The Soloist: A Lost Dream, an Unlikely Friendship, and the Redemptive Power of Music (Putnam, 2008) by author and L.A. Times reporter Steve Lopez is based on his encounters with Nathaniel Ayers, who Lopez discovers while struggling to develop a story for his newspaper column.
Ayers is found living on Los Angeles’ meanest streets playing his two-string violin with such virtuosity that it compels Lopez to investigate Ayers’ musical past. The journalist is astounded when he uncovers that thirty years ago this mentally ill musician attended the prestigious Julliard School, but because of his schizophrenia was forced to drop out. Now, Ayers is a resident of Skid Row and still holding onto what he loves so dearly – music.
This narrative is clearly about how we treat and view mental illness in America, how poverty and race (Ayers is African-American) play roles in our acceptance of the mentally troubled, but ultimately the story is truly about the healing powers of art and humanity. This is the soul of the book, its clear center, and the reason the story resonates with the reader.
Strong Writing Lets the Story Shine
The Soloist could easily fall into a series of sentimental scenes and lose its way in the sappiness of what, at the core, is a genuinely heartwarming story. But Lopez skillfully uses the best elements of good fiction to tell a non-fiction story, employing dramatic scenes and suspense, authentic dialogue, and most importantly strong characterization, especially when revealing his own persona. The reporter is the narrator in this book and the honesty in his unflinching self-analysis and discovery is what surfaces throughout. Without this approach, the story would lose one of its most important elements.
The Soloist is certainly about the life and struggles of musician Nathaniel Ayers, but what gives the story its engaging ultimate depth is that it is also about Steve Lopez and how he is reawakened personally and professionally by his friendship with Ayers. The messages of self-discovery, acceptance, understanding, and tolerance are all part of the storyline, but the adeptness of the writing allows these messages to rise out of the narrative without being judgmental or preachy.
Book Expected to Translate Well to Film
The Paramount-DreamWorks film is due out in the spring of 2009 and is based on Lopez’s columns and the book. Susannah Grant who was nominated for Erin Brockovich wrote the screenplay and Joe Wright whose last directorial work was the Oscar-nominated Atonement is the director. This, along with two strong actors in the lead roles - Oscar winner Jamie Foxx as Ayers and Oscar nominee Robert Downey, Jr. as Lopez – give the story a stalwart chance for making a marvelous transition from book to the screen.
The film was scheduled to be released in November 2008 but was pushed back until March and then April 2009. Speculation on why the delay has run from difficulties over editing, marketing, and the availability of the lead actors for promotional appearances.
