Howard A. Rodman, current Writer-in-Residence at the Library and acclaimed screenwriter, discusses the reissue of his novel Destiny Express. Originally published in 1990 and now returning in a new edition from Rare Bird Books/Unnamed Press, the novel follows filmmakers Fritz Lang and Thea von Harbou as the Reichstag burns and the Nazi regime rises to power. Drawing on Rodman’s deep engagement with cinema—including his work as a screenwriter and former president of the Writers Guild of America West—Destiny Express explores the collision of art, ambition, love, and political power at a defining moment in film history.
About the speaker:
Howard A. Rodman is the author of the novels Destiny Express and The Great Eastern. As a screenwriter, his films include Joe Gould’s Secret; August with Josh Hartnett, Rip Torn, and David Bowie; and Savage Grace with Julianne Moore and Eddie Redmayne. On television, he’s written for Fallen Angels and staffed on HBO Max’s The Idol. He’s a vice president of the Academy for Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, a member of the Screenwriters Hall of Fame, and was knighted by the Republic of France as an Officier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres. He lives in Los Angeles.
