Seth Greenland
Encyclopedia
Seth Greenland is an American novelist, screenwriter and playwright. He has two published novels, Shining City and The Bones as well as four plays. He is set to release a third novel, The Angry Buddhist, in late 2011. Much of Greenland's work is set in Los Angeles, where he lives, penning characters dealing with or exposed to the dark underbelly of the city and treated in a tone of black humor.
His first play, Jungle Rot won both the Kennedy Center/American Express Fund For New American Plays Award and the American Theatre Critics Association Award. His work is also recognized in anthologies such as The Otis L. Guernsey Jr. Best Plays of 1994-95, The Devil's Punchbowl: A Cultural and Geographic Map of California Today, and Cape Cod Noir. Greenland's screen credits include writing for the HBO series Arli$$ and Big Love
. He is also a regular contributor to The Huffington Post
and one of the site's original bloggers.
Outside of writing, Seth Greenland and his wife, Susan Kaiser Greenland
, established InnerKids, the first elementary school curriculum incorporating wellness techniques from the emerging practice known as Mindful Awareness
.
. He began his career as a journalist for an alternative newspaper called The SoHo Weekly News and writing spec scripts for television. One of his spec scripts caught the attention of T.V. Producer Norman Lear
who eventually gave Greenland his first break writing for a television sitcom called "a.k.a. Pablo
."
This would lead Greenland to Los Angeles where he began a career in screenwriting. In 1993, Greenland collaborated with Doctor Dré
and Ed Lover
on the film Who's The Man?
," a hip hop whodunnit starring the rap duo, directed by Ted Demme
and written by Greenland. In 1995, Greenland's script My Teacher's Wife
was made into a film starring Tia Carrere
, Christopher McDonald
and Jason London
, and directed by Bruce Leddy
. Greenland's latest novel, Shining City, was optioned by Warner Bros.
and is currently in development.
In 2001, he returned to the television screen writing for the last season of Arli$$ and later, The Big Love."
Greenland lives in Los Angeles with his wife Susan Kaiser Greenland and their two children.
The narrative centers around two characters; a comedian named Frank Bones and Lloyd Melnick, a highly successful TV comedy writer. The two became acquainted in New York when Melnick, then a struggling journalist, wrote a profile of the up-and-coming Bones. The pair re-unite years later after Melnick scores a huge contract writing for a network and Bones comes calling, asking for Melnick's help writing a sitcom based on the comedian's own life (his only other prospect is a role as a sitcom Eskimo). Melnick, who is grappling with his success and desperately struggling to write something meaningful of his own, turns Bones down, a snub that sets off a chain reaction of events that results in a Hummer parked in the living room of Melnick's posh manse followed by a cops-and-robbers run for the border.
Shining City
Angeleno Marcus Ripps has always been a model citizen. His brother, Julian, is decidedly less virtuous. When Julian dies of a heart attack, Marcus takes over his dry-cleaning business, not knowing of the venture's dirty details. Julian has been running a booming escort service under the front of the dry cleaning business. Marcus sets his ethics aside to do right by his brother; he continues to operate the business without telling his wife, Jan. But Jan soon becomes privy to the enterprise and, in a scarcely believable display of spousal understanding, agrees to be his partner.
The rights to the Shining City were bought by Warner Bros. Pictures and is set for development in 2011 with producer Donald De Line
.
The Angry Buddhist
Set in the Mojave Desert east of Los Angeles, the novel is about three brothers, an incumbent Congressman, an investigator for the District Attorney's office, and a career criminal. Their lives are thrown into turmoil by a murder the week before an election.
His first play, Jungle Rot won both the Kennedy Center/American Express Fund For New American Plays Award and the American Theatre Critics Association Award. His work is also recognized in anthologies such as The Otis L. Guernsey Jr. Best Plays of 1994-95, The Devil's Punchbowl: A Cultural and Geographic Map of California Today, and Cape Cod Noir. Greenland's screen credits include writing for the HBO series Arli$$ and Big Love
Big Love
Big Love is an American television drama that aired on HBO between March 2006 and March 2011. The show is about a fictional fundamentalist Mormon family in Utah that practices polygamy...
. He is also a regular contributor to The Huffington Post
The Huffington Post
The Huffington Post is an American news website and content-aggregating blog founded by Arianna Huffington, Kenneth Lerer, and Jonah Peretti, featuring liberal minded columnists and various news sources. The site offers coverage of politics, theology, media, business, entertainment, living, style,...
and one of the site's original bloggers.
Outside of writing, Seth Greenland and his wife, Susan Kaiser Greenland
Susan Kaiser Greenland
Susan Kaiser Greenland, JD is an American author and teacher of Mindful Awareness, a blending of East Asian meditation techniques thought to develop overall attentiveness and social/emotional skills while encouraging secular values....
, established InnerKids, the first elementary school curriculum incorporating wellness techniques from the emerging practice known as Mindful Awareness
Mindfulness (psychology)
Modern clinical psychology and psychiatry since the 1970s have developed a number of therapeutic applications based on the concept of mindfulness in Buddhist meditation.-Definitions:...
.
Biography
Seth Greenland was born in New York City and received his BA at Connecticut College and later, completed an MFA in film at the New York University Tisch School for ArtsTisch School of the Arts
Tisch School of the Arts is one of the 15 schools that make up New York University ....
