Ethan Coen made his Off-Broadway debut with the production of Almost an Evening in January 2008. He has written a collection of stories, Gates of Eden, and a collection of poems, The Drunken Driver Has the Right of Way. With his brother Joel, he has made thirteen movies, including Raising Arizona; Barton FinkFargoThe Big LebowskiO Brother, Where Art Thou?; and No Country for Old Men.

In filmmaker Ethan Coen's Waiting, a man is stuck for generations in Purgatory—thanks to bureaucratic errors. Read our exclusive excerpt from his new book.