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Thank you Ian Blackburn (of Learn About Wine) for organizing a meeting with Rex Pickett, author of Sideways! Pickett has come out with the sequel to Sideways, called Vertical.
It was inspirational to listen to Pickett speak about his life, influences on his storyline, struggles in the writing world, and his passionate hatred towards Merlot!
Interesting facts I learned were...
* Pickett's personal life is reflected in Miles, so the story is quite personal.
* Like Miles, Pickett really DOES hate Merlot.
* Sideways, the play, is coming soon to Santa Monica. (Pickett said "no" to creating the musical version).
* Pickett is working on an HBO series about a wine critic with a social disorder.
* The Hitching Post and many wineries of the Santa Barbara Vintner's Association were AGAINST the filming of Sideways, the movie, because they thought it would give them a bad name. Oh, the irony!
* Pickett's ex-wife, who at the time was his most trusted peer-editor, told him to burn Sideways after reading a draft.
* Sideways, the play, is coming soon to Santa Monica. (Pickett said "no" to creating the musical version).
* Pickett is working on an HBO series about a wine critic with a social disorder.
* The Hitching Post and many wineries of the Santa Barbara Vintner's Association were AGAINST the filming of Sideways, the movie, because they thought it would give them a bad name. Oh, the irony!
* Pickett's ex-wife, who at the time was his most trusted peer-editor, told him to burn Sideways after reading a draft.
* This author is not out to please the public. In fact, he had many creative differences about how the sequel should be. He did not want to write what others wanted for Miles; he wanted to let Miles be Miles and therefore decided to NOT consult focus groups or big-time publishers.
* In the book Vertical, Pickett takes our beloved characters to Oregon's Willamette Valley - where else would Pinot lovers go?
The wine nerd in me is thrilled to share these experiences with you!
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| Getting ready for Rex Pickett's talk at Cafe Metropol, Downtown L.A. |
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| Artwork outside of Cafe Metropol |
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| Danny and I are excited to hear about Vertical, the sequel to Sideways |
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| Rex Pickett enthusiastically gives us the backstory to Sideways. Ian Blackburn, from Learn about Wine, is listening in the background. |
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| Rex Pickett explains that he writes from a very personal place |
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| Thanks for the event Ian Blackburn! FYI - "Beekeeper" Zin is his first wine! Full-bodied, smooth, dark berries with a hint of spice - delicious! |
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| Some personal time with Rex Pickett |
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| Thanks for the encouragement, Rex! |
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| Rex, we all appreciate you for making the time for us :) |
I read the first chapter last night... I'm hooked already! (I will post a review on the book when I finish)
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