The book chronicles the life of chabon s grandfather, a ww2 soldier, engineer and rocket enthusiast who marries a troubled jewish survivor from france and lives a challenging, wandering life in postwar america. Fatherhood in pieces by michael chabon is published by fourth estate. Chabons newest book, moonglow, is a sly, quasiautobiographical novel posing as a memoir. The narrators grandfather is on his deathbed, and, with his. The problem with moonglow, however, is actually a shortage of playfulness. In conversation with dallas theater centers kevin moriarty. Pulitzer prizewinning novelist michael chabon said during a recent radio interview that he wakes up every day hoping that president trump suffers from a massive stroke.
His first novel, the mysteries of pittsburgh, was published in 1988 when he was still a graduate student. Moonglow by michael chabon we have a problem financial. Readers who have followed the authors career to this point will recognize moonglow as a. Whether any of that is even 50 percent factual or perhaps wholly imagined it is all recounted by a narratorcharacter named michael chabon in the new novel moonglow arguably the reallife chabons most jewish book since the yiddish policemens union in 2007. The pulitzer prize winning author talks about his new book telegraph avenue and why the movie john carter got a bad rap subscribe to time. Michael chabon blends fact and fiction to create a truth youtube. Moonglow by michael chabon harper in moonglow, the fictional michael chabon tells the story of his grandfather. In his tenth work of fiction, chabon, bestknown for his pulitzer prizewinning the amazing. Courtesy of harper collins moonglow, pulitzer prizewinning writer michael chabons new novel, is framed as a. Its a way to remake an unhappy reality and exert control werewolves in their youth, a means of grappling with personal.
The amazing adventures of michael chabons sortofgrandpa. The pulitzerprize winning author michael chabon, who grew up in columbia, has just released a collection of thoughtful and moving essays called. Magical family narrative drives michael chabons latest novel. Michael chabon s moonglow is published by fourth estate. Moonglow the latest novel from the inventive michael chabon, is also one of his most successful creations. Michael chabon chats with zadie smith and ira glass youtube. In moonglow, michael chabon builds a scale model of the broken. The event will feature a interview with chabon conducted by dan kubis, host of pitts humanities podcasts.
Chabon tells the story using a mixture of strict memoir and creative fiction writing. His narratives were frequently suffused with references to world mythology and to his own jewish heritage. Feb 03, 2017 chabons playfulness emerges in passages in which the novelists art is held up to examination. Chabon, for his part, has written titles including wonder boys, moonglow. For michael chabon, author of a number of iconic novels including the mysteries of pittsburgh and the mysteries of pittsburgh and. Michael chabon returns with a searching family saga the new. The amazing adventures of michael chabon s sortofgrandpa in moonglow moonglow is a playful, fictional take on the family memoir. Pulitzer prizewinning author michael chabon gets stuck. In moonglow, michael chabon builds a scale model of the. It is a tale of madness, of war and adventure, of sex and marriage and desire, of. That is not to say i dont have his books sitting on my shelves, or loaded onto my kindle, because i do. Michael chabon, pulitzer winner, says he wakes up every. That dreamlike week of revelations forms the basis for the novel moonglow, the latest feat of legerdemain from pulitzer prizewinning author michael chabon.
Michael chabon introduced and interviewed by ben marcus youtube. Michael chabon discusses his lifelong interest in comic books which inspired him to write the amazing adventures of kavalier and clay what was your inspiration for writing the amazing adventures of kavalier and clay. Nov 22, 2016 moonglow, michael chabons new novel, finds its essence at the intersection between tiny moments of family history and the biggest global events of the 20th century. I must admit, up front, that ive never read a book by this author. Nov 22, 2016 pulitzer prizewinning author michael chabon gets stuck. Chabons moonglow reflects jewish experience usa today. Moonglow by michael chabon is published by 4th estate.
