#renaldo moon

[squaric-acid]

A Treat for the Eyes, Pt. 1

My contribution to the TCR Secret Santa 2023

I'm writing for @raythecomputerart, I hope you enjoy! I was going to write something short and sweet for the cozy tea party prompt but it got entangled with the high fashion prompt and this was the result.

=====

“Here’s your next assignment,” Natoru, assistant to the editor-in-chief of Cat Kingdom Magazine, said nasally, holding the manilla folder out to Muta.

Muta reached across the desk with a grumble.

“Probably another toothpaste ad,” he muttered under his breath.

Toto elbowed him hard in the ribs.

“It’s for Baron’s new collection. You’ll need to find a suitable model. Yuki’s called in sick again.”

Natoru hid it well but both Muta and Toto had known their boss’s simpering secretary long enough to detect the disdain in his voice for the magazine’s top model. Who also happened to be the fiancée of the editor’s son. Thankfully, neither Muta or Toto shared Natoru’s disdain for the model.

“Well, if it’s Baron’s work then it should be interesting,” Toto said cheerfully as Natoru sashayed out of the small office Toto and Muta shared.

Muta gave a long-suffering sigh as he flicked through the folder.

“Where are we going to find a suitable model in this short of time?”

~@~

“A modeling gig?” Haru gave Hiromi a quizzical look across the cafe table she was bussing.

“Not just any gig. Look!”

Hiromi shoved the flier in her skeptical friend’s face.

“It’s for Baron’s new spring collection!” Hiromi squealed.

Haru removed the flier from her face and gave it a glance.

“That’s nice,” Haru said blandly. “When did you hear about it?”

“Someone just put up a flier on the bulletin board. Some fatso from the photography department. Just as I was leaving.”

“That’s nice,” Haru said, turning back to her task.

“Oh, come on Haru! This is perfect for you! I know you’ve been angling for a change to work with Baron since you first laid eyes on his work.”

“Okay sure, but-“

“But nothing. Why not try? Yuki’s out sick and Louise is still in Kyoto.” A wheedling tone had snuck into Hiromi’s voice.

“Get serious, there’s no way he’d select me to be his model for his latest collection.”

~@~

Why does this always happen to me? Haru asked herself as she sat curled against the hallway wall outside of one of the many studio spaces in the Cat Kingdom Magazine’s creative department. A dozen or so models lingered around waiting to be assessed for their suitability and worthiness to model for Baron’s newest collection.

“Why did Hiromi have to call in sick? Now I’m here on my own!” Haru grumbled to herself. 

In the week since Hiromi had shoved the flier in her face, Haru had learned little else about Baron’s newest collection. She and Hiromi had clamored for spots in the modeling audition, luckily Haru’s second job at the cafe was accommodating. Despite being models for Cat Kingdom Magazine, the competition for the best gigs was cutthroat and she and Hiromi were among the more junior models.

Haru surveyed the other models all awaiting their turn to impress the famed designer. Baron was somewhat of an eccentric recluse amongst the top players in the fashion world. He always chose his models with the utmost care. And he favored the infamous photographer and stylist duo, Muta and Toto, for his shoots with the magazine.

The models around her all knew what a shoot like this could mean for their careers. They were dolled up to the nines and for models that’s saying a lot. Every single one harbored secret dreams of becoming Baron’s muse.

Haru, for all her aspirations in the fashion industry, had hardly bothered. Hiromi had convinced her to wear virtually no makeup to accentuate her features, instead of hiding them.

Muta and Toto worked extraordinarily well together but were exceedingly picky. Hence their infamy amongst the models of Cat Kingdom Magazine. When not called upon to work with Baron they often were out on small jobs, like toothpaste ads. If they were working for Baron on this shoot it meant that the standards would be astronomically high.

Hiromi and Haru had both done a couple gigs each with Muta and Toto for small ads. Cat Kingdom had originally been a talent acquisition company. It still kept up those programs and lots of models hoping to join the fashion seems started in Cat Kingdom’s talent agency. Apparently that’s how the son of Cat Kingdom’s editor came to know Yuki, one of the magazine supermodels. Haru and Hiromi had both met Yuki before, despite her newfound fame she always had the kindness of a hopeful new model.

