Bookpleasures.com ispleased to welcome Carla Malden, a UCLA graduate whose career inHollywood includes work in motion picture production and developmentin addition to working as a screenwriter.  

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

Daughter of Oscar-winningactor Karl Malden, she co-authored his acclaimed memoir When DoI Start? and has written feature articles for the LosAngeles Times, capturing the quirks of Southern California andHollywood. 

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

Carla has written threeearlier novels; today, we focus on her latest novel, Playback, whichrevisits Mari Caldwell, originally introduced in Shine UntilTomorrow.

Now 34 and grappling withdisappointment and disillusionment—divorced, raising a youngdaughter, and working as a real estate photographer—Mariunexpectedly finds herself transported back to the vibrantHaight-Ashbury of 1967. 

Immersed in the Summer of Love’s idealismand a passionate romance with singer-songwriter Jimmy Westwood, Mariconfronts the pull between past and present, nostalgia and reality.

Playback deftly explorestimeless themes of love, identity, and the enduring complexities offamily, all set against the backdrop of a turbulent era that echoescontemporary upheaval

Norm: Good day Carla andthanks for taking part in our interview! Playback revisitsMari Caldwell after her time travel experience in Shine UntilTomorrow. 

How did you approach continuing her story, and whatnew themes did you want to explore with her character now at 34? Howdoes Mari’s dual perspective—physically 17 but emotionally34—challenge you as a writer?

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

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

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

I wanted toexplore how painful – and crippling – it can be to have soidealized the past (in this case, a literal visit to the past) thatyou cannot appreciate your present. 

Her dual perspective wasgreat fun to construct. When she travels back in time, she appears 17on the outside, but has the mindset and experiences of her34-year-old self.  

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

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

So, a lotof areas of her brain are functioning at odds with each othercontinually.  All that brain frenzy preoccupies her from herdeeper challenge: matters of the heart.

Norm: Time travel plays acentral role in Playback, but you choose not to explain the mechanicsin detail. What inspired you to focus more on the emotional andthematic implications rather than the science of it? 

Were thereparticular time-travel stories or theories you drew from ordeliberately avoided?

Carla: Weirdly, I’m not a bigtime travel buff. I did enough research to familiarize myself withvarious theories and then had Mari address them all, as if toacknowledge the elephant in the room (or wormhole). 

I am far moreinterested in the landscape of the heart and psyche than in thescience of time travel. For me, the time travel served as a mechanismfor Mari’s growth. It’s a means of transportation from her stuckself to her more evolved self. 

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

I believe those are two ofthe most powerful means of time travel available. Who hasn’t hearda song that instantly transports them to another time?

Norm: The Summer of Loveand Haight-Ashbury in 1967 provide a vivid historical backdrop. Howdid you research this era, and what aspects of it did you feel weremost relevant to today’s social and political climate? 

Did youdiscover anything surprising or unexpected during your research?

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

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

In contrast to today’ssocio-political climate, I’d say that the Sixties had a certainnaivite. The belief that one person could change the world wasgenuine. It saddens me to find that element lost today. 

Theenthusiasm and passion of the Sixties feels replaced by ennui atbest, cynicism and terror at worst. 

I was surprised todiscover that the Summer of Love was just that – a summer. Adiscrete period of time. Mari’s first visit was to June, 1967 whenFlower Power was in full bloom. In PLAYBACK, she arrives in October. 

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

Norm: Music and bands likeNeon Dream have an important presence in Playback. How doesmusic function as a connective tissue between the past and present inthe novel? 

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

Carla: Music is a magicalportal to a different time and place – uniquely potent and pure inthat it bypasses the brain. There’s a song in PLAYBACK, “TamaraMoonlight,” that serves as the nexus between the eras. 

In one ofthose mind-exploding time travel conundrums, Mari was named for thesong because it was her parents’ song when they were young and inlove…and the song was written for her. 

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

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

When I discovered them, Ifelt 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 totheir gorgeous harmonies… and it will definitely transport you tothe sweetest part of the Sixties.

Norm: Mari’srelationship with Jimmy Westwood is central to the story. What drewyou to develop this romantic thread, and how does it reflect Mari’sinner conflicts? You mention a dream cast for Mari and Jimmy. 

