Aline Brosh McKenna is onboard to write the film adaptation of Rochester, an unreleased graphic novel that's a modern retelling of Jane Eyre. Fox 2000 acquired the rights in a deal worth the "low seven figures". Yowza, that's a whole lot of orphan porridge!

Overall employment and earnings in Hollywood took a hit along with the general economy, but not everyone felt the sting equally. The latest Writers' Guild report indicates that in many instances, women and minority TV and film writers lost ground in comparison to white males.

Never mind the soul-searching panels, the well-meaning initiatives, or the Fempire. According to a new report, the situation for women in Hollywood is actually worsening. Also, guess which has more women writers on staff: 24 or The Sarah Silverman Program?

Judi Ann Mason, a playwright and screenwriter, has died at 54. Mason started writing professionally at only 19 and, on shows like A Different World and Sanford, was one of the first female African-American sitcom writers. [NYT]