The next model was called in to audition and Haru was pulled from her thoughts. She wondered if either Toto or Muta would recognize her. She wasn’t sure she wanted them to.

One by one the models went in and then came out. Each one sporting the tight smile of one who had been let down politely but rather scathingly too.

Soon Haru was alone in the hall. She stood and smoothed the wrinkles of her long skirt. She’d worn her favorite lacy socks and a pair of sandals over them. In retrospect not the most fashionable choice for an aspiring model.

Haru hadn’t been terribly self-conscious before this moment but she was now. And as the previous model exited with a classless upturned nose Haru felt her stomach sink down to rest around her toes.

“He’s so uptight,” she heard the previous model hiss to her friends who were waiting for her at the end of the hall.

“No wonder Louise left him.”

Haru felt her mouth go inexplicably dry. 

=====

I do hope you enjoyed this! Stay tuned for parts 2, 3, and 4!

#the cat returns #tcr secret santa #tcr secret santa 2023 #my writing #haru x baron #toto #renaldo moon #muta #fanfic

[ro-visiting-the-bureau]

TCR Birthday Bash 2023 Prompts!

The votes are in, here is the official TCR Birthday Bash prompt list!

The Cat Returns Birthday Bash will be running from July 16th to July 22nd (7/16-7/22), to celebrate the anniversary of The Cat Returns. The prompts for this year’s bash are:

Sun 16th - Musical/Music

Mon 17th - Masquerade

Tues 18th - Revenge

Wed 19th - Secret Heritage

Thurs 20th - Happy Birthday/Free Day

Fri 21st - Beach Episode

Sat 22nd - Sci-Fi

Thank you to everyone who voted, and I cannot wait to see all of the awesome prompts we have this year!

#tcr birthday bash #tcr birthday bash 2023 #the cat returns #studio ghibli #Baron Humbert von Gikkingen #Haru Yoshioka #Muta #Renaldo Moon #toto #prince lune #yuki #the cat king #natori #natoru

[happinessbunny]

#himb #cat #Renaldo Moon #summertime madness

[anirobot]

Pixiv Id 41873802 - Mimi wo Sumaseba (Ghibli) - Muta (Neko no Ongaeshi) - Tsukishima Shizuku

#Pixiv Id 41873802 #Studio Ghibli #Mimi wo Sumaseba #whisper of the heart #neko no ongaeshi #Cat Returns #muta #Renaldo Moon #Moon #Tsukishima Shizuku #tomcat #male cat #Girl #a girl #female #a female #table #straw hat #boater #suruken #open mouth #red shirt #brown hair #brown eyes

[cymraegdragon21]

Chapter 4 now uploaded

#fanfiction #ao3 fanfic #fanfic writing #writing #ao3 writer #archive of our own #writers on tumblr #baron humbert von gikkingen #the cat returns #haru #Muta #Renaldo Moon

[ugh-my-heart]

#mimi wo sumaseba #whisper of the heart #if you listen carefully #ghibli movie 10 #movie #studio ghibli #shizuku tsukishima #seiji amasawa #moon renaldo #anime #anime movie

[cornerstonc]

Never have I ever swiped food from the banquets? (Or idk does Natori dine at the banquets cuz he’s seen there??)

Never Have I Ever | Accepting

"Why on earth is everyone so certain I filch food..?!" Has he gained weight? Why is this the stubborn topic of the night?

"Now-- now, I do have my own, ah, admittedly limited opportunities to take my meals during banquets outside the banquet hall itself, but it's a far cry from sneaking food which was not already intended for me..!"

#natori vc: is this bc i'm still mad at renaldo moon for eating all the fish #jfjdk thank you! ;~; #chatblanche #;answered #he does eat at them! but generally in the kitchen with natoru/the servants when he gets a moment of peace #otherwise he doesn't have an actual seat #his Position is to stand beside the king and (go hungry) offer counsel lmao

[catsafarithewriter]

Day 5: Free Day

A/N: For today, I’ve dusted for an AU I had knocking around for some time, a Bedknobs and Broomsticks AU (one of my favourite childhood movies of all time) which I never got much further than this, writing-wise, but I still felt would be fun to share. Enjoy!

x

Despite what was said about Muta, he was not actually a scam artist.

