Bookpleasures.com is pleased to welcome Carla Malden, a UCLA graduate whose career in Hollywood includes work in motion picture production and development in addition to working as a screenwriter.  

She serves on the Board of the Geffen Playhouse, continuing her engagement with the artistic community that has shaped her multifaceted career.

Daughter of Oscar-winning actor Karl Malden, she co-authored his acclaimed memoir When Do I Start? and has written feature articles for the Los Angeles Times, capturing the quirks of Southern California and Hollywood. 

Her own memoir AfterImage: A Brokenhearted Memoir of a Charmed Life chronicles battling the before and surviving the after of losing her husband to cancer. 

Carla has written three earlier novels; today, we focus on her latest novel, Playback, which revisits Mari Caldwell, originally introduced in Shine Until Tomorrow.

Now 34 and grappling with disappointment and disillusionment—divorced, raising a young daughter, and working as a real estate photographer—Mari unexpectedly finds herself transported back to the vibrant Haight-Ashbury of 1967. 

Immersed in the Summer of Love's idealism and a passionate romance with singer-songwriter Jimmy Westwood, Mari confronts the pull between past and present, nostalgia and reality.

Playback deftly explores timeless themes of love, identity, and the enduring complexities of family, all set against the backdrop of a turbulent era that echoes contemporary upheaval

Norm: Good day Carla and thanks for taking part in our interview! Playback revisits Mari Caldwell after her time travel experience in Shine Until Tomorrow. 

How did you approach continuing her story, and what new themes did you want to explore with her character now at 34? How does Mari's dual perspective—physically 17 but emotionally 34—challenge you as a writer?

Carla: The biggest challenge was to make sure that PLAYBACK stood entirely on its own, though still be enriched by having read (or reading) SHINE UNTIL TOMORROW. 

In order to ensure that, I thought of her story less as a continuation and more as an independent story with a fascinating backstory. 

When we meet Mari, now 34, she is disillusioned, disheartened, and disappointed – as much with herself as with the world. All the idealism and optimism she brought back from her first visit to the Sixties has been eroded by harsh realities. 

I wanted to explore how painful – and crippling – it can be to have so idealized the past (in this case, a literal visit to the past) that you cannot appreciate your present. 

Her dual perspective was great fun to construct. When she travels back in time, she appears 17 on the outside, but has the mindset and experiences of her 34-year-old self.  

I think a lot of us have periods of disconnect between how the world perceives us and we feel inside. 

Mari gave me a chance to explore that conflict. Plus – she has the added challenge of needing to sidestep anachronisms that might draw attention to her or give her away as being from the future. 

So, a lot of areas of her brain are functioning at odds with each other continually.  All that brain frenzy preoccupies her from her deeper challenge: matters of the heart.

Norm: Time travel plays a central role in Playback, but you choose not to explain the mechanics in detail. What inspired you to focus more on the emotional and thematic implications rather than the science of it? 

Were there particular time-travel stories or theories you drew from or deliberately avoided?

Carla: Weirdly, I'm not a big time travel buff. I did enough research to familiarize myself with various theories and then had Mari address them all, as if to acknowledge the elephant in the room (or wormhole). 

I am far more interested in the landscape of the heart and psyche than in the science of time travel. For me, the time travel served as a mechanism for Mari's growth. It's a means of transportation from her stuck self to her more evolved self. 

That said, time travel is a really fun concept on which to hang other motifs that figure prominently in the book – notably, photography and music. 

I believe those are two of the most powerful means of time travel available. Who hasn't heard a song that instantly transports them to another time?

Norm: The Summer of Love and Haight-Ashbury in 1967 provide a vivid historical backdrop. How did you research this era, and what aspects of it did you feel were most relevant to today's social and political climate? 

Did you discover anything surprising or unexpected during your research?

Carla: I did a great deal of research. I watched every Summer of Love documentary I could find and read a lot of books – particularly firsthand accounts. 

