James Ellroy: ‘It’s satanic to me, the dependency people have on computers’
The outspoken crime novelist talks his provocative new book, his hatred of technology and why the film adaptation of LA Confidential is a ‘turkey’
TL;DR
- James Ellroy, 78, is an outspoken crime novelist who refuses to use computers or send emails, preferring a handwritten system for his work.
- His 18th novel, 'Red Sheet', is set in October 1962 and explores the 'red probe' ordered by Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy.
- Ellroy employs "reckless verisimilitude," blending historical events with subjective fantasies to uncover deeper truths.
- He controversially argues that those blacklisted in Hollywood during the Red Scare should have "named names" and views Richard Nixon with a degree of sympathy.
- The novel features recurring antihero Freddy Otash and a fictionalized romance with folk singer Judy Henske.
- Ellroy's life, marked by his mother's unsolved murder, has shaped his literary focus on crime, though he rejects simplistic psychological explanations.
- He dismisses the film adaptation of 'LA Confidential' as a "turkey," criticizing its narrative coherence.
- Despite his persona, Ellroy expresses a belief in human goodness and finds solace in his Christian faith.
- He reflects on his mortality and his desire to write more books, drawing parallels to other authors nearing the end of their careers.