Filmmaker Sayles … is also a highly imaginative short story writer with a sure ear for dialogue, a keen eye for group dynamics, a flair for quickly establishing intriguing mise-en-scènes, and the ability to animate a great spectrum of flinty characters … Sayles expresses his compassion and concern for those who struggle with poverty and prejudice, seeking both to provoke and entertain.” ―Booklist

“Many writers can render credible characters in a credible world, but only a few can do so with a warmth and a humor that is as wise as it is true.” ―Chicago Sun-Times

“[Sayles’s] ancestry is more like the reportorial vigor Jack London on one side and a little of the sweet impressionism of Stephen Crane on the other.” ―The New York Times

John Sayles works as a fiction writer, screenwriter, actor, and feature film director. His novel Union Dues was nominated for the National Book Award and the National Critics' Circle Award. He has written over a hundred screenplays and was twice nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay.