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Michael Chabon ( ; born May 24, 1963) is an American novelist, screenwriter, columnist, and short story writer. Born in
Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...
, he spent a year studying at
Carnegie Mellon University Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) is a private research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. The institution was established in 1900 by Andrew Carnegie as the Carnegie Technical Schools. In 1912, it became the Carnegie Institu ...
before transferring to the
University of Pittsburgh The University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) is a Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. The university is composed of seventeen undergraduate and graduate schools and colle ...
, graduating in 1984. He subsequently received a
Master of Fine Arts A Master of Fine Arts (MFA or M.F.A.) is a terminal degree in fine arts, including visual arts, creative writing, graphic design, photography, filmmaking, dance, theatre, other performing arts and in some cases, theatre management or arts admi ...
in creative writing from the
University of California, Irvine The University of California, Irvine (UCI or UC Irvine) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Irvine, California, United States. One of the ten campuses of the University of California system, U ...
. Chabon's first novel, '' The Mysteries of Pittsburgh'' (1988), was published when he was 24. He followed it with '' Wonder Boys'' (1995) and two short-story collections. In 2000, he published '' The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay'', a novel that John Leonard would later call Chabon's
magnum opus A masterpiece, , or ; ; ) is a creation that has been given much critical praise, especially one that is considered the greatest work of a person's career or a work of outstanding creativity, skill, profundity, or workmanship. Historically, ...
. It received the
Pulitzer Prize for Fiction The Pulitzer Prize for Fiction is one of the seven American Pulitzer Prizes that are annually awarded for Letters, Drama, and Music. It recognizes distinguished fiction by an American author, preferably dealing with American life, published during ...
in 2001. His novel '' The Yiddish Policemen's Union'', an
alternate history Alternate history (also referred to as alternative history, allohistory, althist, or simply A.H.) is a subgenre of speculative fiction in which one or more historical events have occurred but are resolved differently than in actual history. As ...
mystery novel, was published in 2007 and won the Hugo, Sidewise,
Nebula A nebula (; or nebulas) is a distinct luminescent part of interstellar medium, which can consist of ionized, neutral, or molecular hydrogen and also cosmic dust. Nebulae are often star-forming regions, such as in the Pillars of Creation in ...
and Ignotus awards; his serialized novel '' Gentlemen of the Road'' appeared in book form in the fall of the same year. In 2012, Chabon published '' Telegraph Avenue'', billed as "a twenty-first century ''
Middlemarch ''Middlemarch, A Study of Provincial Life'' is a novel by English author George Eliot, the pen name of Mary Ann Evans. It appeared in eight installments (volumes) in 1871 and 1872. Set in Middlemarch, a fictional English Midlands town, in 1829 ...
''", concerning the tangled lives of two families in the San Francisco Bay Area in 2004. He followed ''Telegraph Avenue'' in November 2016 with his latest novel, '' Moonglow'', a fictionalized memoir of his maternal grandfather, based on his deathbed confessions under the influence of powerful painkillers in Chabon's mother's California home in 1989. Chabon's work is characterized by complex language, and the frequent use of
metaphor A metaphor is a figure of speech that, for rhetorical effect, directly refers to one thing by mentioning another. It may provide, or obscure, clarity or identify hidden similarities between two different ideas. Metaphors are usually meant to cr ...
"Chabon, Michael – Introduction"
''Contemporary Literary Criticism''. Ed. Jeffrey W. Hunter. Vol. 149. Gale Cengage, 2002. eNotes.com. 2006. Retrieved on July 3, 2009.
along with recurring themes such as nostalgia, divorce, abandonment, fatherhood, and most notably issues of
Jewish identity Jewish identity is the objective or subjective sense of perceiving oneself as a Jew and as relating to being Jewish. It encompasses elements of nationhood, "The Jews are a nation and were so before there was a Jewish state of Israel" "Jews are ...
. He often includes gay, bisexual, and Jewish characters in his work. Since the late 1990s, he has written in increasingly diverse styles for varied outlets; he is a notable defender of the merits of
genre fiction In the book-trade, genre fiction, also known as formula fiction, or commercial fiction,Girolimon, Mars"Types of Genres: A Literary Guide" Southern New Hampshire University, 11 December 2023. Retrieved 3 September 2024. encompasses fictional ...
and plot-driven fiction, and, along with novels, has published screenplays, children's books, comics, and newspaper serials.


Biography


Early life

Chabon was born in
Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...
, to an
Ashkenazi Ashkenazi Jews ( ; also known as Ashkenazic Jews or Ashkenazim) form a distinct subgroup of the Jewish diaspora, that Ethnogenesis, emerged in the Holy Roman Empire around the end of the first millennium Common era, CE. They traditionally spe ...
Jewish Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...
family. His parents are Robert Chabon, a physician and lawyer, and Sharon Chabon, a lawyer. Chabon said he knew he wanted to be a writer when, at the age of ten, he wrote his first short story for a class assignment. When the story received an A, he recalls, "I thought to myself, 'That's it. That's what I want to do. I can do this.' And I never had any second thoughts or doubts." Referring to popular culture, he wrote of being raised "on a hearty diet of crap". His parents divorced when he was 11, and he grew up in
Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, second-most populous city in Pennsylvania (after Philadelphia) and the List of Un ...
, Pennsylvania, and Columbia, Maryland. Columbia, where he lived nine months of the year with his mother, was "a progressive planned living community in which racial, economic, and religious diversity were actively fostered." He has written of his mother's
marijuana Cannabis (), commonly known as marijuana (), weed, pot, and ganja, List of slang names for cannabis, among other names, is a non-chemically uniform psychoactive drug from the ''Cannabis'' plant. Native to Central or South Asia, cannabis has ...
use, recalling her "sometime around 1977 or so, sitting in the front seat of her friend Kathy's car, passing a little metal pipe back and forth before we went in to see a movie." He grew up hearing
Yiddish Yiddish, historically Judeo-German, is a West Germanic language historically spoken by Ashkenazi Jews. It originated in 9th-century Central Europe, and provided the nascent Ashkenazi community with a vernacular based on High German fused with ...
spoken by his mother's parents and siblings. Chabon attended
Carnegie Mellon University Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) is a private research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. The institution was established in 1900 by Andrew Carnegie as the Carnegie Technical Schools. In 1912, it became the Carnegie Institu ...
for a year before transferring to the
University of Pittsburgh The University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) is a Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. The university is composed of seventeen undergraduate and graduate schools and colle ...
, where he studied under Chuck Kinder and received a Bachelor of Arts in 1984. He went on to graduate school at the
University of California, Irvine The University of California, Irvine (UCI or UC Irvine) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Irvine, California, United States. One of the ten campuses of the University of California system, U ...
, where he received a
Master of Fine Arts A Master of Fine Arts (MFA or M.F.A.) is a terminal degree in fine arts, including visual arts, creative writing, graphic design, photography, filmmaking, dance, theatre, other performing arts and in some cases, theatre management or arts admi ...
in creative writing.


''The Mysteries of Pittsburgh'' and initial literary success

Chabon's first novel, '' The Mysteries of Pittsburgh'', was written as his UC Irvine master's thesis. Without telling Chabon, his professor, Donald Heiney (better known by his pen name, MacDonald Harris), sent it to a literary agent, who got the author an impressive $155,000 advance on the novel, though most first-time novelists receive advances under $7,500. ''The Mysteries of Pittsburgh'' appeared in 1988 and was a bestseller, instantly catapulting Chabon to literary celebrity. Among his major literary influences in this period were Donald Barthelme,
Jorge Luis Borges Jorge Francisco Isidoro Luis Borges Acevedo ( ; ; 24 August 1899 – 14 June 1986) was an Argentine short-story writer, essayist, poet and translator regarded as a key figure in Spanish literature, Spanish-language and international literatur ...
,
Gabriel García Márquez Gabriel José García Márquez (; 6 March 1927 – 17 April 2014) was a Colombian writer and journalist, known affectionately as Gabo () or Gabito () throughout Latin America. Considered one of the most significant authors of the 20th centur ...
,
Raymond Chandler Raymond Thornton Chandler (July 23, 1888 – March 26, 1959) was an American-British novelist and screenwriter. In 1932, at the age of forty-four, Chandler became a detective fiction writer after losing his job as an oil company executive durin ...
,
John Updike John Hoyer Updike (March 18, 1932 – January 27, 2009) was an American novelist, poet, short-story writer, art critic, and literary critic. One of only four writers to win the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction more than once (the others being Booth Tar ...
,
Philip Roth Philip Milton Roth (; March 19, 1933 – May 22, 2018) was an American novelist and short-story writer. Roth's fiction—often set in his birthplace of Newark, New Jersey—is known for its intensely autobiographical character, for philosophical ...
and F. Scott Fitzgerald. As he remarked in 2010, "I just copied the writers whose voices I was responding to, and I think that's probably the best way to learn." Chabon was ambivalent about his newfound fame. He turned down offers to appear in a Gap ad and to be featured as one of ''
People The term "the people" refers to the public or Common people, common mass of people of a polity. As such it is a concept of human rights law, international law as well as constitutional law, particularly used for claims of popular sovereignty. I ...
''s "50 Most Beautiful People". He later said of the ''People'' offer, "I don't give a shit bout it... I only take pride in things I've actually done myself. To be praised for something like that is just weird. It just felt like somebody calling and saying, 'We want to put you in a magazine because the weather's so nice where you live.' " In 2001, Chabon reflected on the success of his first novel, noting that while "the upside was that I was published and I got a readership," the downside was the emotional impact: "this stuff started happening and I was still like, 'Wait a minute, is my thesis done yet?' It took me a few years to catch up." In 1991, he published '' A Model World'', a collection of short stories, many of which were previously published in ''
The New Yorker ''The New Yorker'' is an American magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. It was founded on February 21, 1925, by Harold Ross and his wife Jane Grant, a reporter for ''The New York T ...
''.


''Fountain City'' and ''Wonder Boys''

After the success of ''The Mysteries of Pittsburgh'', Chabon spent five years working on a second novel, ''Fountain City'', a "highly ambitious opus ... about an architect building a perfect baseball park in Florida." It ballooned to 1,500 pages, with no end in sight. The process was frustrating for Chabon, who, in his words, "never felt like I was conceptually on steady ground." At one point, he submitted a 672-page draft to his agent and editor, who disliked the work. Chabon had problems dropping the novel, though. "It was really scary," he said later. "I'd already signed a contract and been paid all this money. And then I'd gotten a divorce and half the money was already with my ex-wife. My instincts were telling me, 'This book is fucked. Just drop it.' But I didn't, because I thought, 'What if I have to give the money back?' " "I used to go down to my office and fantasize about all the books I could write instead." Chabon has confessed to being "careless and sloppy" when it came to his novels' plots, saying how he "again and again falls back on the same basic story." When he finally decided to abandon ''Fountain City'', Chabon recalls staring at his blank computer for hours before suddenly picturing "a straitlaced, troubled young man with a tendency toward melodrama, trying to end it all." He began writing, and within a couple of days had written 50 pages of what became his second novel, '' Wonder Boys''. Chabon drew on his own experiences with ''Fountain City'' for the character of Grady Tripp, a frustrated novelist who has spent years working on an immense fourth novel. He wrote ''Wonder Boys'' in a dizzy seven-month streak, without telling his agent or publisher he'd abandoned ''Fountain City''. The book, published in 1995, was a commercial and critical success. In late 2010, "An annotated, four-chapter fragment"Michael Chabon: How to Salvage a 'Wrecked' Novel
December 29, 2010. Accessed September 4, 2012.
from the unfinished 1,500 page ''Fountain City'' manuscript, "complete with cautionary introduction and postscript" written by Chabon, was included in '' McSweeney's 36''.


''The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay''

Among the supporters of ''Wonder Boys'' was ''
The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...
'' critic
Jonathan Yardley Jonathan Yardley (born October 27, 1939) is an American author and former book critic at ''The Washington Post'' from 1981 to December 2014, and held the same post from 1978 to 1981 at the '' Washington Star''. In 1981, he received the Pulitzer ...
; however, despite declaring Chabon "the young star of American letters", Yardley argued that, in his works to that point, Chabon had been preoccupied "with fictional explorations of his own ... It is time for him to move on, to break away from the first person and explore larger worlds." Chabon later said that he took Yardley's criticism to heart, explaining, "It chimed with my own thoughts. I had bigger ambitions." In 1999 he published his second collection of short stories, ''Werewolves in Their Youth'', which included his first published foray into
genre fiction In the book-trade, genre fiction, also known as formula fiction, or commercial fiction,Girolimon, Mars"Types of Genres: A Literary Guide" Southern New Hampshire University, 11 December 2023. Retrieved 3 September 2024. encompasses fictional ...
, the grim horror story "In the Black Mill". Shortly after completing ''Wonder Boys'', Chabon discovered a box of comic books from his childhood; a reawakened interest in comics, coupled with memories of the "lore" his
Brooklyn Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...
-born father had told him about "the middle years of the twentieth century in America. ...the radio shows, politicians, movies, music, and athletes, and so forth, of that era," inspired him to begin work on a new novel. In 2000, he published ''The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay'', an epic
historical novel Historical fiction is a literary genre in which a fictional plot takes place in the setting of particular real historical events. Although the term is commonly used as a synonym for historical fiction literature, it can also be applied to oth ...
that charts 16 years in the lives of Sammy Clay and Joe Kavalier, two Jewish cousins who create a wildly popular series of comic books in the early 1940s, the years leading up to the entry of the U.S. into World War II. The novel received "nearly unanimous praise" and became a ''New York Times'' Best Seller, eventually winning the 2001
Pulitzer Prize for Fiction The Pulitzer Prize for Fiction is one of the seven American Pulitzer Prizes that are annually awarded for Letters, Drama, and Music. It recognizes distinguished fiction by an American author, preferably dealing with American life, published during ...
. Chabon reflected that, in writing ''Kavalier & Clay'', "I discovered strengths I had hoped that I possessed—the ability to pull off multiple points of view, historical settings, the passage of years—but which had never been tested before."