For starters, his drawing skills started and ended with stick-figures, and for the scamming part... well. as far as he was concerned, anyone who bought something from a shady street trader who advertised himself as The Amazing Renaldo Moon either knew they were buying tat, or thoroughly deserved to get scammed. As a lesson.  

No, Muta was an entrepreneur. He would revive interest in the old and the tatty, the cheap and the trashy, with a bit of showmanship and flair. And if the two-penny whistle seemed to work for no one but him, or the trick match-box broke on the way home, well... that was hardly his fault, was it?

He was regarded by the locals, not with any malice, but in the same manner as the clock spire that was struck regularly by lightening, or as the stray tom cat that menaced the north-east alley. He was a part of the city’s ambiance, considered only a threat to tourists too easily parted with their coin.

Tourists, like the Asian woman lingering at the end of his act.

She approached and, taking note of her dress sense, Muta amended that to probably Japanese. She had a ginger cat at her heel. He tucked a brooch into his sleeve, if only for the dramatic flair of seemingly summoning it out of nowhere a second later. “A pretty brooch for a pretty lady?” he tempted. “Real mother-of-pearl there, gifted to me from the Jade Empress after aiding her an oni attack,” he continued, recalling what little he could from the cheap adventure novels he occasionally encountered.

The woman somehow managed to give the appearance of looking down at him, despite being - like most people - a good foot shorter. “You’re Renaldo Moon?” she asked incredulously.

“The Great Renaldo Moon to my fans, and Muta to my friends.” This would have been the opportune moment to sweep a hat dramatically from his head, but - alas - he had sold his previous one only the day before. He began to pack away his stand.  

The woman didn’t crack a smile. “Mr Moon, I am here about your  correspondence college for witchcraft.”

“Very good, we take cash or cheque–”

“I am one of your pupils.”

Muta attempted the smile that usually mollified these sorts - the morons who actually bought into the witchcraft nonsense and expected a correspondence course of all things to bestow sorcery upon them. He supposed that explained the cat. “My dear lady, if this is about the postage and packaging expense, the contract clearly states that any additional cost is the responsibility of the pupil to pay–”

“I am here about the last lesson,” the woman said.

Ah.

“Your course clearly advertised it as How to Become a Witch in Ten Easy Lessons, and yet you closed the college after the ninth one.”

Muta started packing faster. “No refunds.”

“But I must have the spell that comes with the last lesson,” the woman announced.

“Sorry, Chicky, but I’ve really gotta be somewhere else.” He folded his stand up and hefted it under his arm. “Wish you luck with your witching, but I really – hello.”

The woman had rounded on him and was now standing before him as if she was in any position to stop him. “Mr Moon, I’m warning you that I really must insist on the last lesson.”

He grinned. “You and whose army? The cat?” He elbowed past her. “Now, if yer don’t mind, I’ve got places to be...”

He heard the rustle of paper, as if the woman were hurriedly flicking through a small notebook, and then the muttering of words that sounded suspiciously familiar. The laugh that started out in his belly came out as a squeak, and suddenly he was looking up at the world from a grand height of two inches.

The ginger cat loomed over him.

A hand swept him up before the cat could get any funny ideas, and the woman grimaced down at him. “Now, Mr Moon,” she said, “are you listening?”

x  

The mouse spell didn’t last too long.

Just long enough for him to be sure that, yes, the spell he’d passed off as hocus pocus did actually work, and yes, he wasn’t hallucinating, and yes, he was still craving cheese ten minutes later.

He occupied a bench and tried to resist the urge to twitch non-existent whiskers.

“My spell?” he said, for the second time in as many minutes. “You’re sure that’s one of my spells? From my school?”

“Not one of your best spells, I have to say,” the woman said. “It has a tendency to wear off the moment a clock chimes, but yes.”

“My spell?”

“Yes. Now, are you going to go round in circles all day, or can we start talking about that final lesson?”

“But you don’t understand,” Muta said. “They were just nonsense words I got out of an old book! They weren’t meant to be real.” He faltered. “My god, think of what I could have charged for actual magic.”

“Mr Moon–”

“Muta.”

“Muta,” she amended curtly, “please stick to the point. You said you found the spells in a book?”

He nodded.

“Well then, I think I need to see this book, firsthand. Mr Moon - Muta - are you listening?”