I developed quite a library of picture books from the Sixties which were enormously helpful in painting the scene sensorially. And, of course, I listened to the music non-stop. So much Jefferson Airplane!

In contrast to today's socio-political climate, I'd say that the Sixties had a certain naivite. The belief that one person could change the world was genuine. It saddens me to find that element lost today. 

The enthusiasm and passion of the Sixties feels replaced by ennui at best, cynicism and terror at worst. 

I was surprised to discover that the Summer of Love was just that – a summer. A discrete period of time. Mari's first visit was to June, 1967 when Flower Power was in full bloom. In PLAYBACK, she arrives in October. 

The summer is over. She encounters a symbolic mock funeral for the hippie. That really happened. Kids were over being co-opted by the media.  Reality was beginning to show its face. October was both literally and metaphorically the fall of the Summer of Love.

Norm: Music and bands like Neon Dream have an important presence in Playback. How does music function as a connective tissue between the past and present in the novel? 

Do you have personal connections to any of the music or artists featured?

Carla: Music is a magical portal to a different time and place – uniquely potent and pure in that it bypasses the brain. There's a song in PLAYBACK, "Tamara Moonlight," that serves as the nexus between the eras. 

In one of those mind-exploding time travel conundrums, Mari was named for the song because it was her parents' song when they were young and in love…and the song was written for her. 

On her first trip to 1967, she fell in love with singer-songwriter, Jimmy Westwood, and he wrote the song for her. So she was named for the song she inspired. The song lives in both times. 

I've always been a huge fan of the music of the Sixties. Of the artists mentioned in the book, I'd say I have a special personal connection to Hedge & Donna because they're so little known. 

When I discovered them, I felt very proprietary. Unfortunately, their music isn't streamable, but you can find a few isolated songs on YouTube. I recommend "Follow" if you can find it. It's a beautiful introduction to their gorgeous harmonies… and it will definitely transport you to the sweetest part of the Sixties.

Norm: Mari's relationship with Jimmy Westwood is central to the story. What drew you to develop this romantic thread, and how does it reflect Mari's inner conflicts? You mention a dream cast for Mari and Jimmy. 

What qualities in Molly Gordon and Henry Taylor embody these characters?

Carla: It felt inevitable that Mari's Sixties love interest would be a musician. Not only is the singer-songwriter emblematic of the times, but he stands in perfect contrast to her present-day ex-husband, a psychologist. 

 Heart versus mind. At the risk of being reductive, that's Mari's primary conflict: heart versus mind. 

Mari has to reconcile not only her two selves: 17-year-old versus 34-year-old, but she has to reconcile the two main loves of her life: Jimmy and her little girl, Joni. But these two live in two different times. 

Mari's inner conflict is writ large in the push-pull between those two times.

In terms of casting, Molly Gordon is extraordinary at showing what she's thinking while attempting to hide it at the same time. That's very Mari. Quite honestly, I chose Henry Taylor – son of James Taylor – because of how he looks and how he sings. 

Like his father, he has the voice of an angel – exactly the voice I heard in my head for Jimmy Westwood. (And all the memories and connotations that his lineage brings doesn't hurt!)

Norm: Nostalgia and the dangers of living too much in the past are recurring themes. How do you think Playback speaks to our current cultural obsession with nostalgia? How does Mari's journey warn against or embrace nostalgia?

Carla: If we have a current obsession with nostalgia, I think it's because the present is so frightening. "The good old days" sounds not only idyllic, but life-saving or, at least, sanity-preserving. 

In PLAYBACK, Mari has to learn to let go of the elements of the past that don't serve the present while folding the other elements – the sacrifice, the love – into her soul. 

So, ultimately, Mari's journey is a cautionary tale about being trapped in nostalgia and a celebration of accepting the past by honoring it and carrying it forward. 