''Summerland'', ''The Final Solution'', ''Gentlemen of the Road'', and ''The Yiddish Policemen's Union''

In 2002, Chabon published '' Summerland'', a fantasy novel written for younger readers that received mixed reviews but sold extremely well, and won the 2003 Mythopoeic Fantasy Award. Two years later, he published '' The Final Solution'', a novella about an investigation led by an unknown old man, whom the reader can guess to be
Sherlock Holmes Sherlock Holmes () is a Detective fiction, fictional detective created by British author Arthur Conan Doyle. Referring to himself as a "Private investigator, consulting detective" in his stories, Holmes is known for his proficiency with obser ...
, during the final years of World War II. His
Dark Horse Comics Dark Horse Comics is an American comic book, graphic novel, manga and Artist's book, art book publisher founded in Milwaukie, Oregon, by Mike Richardson in 1986. The company was created using funds earned from Richardson's chain of Portland, O ...
project '' The Amazing Adventures of the Escapist'', a quarterly anthology series that was published from 2004 to 2006, purported to cull stories from an involved, fictitious 60-year history of the Escapist character created by the protagonists of ''The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay''. It was awarded the 2005
Eisner Award The Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, commonly shortened to the Eisner Awards, are awards for creative achievement in American comic books. They are regarded as the most prestigious and significant awards in the comic industry and often referred ...
for Best Anthology and a pair of Harvey Awards for Best Anthology and Best New Series. In late 2006, Chabon completed work on '' Gentlemen of the Road'', a 15-part serialized novel that ran in ''
The New York Times Magazine ''The New York Times Magazine'' is an American Sunday magazine included with the Sunday edition of ''The New York Times''. It features articles longer than those typically in the newspaper and has attracted many notable contributors. The magazi ...
'' from January 28 to May 6, 2007. The serial (which at one point had the working title "Jews with Swords") was described by Chabon as "a swashbuckling adventure story set around the year 1000." Just before ''Gentlemen of the Road'' completed its run, the author published his next novel, '' The Yiddish Policemen's Union'', which he had worked on since February 2002. A hard-boiled detective story that imagines an
alternate history Alternate history (also referred to as alternative history, allohistory, althist, or simply A.H.) is a subgenre of speculative fiction in which one or more historical events have occurred but are resolved differently than in actual history. As ...
in which Israel collapsed in 1948 and European Jews settled in Alaska, the novel was released on May 1, 2007, to enthusiastic reviews, and spent six weeks on the ''New York Times'' Best Seller list. The novel also won the 2008
Hugo Award The Hugo Award is an annual literary award for the best science fiction or fantasy works and achievements of the previous year, given at the World Science Fiction Convention (Worldcon) and chosen by its members. The award is administered by th ...
.


''Manhood for Amateurs'' and ''Telegraph Avenue''

In May 2007, Chabon said that he was working on a young-adult novel with "some fantastic content." A month later, the author said he had put plans for the young-adult book on hold, and instead had signed a two-book deal with
HarperCollins HarperCollins Publishers LLC is a British–American publishing company that is considered to be one of the "Big Five (publishers), Big Five" English-language publishers, along with Penguin Random House, Hachette Book Group USA, Hachette, Macmi ...
. The first, a book-length work of non-fiction called '' Manhood for Amateurs: The Pleasures and Regrets of a Husband, Father, and Son'', was published in spring 2009 (2010 in Europe); the work discusses "being a man in all its complexity—a son, a father, a husband." The collection was nominated for a 2010 Northern California Book Award in the Creative Nonfiction category. This was Chabon's second published collection of essays and non-fiction.
McSweeney's McSweeney's Publishing is an American nonprofit publishing house founded by Dave Eggers in 1998 and headquartered in San Francisco. The executive director is Amanda Uhle. McSweeney's first publication was the literary journal'' Timothy McSw ...
published '' Maps and Legends'', a collection of Chabon's literary essays, on May 1, 2008. Proceeds from the book benefited 826 National. Also in 2008, Chabon received the Peggy V. Helmerich Distinguished Author Award, presented annually by the Tulsa (Oklahoma) Library Trust. During a 2007 interview with the ''Washington Post'', Chabon discussed his second book under the contract, saying, "I would like it to be set in the present day and feel right now the urge to do something more mainstream than my recent work has been." During a Q&A session in January 2009, Chabon added that he was writing a "naturalistic" novel about two families in Berkeley. In a March 2010 interview with the ''Guardian'' newspaper, Chabon added that "So far there's no overtly genre content: it's set in the present day and has no alternate reality or anything like that." '' Telegraph Avenue'', adapted from an idea for a TV series pilot that Chabon was asked to write in 1999, is a
social novel Social organisms, including human(s), live collectively in interacting populations. This interaction is considered social whether they are aware of it or not, and whether the exchange is voluntary or not. Etymology The word "social" derives fro ...
set on the borders between Oakland and Berkeley in the summer of 2004 that sees a "large cast of characters grapple with infidelity, fatherhood, crooked politicians, racism, nostalgia and buried secrets." Chabon said upon publication in an interview with the ''San Francisco Chronicle'' that the novel concerns "the possibility and impossibility of creating shared community spaces that attempt to transcend the limits imposed on us by our backgrounds, heritage and history." Five years in gestation, ''Telegraph Avenue'' had a difficult birth, Chabon telling the '' Guardian'' newspaper, "I got two years into the novel and got completely stymied and felt like it was an utter flop.... I had to start all over again, keeping the characters but reinventing the story completely and leaving behind almost every element." After starting out with literary realism with his first two novels and moving into genre-fiction experiments from ''The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay'' onward, Chabon feels that ''Telegraph Avenue'' is a significant "unification" of his earlier and later styles, declaring in an interview, "I could do whatever I wanted to do in this book and it would be OK even if it verged on crime fiction, even if it verged on magic realism, even if it verged on martial arts fiction.... I was open to all of that and yet I didn't have to repudiate or steer away from the naturalistic story about two families living their everyday lives and coping with pregnancy and birth and adultery and business failure and all the issues that might go into making a novel written in the genre of mainstream quote-unquote realistic fiction, that that was another genre for me now and I felt free to mix them all in a sense." The novel has been optioned by film producer Scott Rudin (who previously optioned and produced '' Wonder Boys''), and
Cameron Crowe Cameron Bruce Crowe (born July 13, 1957) is an American filmmaker and journalist. He has received numerous accolades including an Academy Award, BAFTA Award, and Grammy Award as well as a nomination for a Tony Award. Crowe started his career a ...
is adapting the novel into a screenplay, according to Chabon. In a public lecture and reading of the novel in Oakland, California, Chabon listed creative influences as broad as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle,
Robert Altman Robert Bernard Altman ( ; February 20, 1925 – November 20, 2006) was an American film director, screenwriter, and film producer, producer. He is considered an enduring figure from the New Hollywood era, known for directing subversive and sat ...
, and
William Faulkner William Cuthbert Faulkner (; September 25, 1897 – July 6, 1962) was an American writer. He is best known for William Faulkner bibliography, his novels and short stories set in the fictional Yoknapatawpha County, Mississippi, a stand-in fo ...
.


