Caleb Carr is a name that you may have been hearing in these past few weeks. He is a critically-acclaimed author, and wrote The Alienist, its sequel Angel of Darkness, The Italian Secretary, and several other well-received novels. He has been writing for over 40 years, and his talent reflects it. In recent news, a television show based on Carr’s The Alienist debuted on January 22nd. The ten-episode series on TNT follows the mystery behind an enigmatic serial killer who preys upon young boys. It takes place in late 19th-century New York City. The novel was well-received — and even brought him into the public eye on its release in 1994. The new show will allow this author even more recognition. However, how much do you even know about Caleb Carr? He is a very interesting guy, and worth knowing more about.
If you want to learn something about him, read on to find out Five Things You Didn’t Know about Caleb Carr.
He Started Out With Straight-To-TV Screenplays
Caleb Carr’s Hollywood debut came about when he wrote the screenplay for a straight-to-TV movie called Bad Attitudes. However, the script was heavily revised and poorly executed — a huge disappointment for Caleb Carr. The rocky start continued when his next screenplay — known as The Osiris Chronicles — was picked up by CBS. The pilot they filmed was truly awful, and Carr refused to work with them. However, Paramount later contacted Carr and funded a movie called Warlord: Battle for the Galaxy based on his original screenplay. This movie found moderate success — a surprising amount of which originated in the foreign markets.
He Isn’t Too Happy with The Alienist So Far
At the moment, Caleb Carr is distancing himself from the new show. He has stated that he “had nothing to do with the show” and has even made a request to have his name removed from the credits. This could be a case of the writer not being allowed enough input on the final product of a studio. However, Carr also denounces the casting choices in the new show, as they don’t quite align with the vision he had for his characters. Carr has wished the studio the best of luck with producing the show. Though he may not like the interpretation of his characters, the show is still worth checking out. With only one episode out, it is far too early to draw any meaningful conclusions about the quality of the show.
He Personally Knew the Founders of the Beat Generation
The Beat movement was a counterculture movement of the mid-to-late 1950s that focused on a variety of topics including alternative religions, rejection of material things, sexual liberation, and even experimentation with psychedelic drugs. Some of the key members of the original movement were Allen Ginsberg, William S. Burroughs, and Jack Kerouac. One thing they all had in common was a friendship with Caleb Carr’s father, Lucien Carr. Due to these Beat authors’ close association with his father, he saw them a lot while he was growing up. His own work could not be further from the work of these authors, however. He deals with much darker themes in his writing.
He Taught Military History
For a short while, Caleb Carr was a professor. He had been invited to becoming a Visiting Professor at Bard College — a private liberal arts school located in Annandale-on-Hudson. He took the position, and taught a variety of subjects based on military history from 2004 to 2005. Carr had been interested in historical military tactics since he was a young child, so this was a suitable teaching position for him.
He Used to Be in a Band
In 1977, Caleb Carr graduated with a degree in history from New York University. He supported himself via writing freelance articles during the day, focusing on issues all over the globe. At night, he directed for a theater group. The best hobby Carr had was playing the guitar, though. During his time freelancing and directing, he also was a member of a bar band called Hell and High Water. This helped him supplement his income, and gave him a pretty awesome way to release some emotions.
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