Thursday, May 17, 2007

Prosecutor's Meth Novel

Some lawyers fantasize about becoming novelists. Mark Lindquist was a successful screenwriter and novelist who became a lawyer and is now a prosecutor in Pierce County. He didn't leave behind his writing, though, and now has a new novel, The King of Methlehem, that is informed by his experience as a prosecutor:

"We're absolutely swamped. Pierce County was consistently in the top five counties in the nation for meth," says Lindquist. One day, he recalls, "It occurs to me that what I'm reading for work is more dramatic, more interesting, more full of human drama than most novels I'm likely to read nowadays." With a screenwriter's pruning instinct, he pauses and polishes his quote: "Police reports have more pathos and drama than a novel."
Tim Appelo, The Lawyer, writer addicted to work, Seattle Times, May 17, 2007.

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