''Moonglow'', ''Pops'', ''Bookends'', and current work

Chabon's latest novel, ''Moonglow'', was published November 22, 2016. The novel is a quasi-metafictional memoir, based upon the deathbed confessions of Chabon's grandfather in the late 1980s. Chabon followed-up ''Moonglow'' in summer 2017 with the edited collection ''Kingdom of Olives and Ash: Writers Confront the Occupation'', a non-fiction collection of essays by writers concerning the continued Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza, featuring contributions from writers including Dave Eggers, Colum McCann, and Geraldine Brooks. Chabon co-edited the volume with Ayelet Waldman, and they both contributed essays to the collection. Chabon had previously weighed in on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in 2010, having written an op-ed piece for the ''New York Times'' in June 2010 in which he noted the role of exceptionalism in Jewish identity, in relation to the "blockheadedness" of Israel's botching of the
Gaza flotilla raid Ships of Gaza flotilla raid, Six civilian ships of the Gaza Freedom Flotilla were raided by Israel on 31 May 2010 in international waters in the Mediterranean Sea. Nine of the flotilla passengers were killed during the raid, with thirty woun ...
and the explanations that followed. ''Pops: Fatherhood in Pieces'' was published in May 2018. ''Pops'' is a short non-fiction memoir/essay collection, the essays thematically linked by the rewards and challenges of various aspects of fatherhood and family. Chabon's next non-fiction book, ''Bookends: Collected Intros and Outros'', was published in January 2019. This volume is a collections of introductions, afterwords, and liner notes that Chabon has contributed over the years to various books and other projects, also exploring Chabon's own literary influences and ideas about writing and reading. The book serves as a fundraiser for MacDowell, to which Chabon is contributing all royalties. In an interview with the American Booksellers Association promoting ''Moonglow'' in November 2016, Chabon stated that his next fiction project would be "...a long overdue follow-up—but not a sequel—to ''Summerland'', my book for a somewhat younger readership. It's something I've been trying to get around to for a long time." Despite his success, Chabon continues to perceive himself as a "failure", noting that "anyone who has ever received a bad review knows how it outlasts, by decades, the memory of a favorable word."


Amazon vs. Hachette controversy

In 2014,
Amazon.com Amazon.com, Inc., doing business as Amazon, is an American multinational technology company engaged in e-commerce, cloud computing, online advertising, digital streaming, and artificial intelligence. Founded in 1994 by Jeff Bezos in Bellevu ...
, a leading book distributor, was in a dispute with Hachette, a publisher. Hundreds of authors, Chabon included, condemned Amazon in an open letter because Amazon stopped taking pre-orders for books published by Hachette.


Personal life

After the publication of ''The Mysteries of Pittsburgh'', Chabon was mistakenly featured in a ''
Newsweek ''Newsweek'' is an American weekly news magazine based in New York City. Founded as a weekly print magazine in 1933, it was widely distributed during the 20th century and has had many notable editors-in-chief. It is currently co-owned by Dev P ...
'' article on up-and-coming gay writers (''Pittsburgh''s protagonist has liaisons with people of both sexes). ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' later reported that "in some ways, habonwas happy" for the magazine's error, and quoted him as saying, "I feel very lucky about all of that. It really opened up a new readership to me, and a very loyal one." In a 2002 interview, Chabon added, "If ''Mysteries of Pittsburgh'' is about anything in terms of human sexuality and identity, it's that people can't be put into categories all that easily." In "On ''The Mysteries of Pittsburgh''", an essay he wrote for the ''
New York Review of Books New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 ** "New" (Paul McCartney song), 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, 1995 * "New" (Daya song), 2017 * "New" (No Doubt song), 1 ...
'' in 2005, Chabon remarked on the autobiographical events that helped inspire his first novel: "I had slept with one man whom I loved, and learned to love another man so much that it would never have occurred to me to want to sleep with him." In 1987, Chabon married the poet Lollie Groth. According to Chabon, the popularity of ''The Mysteries of Pittsburgh'' had adverse effects; he later explained, "I was married at the time to someone else who was also a struggling writer, and the success created a gross imbalance in our careers, which was problematic." He and Groth divorced in 1991. He married the
Israel Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...
i-born writer Ayelet Waldman in 1993. They live together in Berkeley, California, with their four children. Chabon has said that the "creative free-flow" he has with Waldman inspired the relationship between Sammy Clay and Rosa Saks toward the end of ''The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay'', and in 2007, ''
Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American online magazine, digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, ...
'' declared the couple "a famous—and famously in love—writing pair, like
Nick and Nora Charles Nick and Nora Charles are fictional characters created by Dashiell Hammett in his novel ''The Thin Man''. The characters were later adapted for film in a series of films between 1934 and 1947; for radio from 1941 to 1950; for television from 19 ...
with word processors and not so much booze." In a 2012 interview with Guy Raz of '' Weekend All Things Considered'', Chabon said that he writes from 10 p.m. to 3 a.m. each day, Sunday through Thursday. He tries to write 1,000 words a day. Commenting on the rigidity of his routine, Chabon said, "There have been plenty of self-destructive rebel-angel novelists over the years, but writing is about getting your work done and getting your work done every day. If you want to write novels, they take a long time, and they're big, and they have a lot of words in them.... The best environment, at least for me, is a very stable, structured kind of life." Chabon was a vocal endorser of Barack Obama during his 2008 election campaign, and wrote an enthusiastic opinion piece on Obama for the ''New York Review of Books'', titled "Obama & the Conquest of Denver", in October 2008. Subsequently, Chabon included a brief, fictionalized 'cameo' by Obama in his 2012 novel '' Telegraph Avenue''. Since 2016, Chabon has been an outspoken critic of
Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...
, both during his campaign for the presidency (signing a petition with over 400 other writers against his candidacy in May 2016), and during his administration. During an interview with ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
'' before Trump's inauguration in January 2017, Chabon remarked of the incoming president, "I really have no idea what to expect. He's so unpredictable. He's so mercurial. You know, I would be no more surprised if he stood up there and declared amnesty for all illegal immigrants to the United States than if he said he was going to take them all out to be shot. He's like a random impulse generator." In a 2017 radio interview, Chabon spoke of Trump: "Every morning I wake up and in the seconds before I turn my phone on to see what the latest news is, I have this boundless sense of optimism and hope that this is the day that he's going to have a massive stroke, and, you know, be carted out of the White House on a gurney."