Michael chabons moonglow is narrated by a man listening to his grandfathers memories of growing up, in the same way chabon listened to stories his grandfather told him. His alternate history novel, the yiddish policemens union, won the hugo, nebula, and sidewise awards. It is also chabons first novel in nearly 20 years to be written in the. He studied at carnegiemellon and the university of pittsburgh, received an m. Nov 22, 2016 the amazing adventures of michael chabon s sortofgrandpa in moonglow moonglow is a playful, fictional take on the family memoir.
Jun 07, 2017 at the 2014 chairmans evening, macdowell colony chairman michael chabon speaks to author zadie smith and radio host and personality ira glass about their latest work on december 8, 2014. Nov 23, 2016 michael chabon s moonglow shines with insight and fantastic storytelling chabon s new novel is a collection of stories in which a dying grandfather tells the secrets of his life to his grandson. Dec 19, 2016 in his tenth work of fiction, chabon, bestknown for his pulitzer prizewinning the amazing adventures of kavalier and clay, draws on his own family history as he imagines the murky origins and. Nov 15, 2016 storytelling matters desperately to michael chabons characters. This novel in memoirs clothing crisscrosses decades and continents and drifts in and out of true american history and the authors own family stories. The magic act interview with michael chabon bookshop. Michael chabons adventures of kavalier and clay series. Michael chabon on fatherhood, fiction and his new book moonglow. Powells interview michael chabon, author of moonglow. Michael chabon is the awardwinning novelist behind the amazing adventures of kavalier and clay, the yiddish policemens union, the final solution, the mysteries of pittsburgh, wonder boys, and telegraph avenue, in addition to two short story collections, a ya novel, and, with dark horse comics, the amazing adventures of the escapist. The pulitzer prizewinning author weaves together his familys own history with world history in moonglow, a noveldisguisedasmemoir about. Magical family narrative drives michael chabons latest. Nov 20, 2016 moonglow, which comes out this week, is chabons first fauxmemoir novel, as he put it. Yeah, that usually happens as soon as i start writing the first sentence.
In case youre confused, rest assured that michael chabons new book, moonglow, is 99 percent fiction, and any resemblance between him and the memoirist narrating it also named michael chabon. Michael chabon discusses his lifelong interest in comic books which inspired him to write the amazing adventures of kavalier and clay. But chabon andor his publishers marketing department are pushing this books trueness, implicitly asking us to read moonglow as a novel thats not quite fiction. Michael chabons moonglow shines with insight and fantastic. However, ive never managed to get around to reading them. In 1989, chabon spent time with his terminally ill grandfather, who shared recollections and stories the younger man.
Jan 10, 2017 moonglow by michael chabon is published by 4th estate. Nov 24, 2016 whether any of that is even 50 percent factual or perhaps wholly imagined it is all recounted by a narratorcharacter named michael chabon in the new novel moonglow arguably the reallife chabons most jewish book since the yiddish policemens union in 2007. Michael chabon returns with a searching family saga the. Oct 03, 2017 michael chabon opens the poetry centers 79th season with a reading from moonglow a dashing, technicolor tribute to his grandfathers generation and a flamboyantly imaginative work of. Michael chabon opens the poetry centers 79th season with a reading from moonglow a dashing, technicolor tribute to his grandfathers. An interview with michael chabon, university of pittsburgh alum and pulitzer prizewinning author of the mysteries of pittsburgh, the amazing adventures of kavalier and klay, and telegraph avenue. Michael chabon discusses the inspiration behind his latest novel, moonglow by aric sleeper. Readers who have followed the authors career to this point will recognize moonglow as a mother lode of chaboniana, replete with explorations. Michael chabon introduced and interviewed by ben marcus. Nov 22, 2016 michael chabons new novel is written as a memoir.
Michael chabon on his new book, why bob dylan deserves the. This is neither as confusing nor as devious as it might sound, since moonglow is less a selfconscious postmodern highwire act than an easygoing hybrid of formsafter im gone, write it. Presented as a memoir about a grandfather, the novel weaves together the history of a. Both are the case with chabons latest release, moonglow.
