Faulkner on HBO

David Milch, the man behind NYPD Blue and Deadwood has signed an agreement to produce William Faulkner's work for broadcast on HBO, according to the New York Times. Now this could be fun.
You may quibble about whether you like Faulkner's more experimental writing, but his plots are as complicated, surprising, and as full of dark comedy as anything you've ever seen on HBO. I can't wait to see As I Lay Dying brought to life. I suspect the producers may start with that one.
I went through a serious love affair with Faulkner in my early 20s when I read every single thing that he wrote. Yes, I even slogged through the tough-to-read The Sound and the Fury. Whenever someone tells me they don't like Faulkner, I point out that if they only read it in high school, then they should start a new relationship with him. In fact, I think you need some life experience behind you to truly appreciate the battles, and the scars, that many of his characters face.
But the one Faulkner book that I'd like to see on the screen?

Light in August
I don't know why this particular book struck such a chord with me, but it is my very favorite of the Faulkner novels. The story centers on three characters, including a pregnant young girl named Lena who walks hundreds of miles to find Lucas Burch, the father of her child. Burch may also be a murderer; he was found inside a burning house with the body of Joanna Burden. Joanna's family were all abolitionists and before she died, she was entangled with the secretive Joe Christmas, a man who finds it hard to confront his mixed-race heritage.
Like many of Faulkner's books, the storylines jump back and forth through time, and each of the characters is allowed to tell part of the story. But this book is worth the effort.

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