Interest in genre fiction

In a 2002 essay, Chabon decried the state of modern short fiction (including his own), saying that, with rare exceptions, it consisted solely of "the contemporary, quotidian, plotless, moment-of-truth revelatory story." In an apparent reaction against these "plotless toriessparkling with epiphanic dew," Chabon's post-2000 work has been marked by an increased interest in
genre fiction In the book-trade, genre fiction, also known as formula fiction, or commercial fiction,Girolimon, Mars"Types of Genres: A Literary Guide" Southern New Hampshire University, 11 December 2023. Retrieved 3 September 2024. encompasses fictional ...
and plot. While ''The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay'' was, like ''The Mysteries of Pittsburgh'' and ''Wonder Boys'', an essentially realistic, contemporary novel (whose plot happened to revolve around comic-book superheroes), Chabon's subsequent works—such as ''The Final Solution'', his dabbling with comic-book writing, and the "swashbuckling adventure" of ''Gentlemen of the Road''—have been almost exclusively devoted to mixing aspects of genre and literary fiction. Perhaps the most notable example of this is '' The Yiddish Policemen's Union'', which won five genre awards, including the
Hugo Award The Hugo Award is an annual literary award for the best science fiction or fantasy works and achievements of the previous year, given at the World Science Fiction Convention (Worldcon) and chosen by its members. The award is administered by th ...
and
Nebula Award The Nebula Awards annually recognize the best works of science fiction or fantasy published in the United States. The awards are organized and awarded by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association (SFWA), a nonprofit association of pr ...
. Chabon seeks to "annihilate" not the genres themselves, but the bias against certain genres of fiction such as fantasy, science fiction and romance. Chabon's forays into genre fiction have met with mixed critical reaction. One science fiction short story by Chabon, "The Martian Agent", was described by a reviewer as "enough to send readers back into the cold but reliable arms of ''The New Yorker''." Another critic wrote of the same story that it was "richly plotted, action-packed", and that "Chabon skilfully elaborates his world and draws not just on the
steampunk Steampunk is a subgenre of science fiction that incorporates retrofuturistic technology and Applied arts, aesthetics inspired by, but not limited to, 19th-century Industrial Revolution, industrial steam engine, steam-powered machinery. Steampun ...
worlds of
William Gibson William Ford Gibson (born March 17, 1948) is an American-Canadian speculative fiction writer and essayist widely credited with pioneering the science fiction subgenre known as cyberpunk. Beginning his writing career in the late 1970s, his ear ...
,
Bruce Sterling Michael Bruce Sterling (born April 14, 1954) is an American science fiction author known for his novels and short fiction and editorship of the ''Mirrorshades'' anthology. In particular, he is linked to the cyberpunk subgenre. Sterling's first ...
and
Michael Moorcock Michael John Moorcock (born 18 December 1939) is an English writer, particularly of science fiction and fantasy, who has published a number of well-received literary novels as well as comic thrillers, graphic novels and non-fiction. He has wo ...
, but on alternate histories by brilliant science fiction mavericks such as Avram Davidson and Howard Waldrop. The imperial politics are craftily resonant and the story keeps us hanging on." While ''
The Village Voice ''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture publication based in Greenwich Village, New York City, known for being the country's first Alternative newspaper, alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf (publisher), Dan Wolf, ...
'' called ''The Final Solution'' "an ingenious, fully imagined work, an expert piece of literary
ventriloquism Ventriloquism or ventriloquy is an act of stagecraft in which a person (a ventriloquist) speaks in such a way that it seems like their voice is coming from a different location, usually through a puppet known as a "dummy". The act of ventrilo ...
, and a mash note to the beloved boys' tales of Chabon's youth," ''
The Boston Globe ''The Boston Globe,'' also known locally as ''the Globe'', is an American daily newspaper founded and based in Boston, Massachusetts. The newspaper has won a total of 27 Pulitzer Prizes. ''The Boston Globe'' is the oldest and largest daily new ...
'' wrote, " e genre of the comic book is an anemic vein for novelists to mine, lest they squander their brilliance." ''The New York Times'' states that the detective story, "a genre that is by its nature so constrained, so untransgressive, seems unlikely to appeal to the real writer," but adds that "... Chabon makes good on his claim: a successful detective story need not be lacking in literary merit." In 2005, Chabon argued against the idea that genre fiction and entertaining fiction should not appeal to "the real writer", saying that the common perception is that "Entertainment ... means junk.... utmaybe the reason for the junkiness of so much of what pretends to entertain us is that we have accepted—indeed, we have helped to articulate—such a narrow, debased concept of entertainment.... I'd like to believe that, because I read for entertainment, and I write to entertain. Period." One of the more positive responses to Chabon's brand of "trickster literature" appeared in ''
Time Time is the continuous progression of existence that occurs in an apparently irreversible process, irreversible succession from the past, through the present, and into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequ ...
'' magazine, whose critic Lev Grossman wrote that "This is literature in mid-transformation.... e highbrow and the lowbrow, once kept chastely separate, are now hooking up, ndyou can almost see the future of literature coming." Grossman classed Chabon with a movement of authors similarly eager to blend literary and popular writing, including
Jonathan Lethem Jonathan Allen Lethem (; born February 19, 1964) is an American novelist, essayist, and short story writer. His Debut novel, first novel, ''Gun, with Occasional Music'', a genre work that mixed elements of science fiction and detective fiction, ...
(with whom Chabon is friends),
Margaret Atwood Margaret Eleanor Atwood (born November 18, 1939) is a Canadian novelist, poet, literary critic, and an inventor. Since 1961, she has published 18 books of poetry, 18 novels, 11 books of nonfiction, nine collections of short fiction, eight chi ...
, and Susanna Clarke. On the other hand, in ''Slate'' in 2007, Ruth Franklin said, "Michael Chabon has spent considerable energy trying to drag the decaying corpse of genre fiction out of the shallow grave where writers of serious literature abandoned it."


The Van Zorn persona

For some of his own genre work, Chabon has forged an unusual horror/fantasy fiction persona under the name of August Van Zorn. More elaborately developed than a pseudonym, August Van Zorn is purported to be a pen name for one Albert Vetch (1899–1963).Chabon (1995). p. 3. In Chabon's 1995 novel ''Wonder Boys'', narrator Grady Tripp writes that he grew up in the same hotel as Vetch, who worked as an English professor at the (nonexistent) Coxley College and wrote hundreds of pulp stories that were "in the gothic mode, after the manner of Lovecraft ... but written in a dry, ironic, at times almost whimsical idiom." A horror-themed short story titled "In the Black Mill" was published in ''
Playboy ''Playboy'' (stylized in all caps) is an American men's Lifestyle journalism, lifestyle and entertainment magazine, available both online and in print. It was founded in Chicago in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates, funded in part by a $ ...
'' in June 1997 and reprinted in Chabon's 1999 story collection ''Werewolves in Their Youth'', and was attributed to Van Zorn. Chabon has created a comprehensive bibliography for Van Zorn, along with an equally fictional literary scholar devoted to his oeuvre named Leon Chaim Bach. Bach's now-defunct website (which existed under the auspices of Chabon's) declared Van Zorn to be, "without question, the greatest unknown horror writer of the twentieth century," and mentioned that Bach had once edited a collection of short stories by Van Zorn titled ''The Abominations of Plunkettsburg''. (The name "Leon Chaim Bach" is an
anagram An anagram is a word or phrase formed by rearranging the letters of a different word or phrase, typically using all the original letters exactly once. For example, the word ''anagram'' itself can be rearranged into the phrase "nag a ram"; which ...
of "Michael Chabon", as is "Malachi B. Cohen", the name of a fictional comics expert who wrote occasional essays about the Escapist for the character's Dark Horse Comics series.) In 2004, Chabon established the August Van Zorn Prize, "awarded to the short story that most faithfully and disturbingly embodies the tradition of the weird short story as practiced by
Edgar Allan Poe Edgar Allan Poe (; January 19, 1809 – October 7, 1849) was an American writer, poet, editor, and literary critic who is best known for his poetry and short stories, particularly his tales involving mystery and the macabre. He is widely re ...
and his literary descendants, among them August Van Zorn." The first recipient of the prize was Jason Roberts, whose winning story, "7C", was then included in ''McSweeney's Enchanted Chamber of Astonishing Stories'', edited by Chabon. A scene in the film adaptation of Chabon's novel ''The Mysteries of Pittsburgh'' shows two characters in a bookstore stocking August Van Zorn books.


