Niro." Congratulations Sean! Congratulations Clint! Congratulations Dennis! Read the whole review here. And then, buy your tickets.

Brad Smith sells his third novel

Brad Smith, author of this year's ALL HAT, has just agreed to a deal with Holt (in the U.S.) and Penguin (in Canada) for his next novel, BUSTED FLUSH, slated for Winter '04 publication. Booklist called ALL HAT "the best American crime-fiction debut since C. J. Box's OPEN SEASON," and we don't think they'll be disappointed in the new book, whose cast of characters is brought together by the discovery of what may be the only known recording of Lincoln giving the Gettysburg Address.