“I... yes.” He’d had a book of actual spells, and he’d thought he’d been overcharging all this time! If he could convince people they were real, just think of the demand! “At my home.”

“Well then, I think that will be our next stop. Where is it?”

Muta rattled off an address without thinking. If he could get this woman to help advertise the spells - why, he’d be rich! And it wouldn’t even be a scam! Of course, he’d have to copyright them or something, to make sure they weren’t passed around without money going through his hands first, and...

“Oi, where do you think you’re going?” he called. “It’s that way!”

The woman looked up from the brick wall she was standing before. “Oh, I know. But I have a much quicker way.” Out of a pocket, she brought a doorknob and - somehow - slotted it into the wall. “Now, no dilly-dallying. I have no idea how long the doorway stays open, and I don’t want to lose anyone.”

“What doorway–” he began, but the woman was already repeating his address to the doorknob and tapping it. On the third tap, she turned it a quarter to the left and – as promised – a doorway appeared in the stonework. She pulled the handle, and it opened with the greatest of ease.

“Is that...”

“Your transportation spell?” she finished. “Yes. Now, let’s go. We have a book to find.”

It only occurred after Muta had already taken the fateful step through the veiled doorway, that he had only the   word of a mildly pissed customer and complete stranger that the shadowed portal  was entirely safe - and then he was standing on the overgrown lawn of  where he was currently calling home.

The house before him was mostly boarded up, with only the occasionally window left unadorned by barriers or unbroken, and what could be seen of the interior seemed to be composed mostly of cobwebs and dust sheets. A lone crow was perched on the garden gate behind them, and watched the proceedings with a curious air.    

The woman stepped out after him, with that ginger cat still at her heels, and – if possible – looked even less impressed than before. “This is where you live?” she asked.

“You got a problem with that, Chicky?”

“No more than the original occupants will.”

“Ah, relax.” He shoved open the large bay window leading into the lounge, and clambered through. “They ain’t coming back any time soon. They thought they’d pissed off some ghosts and skedaddled out of here.”

“And had they?” asked an unfamiliar voice.

Muta looked at the woman, just to confirm that the smooth baritone hadn’t somehow come from her, and then glanced down.

“I asked, had they?” said the cat. “Pissed off a ghost?”    

“Hey, Chicky–” Muta began slowly.

“Haru,” the woman amended. “It’s Haru Yoshioka.”

“Sure. Remind me, did I give a lesson on talking cats or...?”

“This isn’t your doing,” the cat deadpanned. “And I notice you still haven’t answered my previous question regarding the ghost situation. Is there indeed a haunting here, or was that merely another trick you had up your sleeve to secure this residence?”

“They were going to turn this place into a hotel,” said a new voice.

In the open window perched the same crow from before.

Haru looked to Muta. “Why did a talking cat shock you when a talking crow is apparently your housemate?”

“He ain’t a crow,” Muta said. “He’s a ghost.”

“A ghost crow.”

“A ghost who’s got a crow form,” Muta corrected.

The crow flapped his wings. “Always liked the idea of flying, and now I can. Anyway, the previous folk were going to tear this place down and build a modern hotel and I had other ideas. The name’s Toto, by the way.”

“Haru,” said Haru. She gestured to the cat. “And this is Baron.”

The cat - Baron - nodded in the approximation of a bow.

Toto passed a scrutinising look over the cat. “That’s one nasty curse you’ve got there, my friend.”

“That’s why we need the last lesson,” Haru said, and she turned to Muta. “The last lesson in the correspondence course was meant to be on breaking curses.”

#tcr birthday bash #tcr birthday bash 2023 #day 5 free day #the cat returns #cat writes #bedknobs and broomsticks au

[disneydarlin]

The Cat Returns: Muta —Aesthetic

Muta's Character & Personality

Muta, also known as Renaldo Moon, is a cat who often spends time in the human realm. However, he's implied to be a spirit due to his long life span or immortality. This is evident as Muta lives in the Bearo and he's a notorious criminal from ancient times in the Cat Kingdom. He's a brash, grumpy, lazy and stubborn kitty. Muta is known for is unchecked sense of sarcasm and condescension towards those around him. However, deep down, he has a soft heart. He won't hesitate to team up and work together with others when the need arises. In fact, Muta respects those who stand up for themselves. More than anything, he has a huge appetite as well. Although Muta will eat anything he sets his eyes on, he seems to have a weakness for fish, catnip jelly and angel food cake with whipped cream.