What qualities in Molly Gordon and Henry Taylor embody thesecharacters?

Carla: It felt inevitablethat Mari’s Sixties love interest would be a musician. Not only isthe singer-songwriter emblematic of the times, but he stands inperfect contrast to her present-day ex-husband, a psychologist. 

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

Mari has to reconcile notonly her two selves: 17-year-old versus 34-year-old, but she has toreconcile the two main loves of her life: Jimmy and her little girl,Joni. But these two live in two different times. 

Mari’s innerconflict is writ large in the push-pull between those two times.

In terms of casting, MollyGordon is extraordinary at showing what she’s thinking whileattempting to hide it at the same time. That’s very Mari. Quitehonestly, I chose Henry Taylor – son of James Taylor – because ofhow he looks and how he sings. 

Like his father, he has the voice ofan angel – exactly the voice I heard in my head for Jimmy Westwood.And all the memories and connotations that his lineage bringsdoesn’t hurt!)

Norm: Nostalgia and thedangers of living too much in the past are recurring themes. How doyou think Playback speaks to our current cultural obsessionwith nostalgia? How does Mari’s journey warn against orembrace nostalgia?

Carla: If we have acurrent obsession with nostalgia, I think it’s because the presentis so frightening. “The good old days” sounds not only idyllic,but life-saving or, at least, sanity-preserving. 

In PLAYBACK, Marihas to learn to let go of the elements of the past that don’t servethe present while folding the other elements – the sacrifice, thelove – into her soul. 

So, ultimately, Mari’s journey is acautionary tale about being trapped in nostalgia and a celebration ofaccepting the past by honoring it and carrying it forward. 

Norm: Mari wrestles withdisappointment—professionally and personally. How do you balanceportraying realistic struggles with offering hope or redemption? Didwriting Mari’s character offer you personal catharsis?

Carla: When we meet Mariat the beginning of PLAYBACK, her dreams are largely shattered… allexcept for having her daughter. It was important that we feel Mari’sanguish regarding the state of her life so that the arc of hercharacter is meaningful.  

I didn’t think of it as balancingone with the other as much as being true to whatever situation shewas in at any given moment. If her emotional reaction is honest, thebalance takes care of itself. 

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

We can call that  “catharsis,” but it feels more likearrival. At the end of the book, I got to leave her where she neededto be.

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

Norm: As someone who hasworked extensively in Hollywood and as a screenwriter, how did yourbackground in film shape the novel’s pacing and sceneconstruction? Do you envision Playback adapted as ascreenplay or film?

Carla: As I’m writing, Ido see the scenes in my head, almost as though I’m watching themovie and describing what I’m seeing. I did strive for a cinematicquality in this book. 

I wanted the reader to experienceHaight-Ashbury with all their senses, to take them on their own timetravel excursion. 

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

I do see PLAYBACK as afilm. Or PLAYBACK in combination with SHINE UNTIL TOMORROW as alimited series for TV. It’s been gratifying to have so many peopletell me they can’t wait for the movie! Me too!

Norm: The novel juxtaposespolitical and social unrest in 1967 and 2025. What parallels did yousee between these moments, and how did you weave them into thenarrative? Were there specific events or movements you felt wereespecially resonant?

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

At the beginning ofPLAYBACK, Mari scrolls through screens, half-watching the news. Mediacoverage of the news was a newer phenomenon in the ‘60’s. Theviewing public was shocked to have the Vietnam War come into theirliving rooms. 

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

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

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

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

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

Norm: As we wind up ourinterview, how has writing Playback affected your ownunderstanding of time, memory, and identity? Do you have apersonal “playback” moment you find yourself revisiting orreinterpreting?

Carla: I think personalidentity is profoundly tied to memory, particularly in terms of thestories we tell ourselves. In PLAYBACK, Mari has to re-jigger hersense of self largely because of her relationship to memory. 

Herfirst love was not just in her past; he was in the past. That’s alot to grapple with. 

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

Thepresent takes effort. It’s not passive.  In a way, lingeringin the past – taking up residence there – speaks to yourself-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’velost. Because “playback” moments can, at their very heart, alsobe ways of keeping people you love with you.

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