. He began his career as a journalist for an alternative newspaper called The SoHo Weekly News and writing spec scripts for television. One of his spec scripts caught the attention of T.V. Producer Norman Lear
Norman Lear
Norman Milton Lear is an American television writer and producer who produced such 1970s sitcoms as All in the Family, Sanford and Son, One Day at a Time, The Jeffersons, Good Times and Maude...
who eventually gave Greenland his first break writing for a television sitcom called "a.k.a. Pablo
A.k.a. Pablo
a.k.a. Pablo is an American sitcom that aired on ABC from March to April 1984.-Synopsis:Produced by Norman Lear, it focuses on struggling Hispanic stand-up comic Paul Rivera and his large Mexican American family, who still called him by his given name Pablo...
."
This would lead Greenland to Los Angeles where he began a career in screenwriting. In 1993, Greenland collaborated with Doctor Dré
Doctor Dre
André "Doctor Dré" Brown is an African American radio personality and former MTV VJ.-Career:Doctor Dré is best known for being the co-host of MTV's hip hop music specialty program Yo! MTV Raps with partner Ed Lover. The duo also starred in the 1993 film Who's the Man?...
and Ed Lover
Ed Lover
James Roberts , better known as Ed Lover, is an African-American rapper, actor, musician, radio personality, and former MTV VJ.-Biography:...
on the film Who's The Man?
Who's the Man?
Who's the Man? is a 1993 comedy film, directed by Ted Demme. The film stars Yo! MTV Raps hosts Doctor Dré and Ed Lover as its two main protagonists., it features dozens of cameo appearances from some of the top rap/hip-hop acts of the time, including Busta Rhymes, Eric B., House of Pain, Ice-T,...
," a hip hop whodunnit starring the rap duo, directed by Ted Demme
Ted Demme
Edward K. "Ted" Demme was an American film director and producer.- Early life and career :Born in New York City, Demme grew up in Rockville Centre on Long Island, New York and attended South Side Senior High School. He graduated from SUNY-Cortland in 1985. His media career likely began with a...
and written by Greenland. In 1995, Greenland's script My Teacher's Wife
My Teacher's Wife
My Teacher's Wife is an 1995 teen sex comedy film directed by Bruce Leddy, and written by Seth Greenland. Originally titled "Bad With Numbers," the story follows the travails of Southport High School senior Todd Boomer whose lifelong dream of going to Harvard is derailed by his hard-nosed calculus...
was made into a film starring Tia Carrere
Tia Carrere
Tia Carrere is an American actress, model, voice artist, and singer, perhaps most widely known for her role as Cassandra Wong in the feature films Wayne's World and Wayne's World 2, Queen Tyr'ahnee in Duck Dodgers, and as Sydney Fox in the TV series Relic Hunter.-Early life:Carrere was born in...
, Christopher McDonald
Christopher McDonald
Christopher McDonald is an American actor. He is known for his roles as Shooter McGavin in Happy Gilmore, Tappy Tibbons in Requiem for a Dream, and Mel Allen in the HBO film 61*.-Personal life:...
and Jason London
Jason London
Jason Paul London is an American actor, best known for his role as Randall "Pink" Floyd in director Richard Linklater's film Dazed and Confused.-Personal life:...
, and directed by Bruce Leddy
Bruce Leddy
Bruce Leddy is a writer, director, and producer currently living in Los Angeles. His most recent work was directing the ABC sitcom "Cougar Town" starring Courteney Cox...
. Greenland's latest novel, Shining City, was optioned by Warner Bros.
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
and is currently in development.
In 2001, he returned to the television screen writing for the last season of Arli$$ and later, The Big Love."
Greenland lives in Los Angeles with his wife Susan Kaiser Greenland and their two children.
Novels
The BonesThe narrative centers around two characters; a comedian named Frank Bones and Lloyd Melnick, a highly successful TV comedy writer. The two became acquainted in New York when Melnick, then a struggling journalist, wrote a profile of the up-and-coming Bones. The pair re-unite years later after Melnick scores a huge contract writing for a network and Bones comes calling, asking for Melnick's help writing a sitcom based on the comedian's own life (his only other prospect is a role as a sitcom Eskimo). Melnick, who is grappling with his success and desperately struggling to write something meaningful of his own, turns Bones down, a snub that sets off a chain reaction of events that results in a Hummer parked in the living room of Melnick's posh manse followed by a cops-and-robbers run for the border.
Shining City
Angeleno Marcus Ripps has always been a model citizen. His brother, Julian, is decidedly less virtuous. When Julian dies of a heart attack, Marcus takes over his dry-cleaning business, not knowing of the venture's dirty details. Julian has been running a booming escort service under the front of the dry cleaning business. Marcus sets his ethics aside to do right by his brother; he continues to operate the business without telling his wife, Jan. But Jan soon becomes privy to the enterprise and, in a scarcely believable display of spousal understanding, agrees to be his partner.
The rights to the Shining City were bought by Warner Bros. Pictures and is set for development in 2011 with producer Donald De Line
Donald De Line
Donald De Line has been a film producer, executive producer, and studio executive at Walt Disney Productions and its Touchstone Pictures division since 1985, eventually serving as Disney's vice-president of production. He is a native of La Jolla, a community of San Diego, California...
.
The Angry Buddhist
Set in the Mojave Desert east of Los Angeles, the novel is about three brothers, an incumbent Congressman, an investigator for the District Attorney's office, and a career criminal. Their lives are thrown into turmoil by a murder the week before an election.