The Chabon universe

Chabon has provided several subtle hints throughout his work that the stories he tells take place in a shared fictional universe. One recurring character, who is mentioned in three of Chabon's books but never actually appears, is Eli Drinkwater, a fictional
catcher Catcher is a position in baseball and softball. When a batter takes their turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the (home) umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. In addition to this primary duty, the catc ...
for the
Pittsburgh Pirates The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central ...
who died abruptly after crashing his car on Mt. Nebo Road.Chabon (1991). pp. 91–103. The most detailed exposition of Drinkwater's life appears in Chabon's 1990 short story "Smoke", which is set at Drinkwater's funeral, and refers to him as "a scholarly catcher, a redoubtable batsman, and a kind, affectionate person." Drinkwater was again referred to (though not by name) in Chabon's 1995 novel ''Wonder Boys'', in which narrator Grady Tripp explains that his sportswriter friend Happy Blackmore was hired "to ghost the autobiography of a catcher, a rising star who played for Pittsburgh and hit the sort of home runs that linger in the memory for years."Chabon (1995), p. 296. Tripp explains that Blackmore turned in an inadequate draft, his book contract was cancelled, and the catcher died shortly afterwards, "leaving nothing in Happy's notorious 'files' but the fragments and scribblings of a ghost." In Chabon's children's book ''Summerland'' (2002), it is suggested that Blackmore was eventually able to find a publisher for the biography; the character Jennifer T. mentions that she has read a book called ''Eli Drinkwater: A Life in Baseball'', written by Happy Blackmore. Drinkwater's name may have been selected in homage to contemporary author John Crowley, whom Chabon is on the record as admiring. Crowley's novel '' Little, Big'' featured a main character named Alice Drinkwater. There are also instances in which character surnames reappear from story to story. Cleveland Arning, a character in Chabon's 1988
debut novel A debut novel is the first novel a novelist publishes. Debut novels are often the author's first opportunity to make an impact on the publishing industry, and thus the success or failure of a debut novel can affect the ability of the author to pu ...
, ''The Mysteries of Pittsburgh'', is described as having come from a wealthy family, one that might be expected to be able to endow a building. Near the end of ''Wonder Boys'' (1995), it is mentioned that, on the unnamed college campus at which Grady Tripp teaches, there is a building called Arning Hall "where the English faculty kept office hours." Similarly, in Chabon's 1989 short story "A Model World", a character named Levine discovers, or rather plagiarizes, a formula for "nephokinesis" (or cloud control) that wins him respect and prominence in the
meteorological Meteorology is the scientific study of the Earth's atmosphere and short-term atmospheric phenomena (i.e. weather), with a focus on weather forecasting. It has applications in the military, aviation, energy production, transport, agriculture ...
field. In ''The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay'' (2000), a passing reference is made to the "massive Levine School of Applied Meteorology," ostensibly a building owned by
New York University New York University (NYU) is a private university, private research university in New York City, New York, United States. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded in 1832 by Albert Gallatin as a Nondenominational ...
.


Songwriting work

In 2014, Chabon was involved in writing lyrics for
Mark Ronson Mark Daniel Ronson (born 4 September 1975) is a British-American DJ, record producer, and songwriter. He has won nine Grammy Awards, including Producer of the Year for Amy Winehouse's album '' Back to Black'' (2006), as well as two for Record ...
's album '' Uptown Special''. In an interview with WCBN-FM, Chabon described meeting Ronson at a party, and later being contacted to write a song. Chabon penned "Crack in the Pearl", and after growing chemistry with Ronson and Jeff Bhasker, worked on more songs for the album. One of these included the single "Daffodils", which he wrote with Kevin Parker of
Tame Impala Tame Impala is the psychedelic music project of Australian singer and multi-instrumentalist Kevin Parker (musician), Kevin Parker. In the recording studio, Parker writes, records, performs, and produces all of the project's music. As a touring a ...
. In total, Chabon helped write 9 of the 11 songs on the album, not including mega-smash hit, " Uptown Funk". He has also collaborated with
Adam Schlesinger Adam Lyons Schlesinger (October 31, 1967 – April 1, 2020) was an American musician, songwriter, composer, and record producer. He was a founding member of the bands Fountains of Wayne, Ivy, and Tinted Windows, and was also a member of the ban ...
on the song "House of Broken Gingerbread" written for
the Monkees The Monkees were an American pop rock band formed in Los Angeles in the mid-1960s. The band consisted of Micky Dolenz, Davy Jones (musician), Davy Jones, Michael Nesmith, and Peter Tork. Spurred by the success of ''The Monkees (TV series), Th ...
' October 2018 album Christmas Party. He also co-wrote "Boxes" for Moses Sumney, and wrote for an unreleased
Charlie Puth Charles Otto Puth Jr. (; born December 2, 1991) is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. His initial exposure came through the viral success of his cover (music), song covers uploaded to YouTube. Puth signed with the record labe ...
song. Some of Chabon's musical influences include
Steely Dan Steely Dan is an American rock band formed in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York, in 1971 by Walter Becker (guitars, bass, backing vocals) and Donald Fagen (keyboards, lead vocals). Originally having a traditional band lineup, Becker and Fagen cho ...
and
Yes Yes or YES may refer to: * An affirmative particle in the English language; see yes and no Education * YES Prep Public Schools, Houston, Texas, US * Young Eisner Scholars, in Los Angeles, New York City, Chicago, and Appalachia, US * Young Ep ...
.