Apr 30, 2020 michael chabon, born may 24, 1963, washington, d. For author michael chabon, fatherhood is his driving. Jan 29, 2017 michael chabons moonglow is published by fourth estate. What was your inspiration for writing the amazing adventures of kavalier and clay. Michael chabon on making picard and being a fanboy the pulitzer prizewinning author discusses being a trekkie, his lifelong love of genre, the. Moonglow, chabons th book in addition to novels, his works include a comics anthology, a serialized novel, a book of short stories, and an essay collection, is an epic family saga framed as the life story of chabons grandfather, as told to him via a series of deathbed conversations in the last week of his life. His next novel is telegraph avenue, due out in september this interview first appeared in s. Michael chabon blurs fiction and memoir in moonglow.
The following version of this book was used to create this study guide. Jan 27, 2017 unsurprisingly, chabon being primarily a novelist, it features in the fiction category. It playfully teases the reader at every turn in chabons novel, which unfolds as a deathbed confession with no. It meant so much to me, chabon said in a phone interview from his. Moonglow by michael chabon is a 2016 harper publication. In 1989, chabon spent time with his terminally ill grandfather, who shared recollections and stories the. Nov 21, 2016 michael chabons moonglow is a cunning dance with autobiography. How michael chabon steered star trek back to the future gq. Moonglow, michael chabons new novel, finds its essence at the intersection between tiny moments of family history and the biggest global events of the 20th century. Moonglow sets out its stall as a family story, in which a novelist called michael chabon visits his dying grandfather and listens as a heavy dose.
Following on the heels of his new york times bestselling novel telegraph avenue, pulitzer prizewinning author michael chabon delivers moonglow, a novel of truth and lies, family legends, and the forces that work to destroy us. This thoroughly enjoyable novel is fashioned as a family memoir, written by an author named michael chabon, focusing on his grandfather, grandmother and mother. Michael chabons new novel moonglow is a faux memoir. Michael chabon shaybon is an american novelist and short story writer. Moonglow unfolds as the deathbed confession of a man the narrator refers to only as my grandfather. Michael chabons moonglow is a cunning dance with autobiography. Cody delistraty writes about michael chabon, whose new book, moonglow, about the lasting effects of the second world war, comes out this. Michael chabons moonglow shines with insight and fantastic storytelling chabons new novel is a collection of stories in which a dying grandfather tells the secrets of his life to his grandson.
A novel, pulitzer prizewinning author michael chabon blurs the line between truth and fiction, placing historical. The amazing adventures of michael chabons sortofgrandpa in moonglow moonglow is a playful, fictional take on the family memoir. Chabon was in pittsburgh as part of a book tour for his new novel moonglow, which the wall street journal recently named the best novel of 2016. Moonglow, which comes out this week, is chabons first fauxmemoir novel, as he put it. Sometimes an idea just pops into his brain and a book comes out. Set in 1990, it stars young author mike chabon, whos. In michael chabons moonglow, deathbed stories illuminate. Moonglow is a novel presented as a memoir, in which the narrator a fictionalized version of the author recounts the lives of his grandfather and grandmother. At the 2014 chairmans evening, macdowell colony chairman michael chabon speaks to author zadie smith and radio host and personality ira glass about their latest work on december 8, 2014. Interview with nbcc fiction finalist michael chabon.
The pulitzer winner on picard, working with patrick stewart, and the challenges of showrunning. Nov 24, 2016 moonglow by michael chabon harper in moonglow, the fictional michael chabon tells the story of his grandfather. Booklist raved about michael chabons latest, moonglow, describing it as a masterful and resounding novel of the dark and blazing forces that. Michael chabon, who earned his ba at pitt in 1984, returns to pittsburgh to talk about his career, his writing, and his new novel moonglow, set for publication in november, 2016. The amazing adventures of michael chabons sortofgrandpa in. This is the official facebook page for new york times bestselling and pulitzer prizewinning author, michael chabon. Nov 20, 2016 michael chabons new book is described on the title page as a novel, in an authors note as a memoir and in the acknowledgments as a pack of lies. Michael chabons new book is described on the title page as a novel, in an authors note as a memoir and in the acknowledgments as a pack of lies.