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"A black man had owned them, a strange thing for many in that world, and now that he was dead, maybe a white man would buy them, which was not as strange."
The Known World was published in 2003 and Edward P. Jones won the Pulitzer Prize for the novel in 2004. The setting is Virginia in the 1800s. The subject matter is difficult to accept- the bizarre (but apparently true) idea that there were some African-American slave owners. The story involves the outcome of this scenario, but also so much more than that. Jones manages to create one of the most lyrical, detailed, emotional stories I have ever read. By interweaving the history of slavery, the deep emotions and personalities of many characters, and a message of overcoming what you thought you could never overcome, The Known World will stay in my top ten favorite books for a long time.
The long list of characters can be confusing at times, but I fell into the novel and could not put it down. Sometimes, just when I had forgotten about one character, they would reappear unexpectedly and play a role in another chapter and another character's life. I learned to not focus so much on the names, but the overall feelings of each character and what they added.
The Known World took me to places I had never thought of. He begins with the shock value of an African American slaveholder with a bustling plantation, as well as the reality of the violence and racism of the time. He holds the reader's attention all the way to the end with not an ounce of boredom in between.
Also by Edward P. Jones:
All Aunt Hagar's Children (2006)
Lost in the City (1992)
If Jonathan Franzen's name sounds familiar to you, it might be because his novel The Corrections was briefly part of Oprah's book club in 2001, only to be taken off the list when he was quoted in an interview as saying that he was uncomfortable with his book being part of the club. Even without Oprah backing his novel, The Corrections was still a best-seller.
Since I enjoyed The Corrections so much, I thought I would give some of his other books a try. I read a collection of his essays called How To Be Alone and loved it, which led me recently to his memoir The Discomfort Zone. I was not disappointed.
I love memoirs, especially ones that are written by interesting, quirky people. Franzen and his tales of growing up are, like most human stories, funny and sad. This memoir deals with his childhood, of course, and that portion is entertaining as he writes about awkward and embarrassing situations. But what I got more out of in the book were the parts of his adult life that were difficult, including the end of his marriage and the death of his mother. I think human beings are curious about how others deal with the stresses and traumas of life, so I eagerly read the passages about dealing with grief and recuperating after the end of a serious relationship.
By the end, Franzen seems to have gotten through the worst part of his troubles and enters into a part of his life when he is mostly alone. Alone, except for birdwatching. "Then my mother died, and I went out birdwatching for the first time in my life," he writes. Initially, I thought "Birdwatching? Really?" But it was a great insight into how he coped with being alone and used the birdwatching as a window into human relations. It was even humorous to read about the way he saw so many human characteristics in the birds and the way they interacted.
Overall, Franzen's memoir is the story of an average guy with what might be considered an average life, but the way he weaves the unexpected into the story is satisfying. It was even a little random sometimes, but given the fact that life is random, I grew to appreciate this quality. The memoir has the elements of most memoirs: growing up, love, learning, and death. But you will also find a lot of substance and his humor in the middle, like the travel stories, bits about global warming, and Franze
n finding his way through college.
www.jonathanfranzen.com
Includes a list of books and summaries, an author bio, book reviews, and even an address if you want to write fan mail!
"I never fall apart because I never fall together" -Andy Warhol
I think it is safe to assume that most people have probably heard of Andy Warhol and are probably familiar with his famous art work (Campbell's soup? Portrait of Marilyn Monroe?) Yes, Warhol is quintessential American art. He was also a filmmaker, magazine editor, and all-around genius. But some people might not know that Warhol became a published author in 1975 when he wrote an autobiography called The Philosophy of Andy Warhol.
The book is certainly not a typical autobiography. It doesn't involve long anecdotes about his childhood in Pennsylvania (although there are some funny bits involving his awkward adolescence), his parents, or any of the run-of-the-mill history one might expect. Instead, the book is really more like a journal or maybe a letter to a friend. It is full of his opinions about often important topics- relationships, love, death, success. But those topics are just so serious and draining, so Warhol works his magic and ends up writing about drag queens, famous friends, psychiatry, candy and television. "When I got my first TV set, I stopped caring so much about having close relationships with other people," he writes.
Every page is witty, sometimes sarcastic, and always fascinating. This book is an opportunity to learn more about the man behind the pop art phenomenon. For anyone who might be curious to know what was going on in the mind of Warhol during the height of his fame, his autobiography is a great resource. You will laugh out loud at least once, I promise.
www.warhol.org
Andy Warhol Museum
Pittsburgh, PA
Keeps you up-to-date about other events and collections at the museum.
Also has a fun online shop with all the Warhol merchandise you could ever dream of.
