Prolific writer David Klass has explored his unique, exquisite talent for storytelling throughout his career in a plethora of literary media. Since his debut publication, The Atami Dragons, David’s 20 novels have navigated the nuances of themes which include complicated father-son relationships; differences between eco-terrorism and environmentalism; and team dynamics. David’s own significant athletic background nearly always seems to make its way into his novels, which enhances the medium through which his characters communicate with each other. His bibliography includes You don’t know me, named an ALA Best Book for Young Adults; Firestorm, the first book to be endorsed by Greenpeace which was optioned by Warner Bros; Danger Zone; and the transcendent environmental thriller Out of Time. He has written over 40 Hollywood films which include Kiss the Girls (Ashley Judd, Morgan Freeman, Tony Goldwyn); Desperate Measures (Michael Keaton, Andy Garcia, Marcia Gay Harden); In the Time of the Butterflies (Salma Hayek, Edward James Almos, Demian Najera); Walking Tall (Dwayne Johnson; Johnny Knoxville); Runaway Virus; Emperor (Tommy Lee Jones); and Shelter in the Storm, which he also directed. He has written and produced Law & Order: Criminal Intent; and developed several works for television, including Austen’s Razor for CBS and ABC. He is currently the Associate Professor of Professional Practice, Theatre and Film and Co-Head of the Television Writing Concentration at Columbia University. In our conversation, we discussed the difference between writing for film and in the novelistic form; his family pedigree, which includes several accomplished writers; and his incredible journey from Yale to Hollywood.
Opening Credits: M33 Project - Obstination I Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0); Closing Credits: Hernán Samá & Marcelo von Schultz - cósmos I Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)