Behind the ‘Tortilla Curtain’

The Central Library’s Literary Odyssey Dinner held in early November at the Mediterranean estate of actress Heather Thomas and talent agent Skip Brittenham could qualify as a five-star event. Besides the food (choice of filet mignon or fish) and the location (overlooking the Riviera Country Club), where else could you exchange views with writer T.C. Boyle on the Bush administration, the war in Iraq, and hear all about the Monarch butterflies that occupy his back garden? Boyle, who table-hopped during the dinner, also told tales from his current book tour promoting his two latest short story collections:'”Tooth & Claw” and “The Human Fly,” geared to teen readers.’The award-winning author said that when he does readings, he generally finds audiences “empathetic” and “you learn something about yourself.” He said he continues to marvel “at the power of literature,” recounting how recently, when he was about a third of the way through reading “Chicxulub,” a tragic horror story from “Tooth & Claw,” he noticed “there was this one woman weeping. Just sobbing. It was something to see how much the writing affected her.”‘ One could not miss Boyle among the 40 well-suited patrons, some of whom paid up to $800 for the opportunity to chat with him over cocktails and dinner at the sprawling mansion on San Vicente Boulevard in Santa Monica. The historic home, with its majestic staircase and home theater, was originally built for aeronautical pioneer Donald Douglas. As soon as Boyle arrived, wearing a silver clip on his left ear and his signature red hightop running shoes, he happily stood in the corner of the pine-paneled family room and autographed books people had brought with them, including one of his best-known works, “Tortilla Curtain.”‘ Released in 1995, the novel is now required reading across the state in the junior year of high school. The book, a tragicomedy, tells the story of two Topanga couples’one rich and white, the other poor and Latino’who are set on a societal collision course characterized by error and misunderstanding. Ted Coraghessan Boyle (aka T.C.) is “capable of the sublime,” is how The New York Times Book Review has described his work. The prolific author’s other novels include “The Road to Wellville,” “East is East,” “World’s End,” Without a Hero” and most recently “Drop City” and “The Inner Circle.” Many of Boyle’s short stories have appeared in The New Yorker. His first collection of shorts, “Descent of Man,” was released in 1979. He is the recipient of many literary awards, including the PEN/Faulkner award and the O’Henry Award. Recurring themes in his work, which has been translated into several languages, include class structure, sex and family. Boyle’s daughter, Kerry, 25, is a writer, while his two sons “are techno guys. I help them, sometimes, with their papers,” Boyle admits.’Both Milo, 22, and Spencer, 19, attend USC. Raised in a working-class family in New York, he studied English and history in college, then received an M.F.A. degree and Ph.D. from the prestigious Iowa Writers Workshop. Since 1979, he has taught at the University of Southern California,where he started the writing program. He himself studied with John Cheever, John Irving and Raymond Carver. ‘ “I love teaching,” said Boyle, 56, who came to the dinner directly from USC, where he teaches twice a week in both the undergraduate and graduate writing programs. “It energizes me to see how they [the students] grow.”‘ Television producer Allan Burns (“Mary Tyler Moore,” “Rhoda” and “Lou Grant”), who attended the dinner with his wife Joan, said that at one time he tried to option the film rights to “Tortilla Curtain,” but “they weren’t available then. I hear it’s now going to be made into a film.”‘ Asked if “Tortilla Curtain” is going to be made into a movie, Boyle said that as far as he knows “Kevin Costner and Meg Ryan are set to star as the white couple,” but that no actors have yet been chosen to play the Mexican illegals, Candido and America Rincon.’ “So, who knows when it will finally happen?” said Boyle, who continues to write, teach and do readings. Asked why he agreed to participate in the library fund raiser he said, “they have asked me several times, but this is the first time I was available.” Boyle, who commutes from his home in Montecito, where he has lived for the last 13 years, is currently on a national book tour promoting his two latest short story collections.’ Maddy and Jim Zinring chose to attend the Boyle dinner not only because they are fans of his, but also because “we were his next-door neighbors for eight years, when we all lived in Woodland Hills, where he led a very suburban life. He took care of the lawn and the garden and his children, just like the rest of us. He was a well-known writer, even then,” said Jim.’ The Literary Odyssey Dinners, one of the Los Angeles Public Library’s most popular events, is held every two years. This year’s 55 dinners held Monday, November 7, in private residences throughout L.A. raised $500,000 to benefit the library’s information technology fund.’