Stephen Yafa is an American screenwriter, author, and speaker.[2] He was noted for his 1968 screenplay,Paxton Quigley's Had the Course,[3] which was also a Writers Guild of America award-winning novel.[4] The film was renamedThree in the Attic.[5][6] Reviews were not good,[7] andVariety noted that Yafa disowned the picture.[8] Yafa co-wrote the screenplay for the 1971 film,Summertree, withEdward Hume, based on the successfulRon Cowen play.[9][10]
Yafa is also known for his first non-fiction book,Big Cotton, published by Viking in 2005,[11][12][13] and republished asCotton: The Biography of a Revolutionary Fiber by Penguin in 2006. He was interviewed about the book on Illinois Public Radio.[14] His most recent book isGrain of Truth: Why Eating Wheat Can Improve Your Health.[15][16][17]
Other writing by Yafa includes articles on wine,[19][20] a book chapter on wine's origin,[21][22] and an article on child trafficking.[23] Yafa'sBig Cotton was named a Best Book of the Year by theSan Francisco Chronicle: "Yafa chronicles everything from the domestication of cotton 5,550 years ago in Asia, Africa and South America to the rise of denim, the most American of fabrics, and today's controversial bioengineering."[24][25]
In 2005, calling his label “Segue” to reflect a transition from wine lover and writer to commercial winemaker,[26] Yafa began making Pinot Noir wine professionally on a small scale.[27] He produced 50 cases in 2005.[28] In 2007 he produced 150 cases, which were rated "Decent" by Prince of Pinot in 2009.[29] In 2007, Wines & Vines magazine published a 3-part series Yafa wrote about his experiences, called "Going Pro."[30][31][32]
InFrom No-knead to Sourdough Victoria Miller calledGrain of Truth one of the best books on Gluten.[33]
Yafa is married to Bonnie Dahan,[34] with three grown children, and lives inMarin County, California.[2][18] Yafa was motivated to investigate and write about wheat and gluten after his wife was diagnosed with a "gluten neck," and he now promotes slow-fermented or homemade bread.[35][34][36]
Three in the Attic Based on novel "Paxton Quigley's Had the Course" by Stephen Yafa
Summertree Screenplay by Edward Hume and Stephen Yafa
Max Frost and the Troopers single, "Sittin' in Circles," was performed in the filmThree in the Attic by Davie Allan and the Arrows. The B-side of that single, "Paxton Quigley's Had The Course," was aChad & Jeremy composition.