Film and television work

Although Chabon once described his attitude toward Hollywood as "pre-emptive cynicism", for years the author has worked to bring both adapted and original projects to the screen. In 1994, Chabon pitched a screenplay entitled ''The Gentleman Host'' to producer Scott Rudin, a romantic comedy "about old Jewish folks on a third-rate cruise ship out of Miami." Rudin bought the project and developed it with Chabon, but it was never filmed, partly due to the release of the similarly themed film '' Out to Sea'' in 1997. In the nineties, Chabon also pitched story ideas for both the
X-Men The X-Men are a superhero team in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer/editor Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby, the team first appeared in Uncanny X-Men, ''The X-Men'' #1 (September 1963). Although initial ...
and
Fantastic Four The Fantastic Four, often abbreviated as FF, is a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The team debuted in '' The Fantastic Four'' #1 ( cover-dated November 1961), helping usher in a new level of realism i ...
films, but was rejected. When Rudin was adapting ''Wonder Boys'' for the screen, the author declined an offer to write the screenplay, saying he was too busy writing ''The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay''. Directed by
Curtis Hanson Curtis Lee Hanson (March 24, 1945 – September 20, 2016) was an American film director, screenwriter, and producer. Born in Reno, Nevada, Hanson grew up in Los Angeles. After dropping out of high school, Hanson worked as photographer and edito ...
and starring
Michael Douglas Michael Kirk Douglas (born September 25, 1944) is an American actor and film producer. He has received numerous accolades, including two Academy Awards, five Golden Globe Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, the Cecil B. DeMille Award, and the ...
, '' Wonder Boys'' was released in 2000 to critical acclaim and financial failure. Having bought the film rights to ''The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay'', Rudin then asked Chabon to work on that film's screenplay. Although Chabon spent 16 months in 2001 and 2002 working on the novel's film adaptation, the project has been mired in pre-production for years. Chabon's work, however, remains popular in Hollywood, with Rudin purchasing the film rights to ''The Yiddish Policemen's Union'', then titled ''Hatzeplatz'', in 2002, five years before the book would be published. The same year,
Miramax Miramax, LLC, formerly known as Miramax Films, is an American independent film and television production and distribution company owned by beIN Media Group and Paramount Global. Based in Los Angeles, California, it was founded on December 19, ...
bought the rights to ''Summerland'' and ''Tales of Mystery and Imagination'' (a planned collection of eight genre short stories that Chabon has not yet written), each of which was optioned for a sum in the mid-six figures. Chabon also wrote a draft for 2004's ''
Spider-Man 2 ''Spider-Man 2'' is a 2004 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics character of Spider-Man. Directed by Sam Raimi and written by Alvin Sargent from a story conceived by Michael Chabon and the writing team of Alfred Gough and Miles ...
'', about a third of which was used in the final film. Soon after ''Spider-Man 2'' was released, director
Sam Raimi Samuel M. Raimi ( ; born October 23, 1959) is an American filmmaker. He is best known for directing the first three films in the ''Evil Dead'' franchise (1981–present) and the ''Spider-Man'' trilogy (2002–2007). He also directed the super ...
mentioned that he hoped to hire Chabon to work on the film's sequel, "if I can get him," but Chabon never worked on ''
Spider-Man 3 ''Spider-Man 3'' is a 2007 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics character Spider-Man. Produced by Columbia Pictures, Marvel Entertainment, and Laura Ziskin Productions, and distributed by Sony Pictures Releasing, it was directe ...
''. In October 2004, it was announced that Chabon was at work writing Disney's ''Snow and the Seven'', a live-action martial arts retelling of ''
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs "Snow White" is a German fairy tale, first written down in the early 19th century. The Brothers Grimm published it in 1812 in the first edition of their collection ''Grimms' Fairy Tales'', numbered as Tale 53. The original title was ''Sneewittch ...
'' to be directed by master Hong Kong fight choreographer and director Yuen Wo Ping. In August 2006, Chabon said that he had been replaced on ''Snow'', sarcastically explaining that the producers wanted to go in "more of a fun direction." Although Chabon was uninvolved with the project, director
Rawson Marshall Thurber Rawson Marshall Thurber (born February 9, 1975) is an American filmmaker and actor. He is best known for writing and directing the 2004 comedy film ''Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story''. Early life Thurber was born in San Francisco, California ...
shot a
film adaptation A film adaptation transfers the details or story of an existing source text, such as a novel, into a feature film. This transfer can involve adapting most details of the source text closely, including characters or plot points, or the original sou ...
of ''The Mysteries of Pittsburgh'' in fall 2006. The film, which stars Sienna Miller and Peter Sarsgaard, was released in April 2008. In February 2008, Rudin reported that a film adaptation of ''The Yiddish Policemen's Union'' was in pre-production, to be written and directed by the
Coen brothers Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, together known as the Coen brothers (), are an American filmmaking duo. Their films span many genres and styles, which they frequently subvert or parody. Among their most acclaimed works are '' Blood Simple'' (198 ...
. However, as of 2018, Chabon expressed skepticism that the Coens would make the film, saying that they had effectively chosen to make '' A Serious Man'' instead, and did not wish to do another film with such similar themes. In April 2009, Chabon confirmed he had been hired to do revisions to the script for Disney's '' John Carter''. In July 2015, Chabon was hired to do revisions to the script for Disney's ''Bob the Musical''. Chabon joined the writing team of '' Star Trek: Picard'', a new ''
Star Trek ''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Gene Roddenberry, which began with the Star Trek: The Original Series, series of the same name and became a worldwide Popular culture, pop-culture Cultural influence of ...
'' series starring
Patrick Stewart Sir Patrick Stewart (born 13 July 1940) is an English actor. With a career spanning over seven decades of Patrick Stewart on stage and screen, stage and screen, he has received List of awards and nominations received by Patrick Stewart, variou ...
, and was named showrunner in July 2019. In November 2018, a '' Star Trek: Short Treks'' episode co-written by Chabon, titled "Calypso", was released. Another short, written only by Chabon and titled "Q&A", was released on October 5, 2019. Chabon's ''Star Trek'' series premiered on January 23, 2020, with Chabon referring to himself as a lifelong ''
Star Trek ''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Gene Roddenberry, which began with the Star Trek: The Original Series, series of the same name and became a worldwide Popular culture, pop-culture Cultural influence of ...
'' fan. After the release of Season 1 of ''Star Trek: Picard'', Chabon said in an interview with ''Variety'' in March 2020 that he would be involved with Season 2 of ''Picard'', but as an executive producer rather than as showrunner. Chabon was also listed as co-creator of the
Netflix Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...
miniseries '' Unbelievable'', and has been working on a television adaptation of ''Kavalier and Clay'' with his wife Ayelet Waldman since at least December 2019. In April 2021, following an article in ''
The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...
'' which alleged numerous instances of physical and emotional abuse from Rudin towards his employees, Chabon wrote a public apology, stating that he had "regularly, even routinely" heard Rudin shout at and insult staff during their twenty years of collaboration, and had once witnessed Rudin throw a pencil at an employee's head. Chabon said, "I'm ashamed. I regret, and I want to apologize for, my part in enabling Scott Rudin's abuse, simply by standing by, saying nothing, looking the other way."


