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Jonathan Franzen: the story on HearLore | HearLore
— Ch. 1 · A Boy From Webster Groves —
Jonathan Franzen.
~5 min read · Ch. 1 of 7
Jonathan Earl Franzen was born on the 17th of August 1959 in Western Springs, Illinois. He grew up in an affluent neighborhood in the St. Louis suburb of Webster Groves, Missouri. His father was raised in Minnesota and was the son of a Swedish immigrant. His mother's ancestry traced back to Eastern Europe. Franzen graduated with high honors from Swarthmore College in 1981. He received a degree in German during his undergraduate education. As part of that education, he studied abroad in Germany during the 1979, 80 academic year. He participated in Wayne State University's Junior Year in Munich program while there. During that time, he met Michael A. Martone. Martone would later become the basis for the character Walter Berglund in Freedom. Franzen also studied on a Fulbright Scholarship at Freie Universität Berlin in Berlin in 1981, 82. He speaks fluent German today.
The Corrections And The Feud
Franzen's novel The Corrections garnered considerable critical acclaim in the United States. It won both the 2001 National Book Award for Fiction and the 2002 James Tait Black Memorial Prize for fiction. The novel was also a finalist for the 2001 National Book Critics Circle Award for Fiction. It was a finalist for the 2002 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction as well. In September 2001, The Corrections was selected for Oprah Winfrey's book club. Franzen initially participated in the selection process. He sat down for a lengthy interview with Oprah. He appeared in B-roll footage in his hometown of St. Louis. In October 2001, however, The Oregonian printed an article where Franzen expressed unease with the selection. He worried that the Oprah logo on the cover dissuaded men from reading the book. Soon afterward, Franzen's invitation to appear on Oprah's show was rescinded. Winfrey announced that they would skip the dinner and move on to the next book. These events gained Franzen and his novel widespread media attention. The Corrections soon became one of the decade's best-selling works of literary fiction.
Jonathan Earl Franzen was born on the 17th of August 1959 in Western Springs, Illinois. He grew up in an affluent neighborhood in the St. Louis suburb of Webster Groves, Missouri.
What awards did Jonathan Franzen win for The Corrections?
The novel The Corrections won both the 2001 National Book Award for Fiction and the 2002 James Tait Black Memorial Prize for fiction. It also served as a finalist for the 2001 National Book Critics Circle Award for Fiction and the 2002 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.
Why did Jonathan Franzen withdraw from Oprah Winfrey's book club initially?
In October 2001, The Oregonian printed an article where Jonathan Franzen expressed unease with the selection because he worried that the Oprah logo on the cover dissuaded men from reading the book. Soon afterward, his invitation to appear on Oprah's show was rescinded.
How many copies did Jonathan Franzen sell for Purity compared to Freedom?
Purity sold only 255,476 copies while Freedom sold 1.15 million copies and The Corrections sold 1.6 million copies. This made Purity a relative commercial disappointment compared to his two previous novels.
When was Crossroads published by Jonathan Franzen?
Jonathan Franzen's publisher Farrar, Straus and Giroux announced Crossroads on the 13th of November 2020. The novel was published on the 5th of October 2021 as the first volume in a trilogy titled A Key to All Mythologies.
On the 8th of June 2009, Franzen published an excerpt from Freedom in The New Yorker. The excerpt was titled Good Neighbors. On the 31st of May 2010, a second excerpt titled Agreeable was also published in The New Yorker. Freedom was the subject of a highly unusual recall in the United Kingdom starting in early October 2010. An earlier draft of the manuscript had been published by mistake. Franzen had made over 200 changes to that draft. The publisher HarperCollins initiated an exchange program. Thousands of books had already been distributed by that time. While promoting the book, Franzen became the first American author to appear on the cover of Time magazine since Stephen King in 2000. He appeared alongside the headline Great American Novelist. On the 17th of September 2010, Oprah Winfrey announced that Jonathan Franzen's Freedom would be an Oprah book club selection. It was the first of the last season of The Oprah Winfrey Show. On the 6th of December 2010, he appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show to promote Freedom. They discussed that book and the controversy over his reservations about her picking The Corrections.
Purity And Commercial Reality
In November 2014, The New York Times Artsbeat Blog reported that the novel Purity would be out in September. Jonathan Galassi described Purity as a multigenerational American epic that spans decades and continents. The story centers on a young woman named Purity Tyler or Pip. She does not know who her father is and sets out to uncover his identity. The narrative stretches from contemporary America to South America to East Germany before the collapse of the Berlin Wall. In 2016, Daily Variety reported that the novel was in the process of being adapted into a 20-hour limited series for Showtime. However, Purity was a relative commercial disappointment compared to Franzen's two previous novels. It sold only 255,476 copies. This compares to 1.15 million copies of Freedom and 1.6 million copies of The Corrections.
Crossroads And A Trilogy Begins
On the 13th of November 2020, Franzen's publisher Farrar, Straus and Giroux announced Crossroads. It is the first volume in a trilogy titled A Key to All Mythologies. Crossroads was published the 5th of October 2021. Bookforum called it Franzen's finest novel yet. Dwight Garner of the New York Times said it was warmer than anything he had written. The novel is about a pastor, his wife, and four children. It is split into two sections called Advent and Easter. Writing for The Nation, Rumaan Alam says in Crossroads every plotline leads to God. Critics especially praised the character of Marion. Garner called her one of the glorious characters in recent American fiction. The novel retains many of his familiar virtues like robust characterization and escalating comedy.
Essays On Technology And Culture
In 1996, while still working on The Corrections, Franzen published a literary manifesto in Harper's Magazine entitled Perchance to Dream. He grappled with the novelist's role in an advanced media culture which seemed to no longer need the novel. In 2004, Franzen published The Discomfort Zone in The New Yorker. It was a personal essay about his childhood and family life in Missouri. Susan Orlean selected it for the subsequent volume of The Best American Essays. In September 2007, Franzen's translation of Frank Wedekind's play Spring Awakening was published. In 2013, Franzen published The Kraus Project. It consists of three major essays by Karl Kraus. Franzen provided plentiful annotations taking on Kraus' mantle. He commented on what Kraus would say about Macs and PCs. He also unfurled how media conglomerates influence politics in their quest for profits.
Birdwatching And Conservation Work
As first reported in his essay My Bird Problem, Franzen is well known as a serious birdwatcher. He appeared on CBS Sunday Morning in March 2018 to discuss his love of birds and birdwatching. Franzen served for nine years on the board of the American Bird Conservancy. A feature-length documentary based on Franzen's essay Emptying the Skies was released in 2013. In January 2011, The Observer named him as one of 20 activists who will be setting the global environmental agenda in the coming year. On the 16th of June 2012, Franzen delivered the commencement address at Cowell College, UC Santa Cruz. He received the 2015 Euronatur Award for outstanding commitment to nature conservation in Europe. His work often intersects with his public persona and writing career.