One of the movies I'm most looking forward to is Adaptation which is written by Charlie Kaufman, directed by Spike Jonze (they both gave us Being John Malkovich) and based on the Orchard Thief by the great New Yorker writer Susan Orlean.

The film has an amazing cast including Nick Cage (as Charlie Kaufman), Meryl Streep (as Susan Orlean), and Chris Cooper (as John Laroche, the orchid thief). Director Curtis Hansen (LA Confidential, Wonder Boys, 8 Mile) plays Orlean's husband, Being John stars John Cusack and Kathleen Keener play themselves as does David O. Russel who directed Jonze in Three Kings (which should be required viewing now). Adaptation will open December 6th.

Jason Kottke designed Orlean's website and is doing an Adaptation blog there.

Her most recent New Yorker article is on the Afric' Music record store in Paris. The film Blue Crush was based on her article The Surf Girls of Maui from Outside Magazine. Some of her other articles are on her site. Of course the best thing to do is to read them in her collection The Bullfighter Checks Her Makeup: My Encounters With Extraordinary People.

There is an excerpt from the Orchid Thief. Orlean mentions a new edition of the book will be coming out soon with a foreward by her about the film.