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Product Identifiers
PublisherPennsylvania STATE University Press
ISBN-100271065281
ISBN-139780271065281
eBay Product ID (ePID)208592802
Product Key Features
Book TitleImpossible Craft : Literary Biography
Number of Pages296 Pages
LanguageEnglish
TopicPublishing, United States / 20th Century, Authorship, General, American / General, Literary
Publication Year2015
GenreLiterary Criticism, Language Arts & Disciplines, Biography & Autobiography, History
AuthorScott Donaldson
Book SeriesPenn State Series in the History of the Book Ser.
FormatHardcover
Dimensions
Item Height1 in
Item Weight20 oz
Item Length9.4 in
Item Width6.4 in
Additional Product Features
Intended AudienceTrade
LCCN2014-035170
TitleLeadingThe
Reviews"Being a seasoned practitioner, Scott Donaldson understands the complexities, challenges, and delights of literary biography. This is a fine take on an ancient, often misunderstood, craft. A welcome addition to one of the least theorized of all genres." --Jay Parini,author of Robert Frost: A Life, "What makes The Impossible Craft so satisfying is Mr. Donaldson's willingness to address the nature of biography on many different levels. Those simply curious about how biographers work will get an education, and those who already know a good deal about biography will nevertheless find his case studies riveting. His book, in fact, is a model for what more literary critics should be doing." --Carl Rollyson, Wall Street Journal, "While the autobiographical portions of The Impossible Craft are compelling enough, the parts that had me repeatedly reaching for my commonplace book (or rather clicking open the Word doc that has supplanted it) are those in which Donaldson undertakes a sort of tour d'horizon of the difficulties, weaknesses, hazards, and rewards of biography, and of who has memorably said what about them." -Ben Downing, The Hopkins Review, &"Scott Donaldson brings several decades of experience as a literary biographer to The Impossible Craft&-a fascinating study of how and why biographies are written. How does a biographer develop a persona and a voice? How does a biographer deal with the literary heirs? Must the biographer like the subject? Is biography a craft, as the title of this book implies, or an art, or something else? Scott Donaldson has earned the right to have his say on all of these matters.&" &-James L. W. West III, Pennsylvania State University, "Being a seasoned practitioner, Scott Donaldson understands the complexities, challenges, and delights of literary biography. This is a fine take on an ancient, often misunderstood, craft. A welcome addition to one of the least theorized of all genres." --Jay Parini, author of Robert Frost: A Life, "Scott Donaldson's The Impossible Craft is a revealing, entertaining, and ultimately inspiring look at a literary form that too many readers assume is a simple matter of compiling chronologies and presenting dry facts dug up through research. In discussing the art of biography--in particular, literary biography, in which the subject isn't just an important literary figure but the telling of the life subscribes to its own high standards of narrative craft and execution--Donaldson proves why he is regarded as a master of this genre. In exploring such nuts-and-bolts issues as the proprieties of interviewing and securing permissions, he offers practical advice to aspiring biographers. This book is so much more than a primer or how-to guide, however. Donaldson plumbs the dangers of overidentifying with one's subject and of ramrodding a single thesis across a lifespan. He examines the ethical challenges of judging the relevance of details, of the repercussions of including unflattering information, and the consequences for one's credibility of suppressing it. He assures us that biographers inevitably get some things wrong and that what they get right is sometimes serendipitous. He also tells us exactly what we shouldn't expect biography to do. "At the core of the book are case histories involving the writers Donaldson has spent his career studying. One brilliant section explores the behind-the-scenes rivalries and conflicting agendas that doomed Edwin Arlington Robinson's first biographer, Hermann Hagedorn, to produce a pedestrian 'life of . . .' that may have stymied critical interest in a poet who didn't deserve to fall out of fashion (or to have his name so often incorrectly cited a s Edward ). Another chapter examines how F. Scott Fitzgerald's many biographers incrementally embellished upon the few certifiable facts known about Zelda's 1924 "affair" with a French aviator to dramatize a central episode in the couple's fabled romance. Finally, Donaldson returns twenty-five years later to the story of his own exasperating dealings with the estate of John Cheever over a project that nearly drove him out of the business. At once admitting mistakes and yet defending his turf, Donaldson shows how biography is always personal. "Interwoven with autobiographical anecdotes and propelled by fascinating storie s, The Impossible Cr aft explains why the writing of biographies is often as conflicted, emotionally fraught, and downright messy as the lives they document." --Kirk Curnutt,author of Coffee with Hemingway, "There may not be another writer in America more qualified than Scott Donaldson to meditate on the agonies--and separate-peace victories--of the literary biographer. He has delivered a biography of biography-making, and he doesn't spare us his mistakes and regrets." --Paul Hendrickson, author of Hemingway's Boat: Everything He Loved in Life, and Lost, "A captivating and intimate glimpse of the challenges and rewards of writing lives of novelists and poets." --Publishers Weekly, "Scott Donaldson's The Impossible Craft is a revealing, entertaining, and ultimately inspiring look at a literary form that too many readers assume is a simple matter of compiling chronologies and presenting dry facts dug up through research. In discussing the art of biography--in particular, literary biography, in which the subject isn't just an important literary figure but the telling of the life subscribes to its own high standards of narrative craft and execution--Donaldson proves why he is regarded as a master of this genre. In