September 15th, 2009 / 1:02 pm
Snippets
Snippets
Michael Schaub—
Is Dan Chaon a god? Yes. Yes, he is. This interview proves it. As does his insanely great taste in music. (Seriously, read Await Your Reply, yo.)
I will now read this book. Is it as exciting as Dan Brown?
So close to buying it, but I will wait because it’s hardback. Lame of me.
So close to buying it, but I will wait because it’s hardback. Lame of me.
Dan seems to be a damn genuine guy, and a great writer (from what I’ve read). Just wanted to add that.
Dan seems to be a damn genuine guy, and a great writer (from what I’ve read). Just wanted to add that.
It’s an excellent book, and he really is a nice guy. Plus he has excellent taste in other writers – is a big fan of Hobart for instance, loves Peter Markus, etc.
It’s an excellent book, and he really is a nice guy. Plus he has excellent taste in other writers – is a big fan of Hobart for instance, loves Peter Markus, etc.
I met Dan last November, I think. This was before his wife died. I asked him if I could interview him, and he said yes. We met in a coffee shop in Cleveland Hts. Seriously one of the nicest guys ever, and now that I know he was probably fretting because his wife was sick, and he still agreed to meet with me, it makes him seem even more genuine. This was before Await Your Reply came out, and so I basically just asked him some general questions, and then when his wife died, I had no real direction to go with that interview. Still feel bad about that. I heard he’s coming to my campus sometime this semester, so I’ll try to meet up with him again.
I guess that’s just a long way of saying that he’s a great writer and person. Love his work.
I met Dan last November, I think. This was before his wife died. I asked him if I could interview him, and he said yes. We met in a coffee shop in Cleveland Hts. Seriously one of the nicest guys ever, and now that I know he was probably fretting because his wife was sick, and he still agreed to meet with me, it makes him seem even more genuine. This was before Await Your Reply came out, and so I basically just asked him some general questions, and then when his wife died, I had no real direction to go with that interview. Still feel bad about that. I heard he’s coming to my campus sometime this semester, so I’ll try to meet up with him again.
I guess that’s just a long way of saying that he’s a great writer and person. Love his work.
“Await Your Reply” really is genius. I can’t recommend it highly enough.
And it’s funny, whenever I mentioned him on the Bookslut blog, I’d get several emails from people who’d met him, and every single one mentioned what a nice, down-to-earth, genuine guy he is. He seems like one of the most well-liked people in American literature.
“Await Your Reply” really is genius. I can’t recommend it highly enough.
And it’s funny, whenever I mentioned him on the Bookslut blog, I’d get several emails from people who’d met him, and every single one mentioned what a nice, down-to-earth, genuine guy he is. He seems like one of the most well-liked people in American literature.
Ditto that. I met him in a bar in Columbus, Ohio, when my wife was in the hospital for the fifth month in a row and there was a chance she and our unborn baby might not survive it. He listened nicely while I yammered on about it, and I only learned later, when he wrote about it for The Rumpus, that his own wife was in the midst of a long battle with cancer. I felt really badly about it forever after, and I also thought that here is what a grownup is, the thing Dan Chaon was being to me that evening, and that I wanted to be a better human being in light of it.
Ditto that. I met him in a bar in Columbus, Ohio, when my wife was in the hospital for the fifth month in a row and there was a chance she and our unborn baby might not survive it. He listened nicely while I yammered on about it, and I only learned later, when he wrote about it for The Rumpus, that his own wife was in the midst of a long battle with cancer. I felt really badly about it forever after, and I also thought that here is what a grownup is, the thing Dan Chaon was being to me that evening, and that I wanted to be a better human being in light of it.
what a story, thanks for sharing it. wow.
what a story, thanks for sharing it. wow.
Okay, this puts MG’s comment in perspective.
Wow, Kyle, my goodness, I’m not sure what to say. That’s the kind of post that makes me evaluate the kind of person I am, would like to be.
Okay, this puts MG’s comment in perspective.
Wow, Kyle, my goodness, I’m not sure what to say. That’s the kind of post that makes me evaluate the kind of person I am, would like to be.
Wow, heartbreaking interview…especially —
“I was always writing for Sheila. She was my first great teacher, my first great reader, and I wanted to make her happy and to not disappoint her. I think we’re always in some ways writing to the teachers who gave us early love.”
What a fantastic interview. Incidentally, he refers to “Toby Wolff.” I still can’t picture anyone calling him “Toby” although I did somehow end up with my professor’s signed copy of “Back in the World” (one of my favorite collections evah)…where he signed it “Toby”. Even more incidentally, “The Rich Brother,” is my favorite TW story.
Wow, heartbreaking interview…especially —
“I was always writing for Sheila. She was my first great teacher, my first great reader, and I wanted to make her happy and to not disappoint her. I think we’re always in some ways writing to the teachers who gave us early love.”
What a fantastic interview. Incidentally, he refers to “Toby Wolff.” I still can’t picture anyone calling him “Toby” although I did somehow end up with my professor’s signed copy of “Back in the World” (one of my favorite collections evah)…where he signed it “Toby”. Even more incidentally, “The Rich Brother,” is my favorite TW story.
I’m sure most of you have read this, but if you feel like weeping like a small child for the rest of the day, check this out:
http://therumpus.net/2009/02/what-happened-to-sheila-2/
Honestly, we should put together some kind of Dan Chaon Appreciation Week or something. Every time I hear stories like the ones Kyle and MG so touchingly and generously shared above, I feel like baking him muffins and buying him beer every day of his life.
I mean, I really do hope that one day I can be a human being just 10% as good and decent as he is.
I’m sure most of you have read this, but if you feel like weeping like a small child for the rest of the day, check this out:
http://therumpus.net/2009/02/what-happened-to-sheila-2/
Honestly, we should put together some kind of Dan Chaon Appreciation Week or something. Every time I hear stories like the ones Kyle and MG so touchingly and generously shared above, I feel like baking him muffins and buying him beer every day of his life.
I mean, I really do hope that one day I can be a human being just 10% as good and decent as he is.