JohnnyDepp-Zone.com

You are invited to join with the ONBC moderators, Liz and DeppintheHeartof Texas, as the Zone’s book club begins its discussion of Jean-Dominique Bauby’s memoir THE DIVING BELL AND THE BUTTERFLY this week. Bauby, editor-in-chief of ELLE Magazine in France, suffered a stroke in 1995 which left him unable to move any part of his body except his left eyelid, a rare condition called “Locked-In Syndrome.” Fully sentient and aware of his surroundings, Bauby managed to communicate and dictate this remarkable memoir by blinking his eye. Bauby’s story became the subject of a much-honored 2007 film by director Julian Schnabel, who originally wanted to cast Johnny Depp in the role of Bauby; because of JD’s long association with this work, and with Mr. Schnabel, who directed Johnny in BEFORE NIGHT FALLS, ONBC has chosen to read THE DIVING BELL AND THE BUTTERFLY.

Liz and DITHOT have done their usual astonishing job preparing background tidbits on the author and the work; stop by the ONBC forum and learn more about the amazing Mr. Bauby, his book, and the Schnabel film of THE DIVING BELL AND THE BUTTERFLY. To see a photo of Johnny Depp with Julian Schnabel, click here. This picture was taken at the 2008 Academy Awards ceremony, when JD was nominated as Best Actor for SWEENEY TODD and Julian Schnabel was nominated as Best Director for DIVING BELL. –Part-Time Poet