Honors

*1988 ''
Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...
'' Southern California Rising Star *1997
International Dublin Literary Award The International Dublin Literary Award (), established as the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award in 1996, is presented each year for a novel written or translated into English. It promotes excellence in world literature and is solely ...
longlist (for '' Wonder Boys'') *1999 O. Henry Award Third Prize (for "Son of the Wolfman") *2000
National Book Critics Circle Award The National Book Critics Circle Awards are a set of annual American literary awards by the National Book Critics Circle (NBCC) to promote "the finest books and reviews published in English".The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay'') *2001
Pulitzer Prize for Fiction The Pulitzer Prize for Fiction is one of the seven American Pulitzer Prizes that are annually awarded for Letters, Drama, and Music. It recognizes distinguished fiction by an American author, preferably dealing with American life, published during ...
(for '' The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay'') *2000 California Book Award (Fiction) (for '' The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay'')
/ref> *2001 PEN/Faulkner Award finalist (for '' The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay'') *2002
International Dublin Literary Award The International Dublin Literary Award (), established as the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award in 1996, is presented each year for a novel written or translated into English. It promotes excellence in world literature and is solely ...
longlist (for '' The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay'') *2005
National Jewish Book Award The Jewish Book Council (Hebrew: ), founded in 1943, is an American organization encouraging and contributing to Jewish literature. The goal of the council, as stated on its website, is "to promote the reading, writing and publishing of qual ...
for ''The Final Solution. A Story of Detection'' *2007 Sidewise Award for Alternate History (for '' The Yiddish Policemen's Union'') *2007 Salon Book Award (for '' The Yiddish Policemen's Union'') *2007 California Book Award (Fiction) (for '' The Yiddish Policemen's Union'') *2008
Hugo Award for Best Novel The Hugo Award for Best Novel is one of the Hugo Awards given each year by the World Science Fiction Society for science fiction or fantasy stories published in, or translated to, English during the previous calendar year. The novel award is ava ...
(for '' The Yiddish Policemen's Union'') *2008
Nebula Award for Best Novel The Nebula Award for Best Novel is given each year by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association (SFWA) for science fiction or fantasy novels. A work of fiction is considered a novel by the organization if it is 40,000 words or longer; ...
(for '' The Yiddish Policemen's Union'') *2009 Premio Ignotus Award for Best Foreign Novel (for '' The Yiddish Policemen's Union'') *2009
International Dublin Literary Award The International Dublin Literary Award (), established as the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award in 1996, is presented each year for a novel written or translated into English. It promotes excellence in world literature and is solely ...
longlist (for '' The Yiddish Policemen's Union'') *2009 ''
Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American online magazine, digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, ...
'' "End-of-the-Decade" Best of list (for '' The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay'') *2010 Northern California Book Award (General Nonfiction) nomination (for ''Manhood for Amateurs'') *2010 Elected Chairman of the Board, MacDowell *2012 Inducted into the
American Academy of Arts and Letters The American Academy of Arts and Letters is a 300-member honor society whose goal is to "foster, assist, and sustain excellence" in American literature, Music of the United States, music, and Visual art of the United States, art. Its fixed number ...
*2012 ''
Telegraph Telegraphy is the long-distance transmission of messages where the sender uses symbolic codes, known to the recipient, rather than a physical exchange of an object bearing the message. Thus flag semaphore is a method of telegraphy, whereas ...
'' Best Books of 2012 list (for ''Telegraph Avenue'') *2012 ''
London Evening Standard The ''London Standard'', formerly the ''Evening Standard'' (1904–2024) and originally ''The Standard'' (1827–1904), is a long-established regional newspaper published weekly and distributed free of charge in London, England. It is print ...
'' Books of the Year 2012 list (for ''Telegraph Avenue'') *2012 ''
Kansas City Star ''The Kansas City Star'' is a newspaper based in Kansas City, Missouri. Published since 1880, the paper is the recipient of eight Pulitzer Prizes. ''The Star'' is most notable for its influence on the career of President Harry S. Truman and a ...
'' Top 100 Books of 2012 List (fiction) (for ''Telegraph Avenue'') *2012 Hollywood.com Best Books of 2012 List (for ''Telegraph Avenue'') *2012 ''
New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' 100 Notable Books of 2012 List (Fiction & Poetry) (for ''Telegraph Avenue'') *2012 Good Reads Choice Awards 2012 finalist, Best Fiction (for ''Telegraph Avenue'') *2013 ''Los Angeles Times'' Book Prize 2012 (fiction) finalist (for ''Telegraph Avenue'') *2013 California Book Award (Fiction) finalist (for ''Telegraph Avenue'') *2013 Fernanda Pivano Award for American Literature *2014
International Dublin Literary Award The International Dublin Literary Award (), established as the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award in 1996, is presented each year for a novel written or translated into English. It promotes excellence in world literature and is solely ...
longlist (for '' Telegraph Avenue'') *2017 Jewish Book Council JBC Modern Literary Achievement (citation: "For his general contribution to modern Jewish literature, including his most recent work, '' Moonglow'', described by Jewish Book Council's committee as "a moving panorama of Jewish experience. Chabon serves up his colossal tale of darkness and light in fabulous language, as befits this modern fable.") *2017
National Book Critics Circle Award The National Book Critics Circle Awards are a set of annual American literary awards by the National Book Critics Circle (NBCC) to promote "the finest books and reviews published in English".Moonglow'') *2017 California Book Awards Gold Prize (for '' Moonglow'') *2018
International Dublin Literary Award The International Dublin Literary Award (), established as the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award in 1996, is presented each year for a novel written or translated into English. It promotes excellence in world literature and is solely ...
longlist (for '' Moonglow'')


Bibliography

* '' The Mysteries of Pittsburgh'' (1988) * '' Wonder Boys'' (1995) * '' The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay'' (2000) * '' The Final Solution'' (2004) * '' The Yiddish Policemen's Union'' (2007) * '' Gentlemen of the Road'' (2007) * '' Telegraph Avenue'' (2012) * '' Moonglow'' (2016)


Filmography

Film * ''
Spider-Man 2 ''Spider-Man 2'' is a 2004 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics character of Spider-Man. Directed by Sam Raimi and written by Alvin Sargent from a story conceived by Michael Chabon and the writing team of Alfred Gough and Miles ...
'' (2004) (Story only) * '' John Carter'' (2012) Television


Discography


As songwriter


References


Sources

* *


Further reading

*Costello, Brannon (ed.). ''Conversations with Michael Chabon''. University Press of Mississippi, 2015. ollection of interviews with Chabon between 1995 and 2012*Dewey, Joseph. ''Understanding Michael Chabon''. University of South Carolina Press, 2014. *Gibbs, Alan. ''Contemporary American Trauma Narratives''. Edinburgh University Press, 2014. Philip Roth's ''The Plot Against America'' and Paul Auster">Paul Auster's ''Man in the Dark''">Paul_Auster.html" ;"title="Philip Roth">Philip Roth's ''The Plot Against America'' and Paul Auster">Paul Auster's ''Man in the Dark''*Groß, Florian. "'To emerge from its transitional funk': ''The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clays Intermedial Dialogue with Comics and Graphic Novels." ''Scandinavian Journal of Comic Art'', vol. 1, no. 2 (Winter 2012), pp. 3–28. *Huber, Irmtraud. ''Literature After Postmodernism: Reconstructive Fantasies''. Palgrave Macmillan, 2014. [contains a chapter on history as escape in relation to ''The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay''] *Kavadlo, Jesse and Batchelor, Bob (eds.). ''Michael Chabon's America: Magical Words, Secret Worlds, and Sacred Spaces''. Rowman & Littlefield, 2014. [collection of essays considering various aspects of Chabon's body of work up to ''Telegraph Avenue''] * Levine, Daniel B."Josef Kavalier's ''Odyssey'': Homeric Echoes in Michael Chabon's ''The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay''". ''International Journal of the Classical Tradition'', vol. 17, no. 4 (December 2010), pp. 526–555. * Scanlan, Margaret. "Strange Times to Be a Jew: Alternate History after 9/11" in Duvall, John and Markzec, Robert (eds.). ''Narrating 9/11: Fantasies of State, Security, and Terrorism ''. Johns Hopkins University Press, 2015. ontains discussion of ''The Yiddish Policemen's Union''


External links

*
The Amazing Website of Kavalier & Clay
an unofficial but thorough site recommended by Chabon * *
Stories and essays by Chabon
at ''
The New Yorker ''The New Yorker'' is an American magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. It was founded on February 21, 1925, by Harold Ross and his wife Jane Grant, a reporter for ''The New York T ...
'' * {{DEFAULTSORT:Chabon, Michael 1963 births Living people 20th-century American Jews 20th-century American male writers 20th-century American non-fiction writers 20th-century American novelists 20th-century American screenwriters 20th-century American short story writers 21st-century American Jews 21st-century American male writers 21st-century American non-fiction writers 21st-century American novelists 21st-century American screenwriters 21st-century American short story writers American alternate history writers American columnists American male non-fiction writers American male novelists American male screenwriters American male short story writers American postmodern writers American science fiction writers American weird fiction writers Carnegie Mellon University alumni Hugo Award–winning writers Jewish American non-fiction writers Jewish American novelists Jewish American screenwriters Jewish American short story writers MacDowell Colony fellows Members of the American Academy of Arts and Letters Nebula Award winners The New Yorker people Novelists from Pennsylvania PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction winners People from Columbia, Maryland Pulitzer Prize for Fiction winners Sidewise Award winners University of California, Irvine alumni University of Pittsburgh alumni Writers from Berkeley, California Writers from Pittsburgh Writers from the San Francisco Bay Area