Norm: Mari wrestles with disappointment—professionally and personally. How do you balance portraying realistic struggles with offering hope or redemption? Did writing Mari's character offer you personal catharsis?

Carla: When we meet Mari at the beginning of PLAYBACK, her dreams are largely shattered… all except for having her daughter. It was important that we feel Mari's anguish regarding the state of her life so that the arc of her character is meaningful.  

I didn't think of it as balancing one with the other as much as being true to whatever situation she was in at any given moment. If her emotional reaction is honest, the balance takes care of itself. 

There is always a part of me in every character I write, some more than others. I have a lot in common with Mari – both good and bad. By definition, her journey is my journey. So (spoiler alert) her happy ending is my happy ending. 

We can call that  "catharsis," but it feels more like arrival. At the end of the book, I got to leave her where she needed to be.

Overall, I, like Mari, have had to learn how to simultaneously honor and release the past in very significant ways in my own life.  

Norm: As someone who has worked extensively in Hollywood and as a screenwriter, how did your background in film shape the novel's pacing and scene construction? Do you envision Playback adapted as a screenplay or film?

Carla: As I'm writing, I do see the scenes in my head, almost as though I'm watching the movie and describing what I'm seeing. I did strive for a cinematic quality in this book. 

I wanted the reader to experience Haight-Ashbury with all their senses, to take them on their own time travel excursion. 

While there is a good bit of internal monologue on Mari's part, I wanted the plot to move quickly – for the pace to mimic her whirlwind trip to 1967. Mari is swept away by this adventure and I wanted the reader to have the same experience. 

I do see PLAYBACK as a film. Or PLAYBACK in combination with SHINE UNTIL TOMORROW as a limited series for TV. It's been gratifying to have so many people tell me they can't wait for the movie! Me too!

Norm: The novel juxtaposes political and social unrest in 1967 and 2025. What parallels did you see between these moments, and how did you weave them into the narrative? Were there specific events or movements you felt were especially resonant?

Carla: The obvious similarities have to do with people taking it to the streets.  Fade out on The Vietnam War Moratorium… Fade in on the No Kings Rally. The social unrest of both eras is rooted in individuals' desperate need to make their voices heard against authority.

At the beginning of PLAYBACK, Mari scrolls through screens, half-watching the news. Media coverage of the news was a newer phenomenon in the '60's. The viewing public was shocked to have the Vietnam War come into their living rooms. 

That contributed to the outrage enormously. Today, we are all so bombarded by the constant barrage of media that we have become inured to it. And we no longer have the singular, trusted voice of a Walter Cronkite. 

Algorithms feed us reinforcement of our own points of view. This difference contributes mightily to the difference in how people see themselves in relation to the events of the day. 

That said, I think the youth-led movement to end the war in Vietnam that defined that time remains resonant today as an example of cultural/policy change that can be effected by the public. 

Norm: Where can our readers find out more about you and Playback?

Carla: Please visit my WEBSITE: . I look forward to meeting you there!

Norm: As we wind up our interview, how has writing Playback affected your own understanding of time, memory, and identity? Do you have a personal "playback" moment you find yourself revisiting or reinterpreting?

Carla: I think personal identity is profoundly tied to memory, particularly in terms of the stories we tell ourselves. In PLAYBACK, Mari has to re-jigger her sense of self largely because of her relationship to memory. 

Her first love was not just in her past; he was in the past. That's a lot to grapple with. 

Shepherding Mari on her journey to the past and back again reminded me of how easy it is to idealize that past -  to embroider those tender memories - while it can be daunting to confront the present and sculpt the future. 

The present takes effort. It's not passive.  In a way, lingering in the past – taking up residence there – speaks to your self-image. Are you removed from your own life or a force in it?

I do have a personal "playback" moment. Many of them…mostly to do with people I've lost. Because "playback" moments can, at their very heart, also be ways of keeping people you love with you.

Norm: Thanks once again and good luck with all of your future endeavors