Hinton, Gregory

PERSONAL:

Education: Graduated from the University of Colorado.

ADDRESSES:

Home—Los Angeles and Palm Springs, CA.

CAREER:

Writer, screenwriter, producer, actor. Actor in films, including National Lampoon Presents Dorm Daze, 2003. Producer of films, including as executive producer, Reform School Girls, 1986; associate producer, North Shore, 1987; coproducer, Getting It Right, 1989; and executive producer, It's My Party, Metro Goldwyn-Mayer, 1996, and How to Get There (documentary).

WRITINGS:

NOVELS

Cathedral City, Kensington Books (New York, NY), 2001.

Desperate Hearts, Kensington Books (New York, NY), 2002.

The Way Things Ought to Be, Kensington Books (New York, NY), 2003.

OTHER

(With Dirk Shafer) Circuit (screenplay), Kensington Books (New York, NY), 2001.

Articles, short stories, and poetry have been published in local anthologies.

ADAPTATIONS:

Cathedral City is being adapted for film.

SIDELIGHTS:

Film producer and screenwriter Gregory Hinton is also a novelist whose first book, Cathedral City, explores the lives of the residents of a town situated between the California cities of Palm Springs and Rancho Mirage. Cathedral City was once a burgeoning town thought of as a type of bohemia by movie stars and other California elite. Now, however, the town is dying and inhabited by a few locals trying to hold on, the owners of gay-oriented businesses, and a small contingent of Mexican immigrants. Nevertheless, local developers see a lot of potential because of Cathedral City's location. Their only problem is that they want to get rid of what they see as the town's "undesirables." Part of their plan is to bulldoze the neighborhoods inhabited by the gays and Mexicans. Among the novel's protagonists are gay couple Kenny and Nick, illegal immigrant Maria, down-on-her-luck lounge singer Ruthie, and the gay hustler Pablo. When Kenny and Nick hide Maria from the local border patrol, Kenny finds himself sexually attracted to her, leading to an affair and a child. "Hinton skillfully interweaves these very different lives against a poignant and evocative backdrop of failed and future promise," wrote Whitney Scott in Booklist. A Publishers Weekly contributor noted that the author "displays considerable empathy for and knowledge of the situation of Mexican immigrants in Southern California."

Hinton's next novel, Desperate Hearts, a sequel to Cathedral City, features many of the characters from his first novel. "I think of Desperate Hearts as a stand-alone sequel," the author noted in an interview on Kennsingtonbooks.com. The author also noted in the interview that "funny new characters are introduced, like produce delivery girlfriends Bambi and Madonna … [and] Sister Agnes, a cantankerous radical nun." In the novel, Maria is grappling with the knowledge that her missing daughter is dead, and Maria's sister Soil has a scar from a recent operation that people thinks looks like the Virgin Mary. Meanwhile, Pablo has fallen in love with a male immigration officer. "Hinton's enthusiasm and compassion for his characters comes through in every scene," noted a Publishers Weekly contributor. Writing in Booklist, Whitney Scott commented that the story is "seasoned with … enough twists and turns for a great summertime read."

Hinton leaves Cathedral City behind for his next novel, titled The Way Things Ought to Be. Set in Boulder, Colorado, the coming-of-age story follows Kingston King, a gay college student who is looking to establish his own identity. When he loses his housing because of his homosexuality, Kingston moves into a studio apartment owned by Theo, a gay activist. Also living in the same building is Kingston's friend, Jen, who is unmarried but pregnant. In her review of The Way Things Ought to Be, Booklist contributor Whitney Scott commented: "Hinton's sweet, unaffected tone should appeal to many."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Booklist, June 1, 2001, Whitney Scott, review of Cathedral City, p. 1814; August, 2002, Whitney Scott, review of Desperate Hearts, p. 1934; September 1, 2003, Whitney Scott, review of The Way Things Ought to Be, p. 56.

Kirkus Reviews, April 15, 2001, review of Cathedral City, p. 523.

Lambda Book Report, June-July, 2002, Robert Dunbar, review of Cathedral City, p. 28.

Publishers Weekly, June 11, 2001, review of Cathedral City, p. 62; July 29, 2002, review of Desperate Hearts, p. 54.

ONLINE

Internet Movie Database,http://imdb.com/ (March 23, 2007), information on author's film work.

Kensingtonbooks.com,http://www.kensingtonbooks.com/ (March 23, 2007), "Kensington Author Gregory Hinton Discusses Desperate Hearts," and profile of author.