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Griffin Dunne finds balance between madcap Hollywood adventures and family tragedy in new memoir

Griffin Dunne's new memoir, “The Friday Afternoon Club, A Family Memoir,” out Tuesday from Penguin Press, is filled with raucous tales of growing up in Hollywood — from sneaking into his parents’ dinner parties featuring Grace Kelly and Frank Sinatra, to Sean Connery saving him from drowning in a po

NEW YORK (AP) — Griffin Dunne says he’s grateful his parents raised him with what he affectionately calls “benign neglect” in 1970s and ‘80s Los Angeles because it encouraged creativity and risk-taking that led to some wild experiences he chronicles in his new memoir. “The Friday Afternoon Club, A Family Memoir,” out Tuesday from Penguin Press, is filled with raucous tales of growing up in Hollywood — from sneaking into his parents’ dinner parties with guests like Grace Kelly and Frank Sinatra, to Sean Connery saving him from drowning in a pool (see, neglect! The actor, producer and director infuses the book with humor, but also covers the tragic aspects of his life: his mother’s early MS diagnosis, his father’s (writer Dominick Dunne) addictions, his brother’s mental health challenges and his sister’s murder.

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