By Desa Philadelphia

Howard Rodman, professor in the John Wells Division of Writing for Screen & Television, was the recipient of the Ex Libris Award at the USC Libraries Scripter Awards which was held on Saturday February 22 at Town & Gown. Rodman received the award in recognition of his decades of service to the Scripters, having co-chaired or chaired the awards’ selection committee on and off since 2006, and continuously since 2013. He was introduced by novelist and screenwriter Walter Mosley.

The Scripters, which are presented by USC Libraries, honors the writers of films and television projects that have been adapted from books, as well as the authors of the source material. It makes for an interesting cross section of guests as people from the book, tv, and film worlds all come together to celebrate good storytelling. This year, Rodman and the other members of the selection committee chose award winners from 42 films and 66 episodic series submissions. Conclave, a film about the choosing of a new pope, won in the film category for Peter Straughan’s screenplay of Robert Harris’ novel. Say Nothing won in the episodic series category for Joshua Zetumer’s adaptation of Patrick Radden Keefe’s nonfiction book Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland.
 
Rodman says what makes the Scripters special is this recognition of both the source and adapted materials. “There are lots of awards for best adapted screenplay but they don’t mention the work of the original writer,” says Rodman. “It doesn’t reduce the work that was adapted.”

He says the Scripters also give much needed attention to the continued importance of libraries. “I grew up at the Brooklyn Public Library and later in life hung out more than I probably should have at the New York Public Library between the lions, Patience and Fortitude, I knew them well,” he says. “Whenever I find a student who hides out in Leavey library or hides out in Doheny library, it warms my heart. And there’s the USC Cinema Library which is astonishingly good. I love that we get to celebrate USC’s own libraries too.”
 
Rodman points out that the USC Dean of Libraries is the only Dean on campus whose constituency is essentially all of USC rather than having designated students and alumni.  “USC Libraries serve us all and because they have no alumni per se, it’s incumbent on all of us to support them,” says Rodman.
 
“For one evening we are all speaking to each other about the very best things,” Rodman says of the Scripters. He adds that he is honored to have the many hours of volunteer work he does in the industry acknowledged. “Devoting my time to the community of writers has always been something that is deeply satisfying to me,” says Rodman. “And to have somebody turn around and say ‘Hey you’ve been doing this for a long time and you’ve been doing good work’ just makes me feel like ‘OK, maybe I haven’t wasted my life’” he laughs, before adding sincerely: “It’s a lovely pat on the back.”

In addition to teaching at SCA and serving on many, many writer and community focused boards, Rodman is a past President of the Writers Guild of America West and an artistic director of the Sundance Institute Screenwriting Labs. In 2021 he was elected a Governor of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and is now a Vice President of the Academy.