Thursday, October 13, 2011
In advance of his speech at Oak Park's Unity Temple, the author of "Presumed Innocent" tackles Amazon.com, defends Barney Frank and tells us what it's like to be robbed at gunpoint.
On a recent October afternoon, Scott Turow entered Evanston's Brothers K Coffeehouse, near his home on the north shore. Dressed in a Cubs cap and winter jacket, Turow walked up to the counter and ordered us coffee. No one stopped him, no one asked for an autograph. Turow seems to prefer it that way. The best-selling author Presumed Innocent, its 2010 sequel Innocent and nine other books, Turow has leaned on his experience as an assistant U.S. attorney in Chicago to create Kindle County, the fictional locale for his tales of legal intrigue, murder and deeply complicated protagonists. His work has been adapted on TV and on the silver screen, most notably 1990's Presumed Innocent, starring Harrison Ford. Turow, an alumnus of New Trier …
Author Scott Turow recounts the story of getting mugged and how it changed his thoughts about eye-witness testimony.
Part 4 of The Patch Interview with Author Scott Turow Q: Last time we met, you told me about an experience that led you to question the credibility of eye-witness testimony… Turow: I was held up at one point. My ex-wife and I, we drove into a parking lot of a restaurant in Marin County, and our beloved landlord, Albert, was going to be our host. And I saw these two young men come running up, and I thought they were the parking attendants! [laughs] We got out of the car, and they pointed the gun at me and they wanted our wallets. My ex was so petrified that not only did she hand over her wallet, she handed over her glasses. [laughs] For which I do not blame her, at all. I was always proud that I had the courage just to put my arm around her…
Author Scott Turow on Studs Terkel, the roots of corruption, Illinois politics and why Barney Frank and George W. Bush are really great guys.
Part 3 of The Patch Interview with Author Scott Turow Q: When I moved to Chicago, Studs Terkel told me, “Chicago is not any more corrupt than any other city. It’s just that we’re proud of our corruption.” You’ve worked within government and legal circles for a long time, so I’m curious about your insight. What is it about Illinois or Chicago politics that brings this out about human nature? Turow: Well, first of all, I loved Studs. He was wonderful to me, as he was to you. And he was just one of those, you know, those guys who came of age in the 30s, the guys who were really inculcated in that socialist tradition. They loved people. They really believed in humanity and that there was good inside everyone. And Studs just exemplified that. I…
