But What I Really Want to Do is Direct: A Conversation with Director Ken Kwapis

Celebrated film (Sisterhood the Traveling Pants) and TV (The Office) director Ken Kwapis’s new memoir, But What I Really Want to Do is Direct, dives into what it takes to be successful in today’s wildly chaotic entertainment world. For this online Crowdcast event, he will be in conversation with WGN radio star John Williams. Please buy your copy of But What I Really Want to Do is Direct from The Book Stall, an independent bookstore and the sponsor of this program! We have signed copies (bookplates courtesy of the author) while supplies last!

About the book: Ken Kwapis has worked for more than thirty years in Hollywood. And he has charted a career full of hits, becoming one of the most reliable and sought after directors in show business. But What I Really Want to Do is Direct is Ken Kwapis’s take on William Goldman’s classic Adventures in the Screen Trade, but from a director’s point of view. Kwapis tackles common Hollywood myths, and gives readers a rollercoaster ride through the entertainment business. Ups and downs include battles over budgets, temperamental actors, and the passion that makes it all worthwhile. His humorous and poignant memoir is filled with hilarious outtakes, tutelage, and joy. It’s also a celebratory ode to film and TV, and a primer on what it takes to succeed in show business on your own terms.

“In the years that I was fortunate to work with Ken on Malcolm in the Middle, he had an uncanny ability to guide actors right to the heart of a scene and reveal its truths. He admits that he doesn’t have all the answers, he’ll make mistakes, and at times he’ll struggle, but as he says in the book, ‘It’s the struggle to get it right that makes us human.” –Bryan Cranston

About Ken Kwapis: He is an award-winning director who has moved easily between the worlds of feature filmmaking and television directing. Ken has directed more than ten feature films and helped launch seven television series, including NBC’s The Office.

About John Williams: John is heard weekday mornings on WGN Radio. His program focuses on current events, as he discusses the news of the day, sports, television programs, movies, and books with a thoughtful perspective and quirky sense of humor. Inquisitive and curious by nature, he asks what listeners want to know! Follow him on Twitter @wgnkingjohn.

For more information about this event, please contact Robert McDonald, events@thebookstall.com.