Friday, January 1, 2010

Books By My Clients: The Scorsese Psyche on Screen: Roots of Themes and Characters in the Films, by Maria T. Miliora


This critical study examines the interconnections between the life and work of acclaimed film director Martin Scorsese, showing that his films reflect his experiences growing up in a Sicilian-American-Catholic family in the tough neighborhood of New York's Little Italy and express much about his ethical and religious attitudes.


After providing a concise biography, the text individually describes Scorsese's films from 1963 to 2002, commenting on themes and characters with emphasis on male sexuality, narcissism, violence, and the place of women in the director's personal and cinematic world. Psychological analyses of focal characters provide a basis for understanding the dialogue and actions of the characters in the context of their respective film stories. Special attention is given to two films known to have particular meaning for Scorsese: The Last Temptation of Christ and Gangs of New York.


Maria T. Miliora is a professor of Chemistry at Suffolk University in Boston and maintains a private practice in psychoanalysis. She has published books on psychology, film, and literature, as well as clinical articles.

More on the Query Letter

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

A reader asks: Could you give an example or guidelines for a good query letter? I have seen many different "correct" ways and was wondering what an actual agent thought.

Basically a good query letter consists of one page. It tells the agent about the premise of the book followed by a brief description. It gives the author's qualifications to write the book, especially if the work is non fiction. The letter should be triple checked for spelling and grammar. I'm turned off by any careless mistakes. If you are going to write to any agent it behooves you to take the time to avoid mistakes and even minor typos. Also, if you are a published writer include titles, publishers, and dates of publication.

Often a very well composed query is rejected for a multiplicity of reasons depending upon the agent and his needs at any particular time. While one agent may pass, another may be most enthusiastic. Unfortunately, there is no magic formula. Good luck! Do check out my other posts regarding the query letter.