Malvern staff member Fernando is a New York Review Books Classics enthusiast, and he has an excellent recommendation for y’all…

Picture by Lillian Ross

Originally published in 1952, this journalistic account follows legendary director John Huston’s journey to adapt Stephen Crane’s The Red Badge of Courage into a film. Written in the compelling style Ross’s reportage came to be known for, it chronicles Huston’s determination to create a cinematic masterpiece, and the shifty studio heads worried about their investment. It’s a brutal account of an auteur’s vision at odds with commercialism, and the Hollywood powers that be.

Also recommended: Fat City by Leonard Gardner. Another novel adapted by Huston to the screen, and hailed as a masterpiece. A knockout double feature.