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Writer Nick Flynn on ‘Being Flynn’

Flynn, who is married to the actress Lili Taylor, mainly spends these days teaching writing at the University of Houston and working on his poetry in new York. one collection, "some Ether," was a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize. (He also wrote a second memoir, this time interspersing his own experiences with thoughts about military torture.)

"The attention one gets from being a poet isn't great," Flynn said. "so when I started getting attention on ['City'] it was a little difficult. My wife had to point out that none of it is real. They'll soon move on to something else."

Not everyone moved on, however. as the film project progressed, Flynn learned that Dano would be playing the Nick Flynn character. The author decided to go to his local Brooklyn bookstore to buy a copy for Dano, whom he would soon be meeting. as it turned out, the owner told him that Dano shopped at the store too, and that the lone copy on hand had been set aside for the actor.

"so I decided to write an inscription," Flynn recalled. "I wrote 'I am you and you are me,’ and left the store. And then right after I wondered if he might find it creepy. What did that mean? And how would I know this was his book? But I went with it,” Flynn said. “I hope he didn't think I was too much of a lunatic."

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Photo: Nick Flynn, right, with director Paul Weitz on the set of "Being Flynn." Credit: Focus Features