#the cat returns #muta #disney #art #japan #aesthetic #moodboard #cat #favorite character #studio ghibli

[drama-glob]

since zib from lackadaisy is playing as muta from the cat returns, can he still be known as the legend called renaldo moon?

I don't know if he has the height or body type to officially be called a legend like Renaldo Moon; I'm sure he could be a legend in other things though. ;)

#zib lackadaisy #lackadaisy #muta the cat returns #the cat returns #studio ghibli #ask me anything

[archivyrep]

VCRs, virtual communications, and lost records: Archivy themes in Steven Universe [Part 4]

Continued from part 5

There are some other records I'd like to mention before closing this post. For one, Stevonnie (Connie/Steven fusion), after crashing on an unnamed jungle planet in the episode "Lars of the Stars," in the episode the follows ("Jungle Moon"), Stevonnie accesses an old computer system, goes through files and is able to contact Lars's ship, using a code from their "Diamond dream." Additionally, the inside of Pearl's gem, as shown in the episode "A Single Pale Rose," is an internal archives of sorts, with repressed memories, and is organized on the surface alphabetically. It was so compelling that one person even wrote a fan fiction about it where Catra and Adora travel inside the gem, which was described as "memoryscape," which sounds a little like the one shown in Lore Olympus:

With a flash of white light, Adora and Catra opened their eyes. A room filled with drawers upon drawers of file cabinets, and computer monitors, allowing for easy searching of memories in front of them. While digital technology seemed to be the standard of repositories, Pearl liked the feel of card catalogs. Steven had not visited this room when he entered Pearl’s gemstone. The pathway through Pearl’s memories was different then. After that experience, Pearl used her Gem abilities to direct the Pearls inside to reorganize it and create a Memory Core for safekeeping. These efforts would all be for naught if Pearl’s gemstone cracked, as it would be game over for the memories, items, and anyone inside.

Reprinted from my Wading Through the Cultural Stacks WordPress blog. Originally published on Jan. 16, 2021.

There are also Pink's artifacts and such in Homeworld in the episode "Familiar," but that can hardly be called an archive. Even so, there are so, so many preservation questions when it comes to records in this series. It seems that some records are destroyed or lost in time. When structures are destroyed, like in the episode "Cheeseburger Backpack," undoubtedly any possible records are gone, without the possibility of retrieval. The same can be said about the message from Lapis which Steven receives in "The Message," or the message Peridot sends from the communication hub in "Cry for Help."

We know that any recordings that Peridot made on her tape recorder [3] have been lost, as Lapis destroyed it in "Barn Mates" and it becomes a meep morp (a form of art) by the time of "Beta." Additionally, in "Back to the Moon," they can't contact Homeworld because the panel and technology in "It Could've Been Great" were smashed. No one knows what happens to the records and stuff in the control panel shown in 'Friend Ship," the paintings Vidalia made of Amethyst (presumably still in her garage), or the documentary Renaldo made, titled "Rising Tides, Crashing Skies" about the Crystal Gems. Then, there are the captain's logs that Lars does in "Your Mother and Mine" and "Letter to Lars." Where are they being saved?

Despite questions about how this information is being stored, in an interesting connection, the people that Steven told Peridot about in "Marble Madness" are the ones that Aquamarine is looking for in the episodes "Are You My Dad?" and "I Am My Mom." That means it took the message about a year to get to Homeworld, as season 1 takes place in 2013 and season 4 takes place in 2014. The movie takes place around 2016 and the epilogue around 2017.

I think that's about it for this post, but I've covered much more than I expected I would have originally. Until next week when I'll write about another exciting topic!

© 2022 Burkely Hermann. All rights reserved.

Notes

[3] Peridot is shown making recordings on the tape recorder on "Back to the Barn," "Too Far," "The Answer" (implied), "It Could've Been Great" (implied), "Log Date 7 15 2," and "Barn Mates."

