Dennis Lehane and Tom Perrotta on taking novels "From Page to Screen" at Boston Book Festival 2010 [podcast]

Every book festival needs legendary dudes like DENNIS LEHANE and TOM PERROTTA -- the kinds of authors whose stories are famous even to people who don't read books. The awesome thing about Lehane and Perrotta is that they've both given far more than their celebrity to the cause: last year Lehane used his star power to throw some shine on Boston's lesser-known mystery authors in Boston Noir, a compendium whose launch party headlined the inaugural Boston Book Festival. And this year, Perrotta's short story The Smile on Happy Chan's Face served as the inaugural selection for "One City, One Story," Boston's cheaper, quicker alternative to the citywide book-club concept. (If you didn't read it, you can still download the PDF or Kindle version here. We keep hoping this sBook concept catches on, so check that out too.)

In this panel, Lehane and Perrotta  -- but not scheduled guest A.M. Homes, who sent regrets -- give a behind-the-scenes glimpse into what happens when Hollywood gets hold of your masterpiece. Because even a lucky bastard like Lehane (see: Shutter Island, Gone Baby Gone, and Mystic River) can tell you horror stories about how some studio moron wanted to change his endings. 

DOWNLOAD: "From Page To Screen" with Tom Perrotta and Denis Lehane at Boston Book Festival 2010 [mp3]