Jonathan Franzen

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Jonathan Franzen (born August 17, 1959, Chicago, Illinois) is an American novelist and essayist, currently living in New York City.

Franzen's The Corrections, a novel of social criticism, garnered considerable critical acclaim in the United States. The book was originally chosen as part of Oprah Winfrey's book club, but after Franzen expressed some concerns about the book club itself and the effect it would have, Oprah removed the book as a selection. An article published in The Age (2006) titled 'You Go Girl' cites Franzen's concern that Oprah's book club endorsement would repel male readers, as the reason for Oprah's uninvitation.

Franzen was raised in Webster Groves, a suburb of St. Louis, Missouri, and educated at Swarthmore. He lives in Brooklyn and currently writes for The New Yorker magazine.

Contents

1 The Oprah Controversy
2 Works
3 See also
4 External links
5 References

5.1 Interviews

The Oprah Controversy

September of 2001, The Corrections was selected for Oprah Winfrey's book club. Franzen was, at the time, willing to participate in the selection, appearing in B-roll footage in his hometown of St. Louis (described in How To Be Alone's essay "Meet Me In St. Louis") and sitting down for a lengthy interview with Oprah. However, in October, an article was published in The Oregonian which quoted Franzen as making several disparaging remarks. He expressed his irritation at the Oprah insignia being printed on his book by saying "I see this as my book, my creation, and I didn't want that logo of corporate ownership on it."

Soon afterward, Franzen was disinvited from Oprah's show with his "seemingly uncomfortable" attitude being cited as the reason.

Although the controversy arguably caused damage to Franzen's reputation, it had little effect on the sales of The Corrections, which became one of the most best-selling works of literary fiction of the 2000's.

Works

1988 The Twenty-Seventh City
1992 Strong Motion
2001 The Corrections - National Book Award for Fiction
2002 How to Be Alone, essays
2006 The Discomfort Zone, memoir

External links

[Jonathan Franzen's home page]

References

The Observer. 'You go, girl . . . and she went.' The Age. http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2006/01/20/1137553745680.html (21 Jan 2006)

Interviews

[An interview with Donald Antrim, Bomb Magazine]
[An interview with Laura Miller, Salon, September 7, 2001]
[An interview with Dave Weich, Powells.com, October 4, 2001]
[An Interview with Todd Leopold, CNN.com, October 18, 2001]
[An interview with Ben Greenman, The New Yorker Magazine, Online Only, September 23, 2002]
[Intimately connected to the Zeitgeist] Jonathan Franzen talks with Bernadette Conrad about German authors, American life and his moral mission, Die Zeit/Sign and Sight, August 4, 2005 at signandsight.com