#steven universe #cultural preservation #historic preservation #gems #crystal gems #lore olympus #fan fiction #catradora #archives #archivy #archival studies #meep morp

[aquariumdrunkard]

The Aquarium Drunkard Show: SIRIUS/XMU (7pm PDT, Channel 35)

No static at all. Via satellite, transmitting from northeast Los Angeles — the Aquarium Drunkard Show on SIRIUS/XMU, channel 35. 7pm California time, Wednesdays.

Intro ++ Red Garrison – Taboo ++ The Moroccos – Morocco Chant ++ Ted Heath – Shish Kebab ++ Cozy Cole – Blop Up & Blop Down ++ Perez And Brana – The Crazy Cuban ++ Cool Wise Men – Lizard ++ Gus Jenkins – Tricky Too ++ John Lee Hooker – Baby Lee ++ Little Stevie Wonder – Soul Bongo ++ Danny Cobb – My Isabella ++ Dave Cortez – Piano Shuffle ++ Renaldo Jackson – Congolese Tip ++ Mike Sanchez – Crawfish ++ Os Bongos – Pachanga Maria ++ The Fabulous Preston Combo – Ooh-La-Cha-Cha ++ The Terrifics – Loco ++ The Calvaes – Lonely Lonely Village ++ Diane Maxwell – Love Charms ++ Danny Le Cina – Triste ++ Gerald Wilson – Mambo Mexicano – Part 1 ++ Ike Turner & His Kings of Rhythm – Katanga ++ The King’s Henchmen – Gosan ++ Coleman Hawkins – Montono Blues ++ Alexis Korner’s Blues Incorporated – Early In The Morning ++ Them – One Two Brown Eyes ++ The Platters – I Just Want To Mambo ++ Lee Perry & the Soulettes – Rub & Squeeze ++ Baba Brooks & His Band – This Is Thunder ++ Os Kiezos – Comboio ++ Plearn Promdan – Wan Maha Sanook ++ The Blonde Bomber – I Am To Blame ++ Tom & Dito – Amanhanga ++ Group Lewlewal – Ligeey ++ Les Griots (with Serge Franklin) – Liwa Wetche ++ Norma Tanega – You’re Dead ++ Wayne Jackson – It Happened in Tennessee ++ Dave Diddley Day – Blue Moon Baby ++ Rex Garvin & The Mighty Cravers – Emulsified ++ Cat – Watussi ++ Screaming Lord Sutch – Flashing Lights ++ Bob Azzam & His Orchestra – The Last Time ++ Robb London – Gloria ++ John D. Loudermilk – Goin’ To Hell On A Sled

#aquariumdrunkard

[ro-visiting-the-bureau]

TCR Birthday Bash Prompt Submissions!

Yes, it is that time of year again, folks. The Cat Returns Birthday Bash is a little less than two months away! I will be setting everything up it this year, as our illustrious @catsafarithewriter and @tcrmommabear are busy, so it is time to get our prompt submissions. 

As always, the Bash will run for the week of July 19th, TCR’s release date anniversary, which this year will be July 16th-22nd (7/16-7/22). The anniversary prompts will once more be Happy Birthday/Free Day, but that still leaves six prompts to fill.

Prompt submissions will be open for one week from May 4th to May 11th, then I will share all the prompts that have been submitted and we will have a one week voting period before the list is confirmed. Send prompts to this account, or if you’re in the TCR discord, you can send them there as well.

I can’t wait to see what ideas we all come up with!

#tcr birthday bash #tcr birthday bash 2023 #the cat returns #baron humber von gikkingen #Haru Yoshioka #Muta #renaldo moon #toto #prince lune #yuki #the cat king #natori #natoru #studio ghibli

[happinessbunny]

Free himb

#Renaldo Moon #cats

[cymraegdragon21]

Chapter 3 now up. An unexpected heart to heart

#fanfiction #ao3 fanfic #fanfic writing #writing #ao3 writer #archive of our own #writers on tumblr #the cat returns #haru #baron humbert von gikkingen #Muta #Renaldo Moon

[agrpress-blog]

