Griffin Dunne and Emma Roberts | June 18, 2024

www.writersblocpresents.com
Moss Theater at New Roads School, Santa Monica, CA
Video: Karl Sonnenberg
It is a truth universally acknowledged that Griffin Dunne springs from America's literary royal family. His father was novelist and journalist Dominick Dunne. His uncle, a great novelist and essayist, was John Gregory Dunne. As then there was his aunt, Joan Didion. Until just recently, Griffin was best known and admired as an actor and as a director. But with the release of his absolutely revelatory documentary on Joan Didion, The Center Will Not Hold, he jumped right onto that acclaimed literary perch, so dominantly occupied by his father, aunt and uncle.
With his new book, The Friday Afternoon Club, a memoir about this larger than life family, Griffin Dunne joins the family business--with absolute brilliance, and great good humor, even as he takes us into the depths of family tragedy. While he has the keen observation skills of a journalist, he never coasts into detachment, never casting aside his own emotional involvement. The Friday Afternoon Club is so winningly captivating, shocking, and entirely entertaining. What a terrific addition to the family canon.
Griffin Dunne is not the only literary guy in the room. Actor/producer Emma Roberts has launched a book-to-film collaboration with Hulu,and her series called Tell No Lies was recently renewed for a second season. A legitimate Scream Queen, Roberts has been featured in thriller series and films such as American Horror Story, Scream Queen, and others, but also jumps into the superhero sphere (Madame Web), love stories, and romcoms. Her new series, Space Cadet, will debut on Amazon Prime in July.

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This was wonderful. Griffin, you’ve done your truly fascinating family proud.