Il grande attore, sceneggiatore, regista e scrittore americano, interprete di film quali I giorni del cielo di Terrence Malick, Baby Boom di Charles Shyer, Fiori d’acciaio di Herbert Ross, Il rapporto Pelican di Alan J. Pakula, La promessa di Sean Penn e molti altri, avrebbe ottant’anni. Nato a Fort Sheridan - Illinois - nel 1943 (è morto a Midway - nel Kentucky - nel luglio 2017 a settantatré anni), Sam Rogers Shepard - meglio noto come Sam Shepard -, è stato un attore, commediografo, scrittore, sceneggiatore e regista. Alla fine degli anni Sessanta è batterista del gruppo rock Holy Modal Rounders. Nel 1979 ha vinto il premio Pulitzer per la commedia Il bambino sepolto. Aveva esordito come sceneggiatore alle fine degli anni Sessanta ottenendo ben presto importanti collaborazioni. Dopo aver lavorato con Robert Frank ed Allen Ginsberg per Me and My Brother (1969), collabora alle sceneggiature di Zabriskie Point (1970) di Michelangelo Antonioni, Renaldo e Clara (1978) di Bob Dylan, Paris, Texas (1984) di Wim Wenders, Follia d’amore (1985) di Robert Altman, Inganni pericolosi (1998) di Matthew Warchus, See You in My Dreams (2004) di Graeme Clifford, Non bussare alla mia porta (2005) di W. Wenders, ed altri film. Continuando a scrivere anche per il teatro, dopo aver interpretato da attore il drammatico I giorni del cielo (1978) di Terrence Malick - con un giovane Richard Gere ad inizio carriera e Brooke Adams - intraprende una lunga carriera cinematografica, alternando ruoli da protagonista e da comprimario. Fra i film da lui interpretati ricordiamo Frances (1982) di Graeme Clifford, con Jessica Lange, Uomini veri (1983) di Philip Kaufman, - con cui ottiene una nomination all’Oscar come Attore non Protagonista -, con Ed Harris e Dennis Quaid, Country (1984) di Richard Pearce, Crimini del cuore (1986) di Bruce Beresford, con Diane Keaton, J. Lange e Sissy Spacek e la commedia Baby Boom (1987) di Charles Shyer, ancora con D. Keaton, Fiori d’acciaio (1989) di Herbert Ross, con Shirley MacLaine, una giovane Julia Roberts, Olympia Dukakis, Cuore di tuono (1992) di Michael Apted, Il rapporto Pelican (1993), tratto dall’omonimo libro di John Grisham e con J. Roberts e Denzel Washington, La neve cade sui cedri (1998) di Scott Hicks, Passione ribelle (2000) di Billy Bob Thornton, La promessa (2001) di Sean Penn, con Jack Nicholson e Robin Wright, Black Hawk Down (2001) di Ridley Scott, Le pagine della nostra vita (2004) di Nick Cassavetes, tratto dal romanzo omonimo di Nicholas Sparks, L’assassinio di Jesse James per mano del codardo Robert Ford (2007) di Andrew Dominik, con Brad Pitt, Brothers (2009) di Jim Sheridan, Darling Companion di Lawrence Kasdan, con D. Keaton e Kevin Kline, Ithaca (2015) di Meg Ryan, In Dubious Battle - Il coraggio degli ultimi (2016) James Franco, Never Here (2017) di Camille Thorman. Ha scritto e diretto Far North- Estremo Nord (1988), con Jessica Lange e Silent Tongue (1993), con Richard Harris e Alan Bates. Come scrittore ha pubblicato vari libri, fra cui ricordiamo Hawk moon (1983) - La luna del falco, Feltrinelli, 1987-, Motel Cronicles (1983) - Feltrinelli, 1985 -, Attraverso il paradiso (Cruising Paradise, 1996) - Feltrinelli 1998 -, Il grande sogno (Great Dream of Heaven, 2003) - Feltrinelli, 2005 -, Diario del rolling thunder. Dylan e la tournée del 1975 (Rolling Thunder Logbook, 2004) - Cooper,2005 -, Diario di lavorazione (Day out of Days: Stories, 2004) - Playground, 2016 -, Quello di dentro (The One Inside, 2017), con prefazione di Patti Smith - La nave di Teseo, 2018 -. Spiare la prima persona (Spy of the First Person, 2017) - La nave di Teseo, 2020. Nel 2016 il Saggiatore (Milano) ha pubblicato il suo Motel Chronicles e, l’anno seguente, Il grande sogno, (2017), nella collana “La Cultura”.