exploring such nuts-and-bolts issues as the proprieties of interviewing and securing permissions, he offers practical advice to aspiring biographers. This book is so much more than a primer or how-to guide, however. Donaldson plumbs the dangers of overidentifying with one's subject and of ramrodding a single thesis across a lifespan. He examines the ethical challenges of judging the relevance of details, of the repercussions of including unflattering information, and the consequences for one's credibility of suppressing it. He assures us that biographers inevitably get some things wrong and that what they get right is sometimes serendipitous. He also tells us exactly what we shouldn't expect biography to do. "At the core of the book are case histories involving the writers Donaldson has spent his career studying. One brilliant section explores the behind-the-scenes rivalries and conflicting agendas that doomed Edwin Arlington Robinson's first biographer, Hermann Hagedorn, to produce a pedestrian 'life of . . .' that may have stymied critical interest in a poet who didn't deserve to fall out of fashion (or to have his name so often incorrectly cited a s Edward ). Another chapter examines how F. Scott Fitzgerald's many biographers incrementally embellished upon the few certifiable facts known about Zelda's 1924 "affair" with a French aviator to dramatize a central episode in the couple's fabled romance. Finally, Donaldson returns twenty-five years later to the story of his own exasperating dealings with the estate of John Cheever over a project that nearly drove him out of the business. At once admitting mistakes and yet defending his turf, Donaldson shows how biography is always personal. "Interwoven with autobiographical anecdotes and propelled by fascinating storie s, The Impossible Cr aft explains why the writing of biographies is often as conflicted, emotionally fraught, and downright messy as the lives they document." --Kirk Curnutt, author of Coffee with Hemingway, &"There may not be another writer in America more qualified than Scott Donaldson to meditate on the agonies&-and separate-peace victories&-of the literary biographer. He has delivered a biography of biography-making, and he doesn't spare us his mistakes and regrets.&" &-Paul Hendrickson, author of Hemingway&'s Boat: Everything He Loved in Life, and Lost, "A captivating and intimate glimpse of the challenges and rewards of writing lives of novelists and poets." - Publishers Weekly, "There may not be another writer in America more qualified than Scott Donaldson to meditate on the agonies--and separate-peace victories--of the literary biographer. He has delivered a biography of biography-making, and he doesn't spare us his mistakes and regrets." --Paul Hendrickson,author of Hemingway's Boat: Everything He Loved in Life, and Lost, "Books about the nature and practice of biography are rare. As such, this eminently readable and important book by a stellar biographer is uniquely instructive." --David Madden, Key Reporter, "Donaldson's book is a wonderfully engaging read, not only for biographers or would-be biographers but also for students and scholars of literature. It provides valuable context regarding the challenges and insights of biographical research and can broaden our understanding of biographical narrative and the literary voices we value." --Sara A. Kosiba, F. Scott Fitzgerald Review, "Scott Donaldson brings several decades of experience as a literary biographer to The Impossible Craft -a fascinating study of how and why biographies are written. How does a biographer develop a persona and a voice? How does a biographer deal with the literary heirs? Must the biographer like the subject? Is biography a craft, as the title of this book implies, or an art, or something else? Scott Donaldson has earned the right to have his say on all of these matters." -James L. W. West III, Pennsylvania State University, "Being a seasoned practitioner, Scott Donaldson understands the complexities, challenges, and delights of literary biography. This is a fine take on an ancient, often misunderstood, craft. A welcome addition to one of the least theorized of all genres." -Jay Parini, author of Robert Frost: A Life, "Books about the nature and practice of biography are rare. As such, this eminently readable and important book by a stellar biographer is uniquely instructive." -David Madden, Key Reporter, "Scott Donaldson brings several decades of experience as a literary biographer to The Impossible Craft--a fascinating study of how and why biographies are written. How does a biographer develop a persona and a voice? How does a biographer deal with the literary heirs? Must the biographer like the subject? Is biography a craft, as the title of this book implies, or an art, or something else? Scott Donaldson has earned the right to have his say on all of these matters." --James L. W. West III, Pennsylvania State University, "Donaldson's book is a wonderfully engaging read, not only for biographers or would-be biographers but also for students and scholars of literature. It provides valuable context regarding the challenges and insights of biographical research and can broaden our understanding of biographical narrative and the literary voices we value." -Sara A. Kosiba, F. Scott Fitzgerald Review, "Scott Donaldson's The Impossible Craft is a revealing, entertaining, and ultimately inspiring look at a literary form that too many readers assume is a simple matter of compiling chronologies and presenting dry facts dug up through research. In discussing the art of biography-in particular, literary biography, in which the subject isn't just an important literary figure but the telling of the life subscribes to its own high standards of narrative craft and execution-Donaldson proves why he is regarded as a master of this genre. In exploring such nuts-and-bolts issues as the proprieties of interviewing and securing permissions, he offers practical advice to aspiring biographers. This book is so much more than a primer or how-to guide, however. Donaldson plumbs the dangers of overidentifying with one's subject and of ramrodding a single thesis across a lifespan. He examines the ethical challenges of judging the relevance of details, of the repercussions of including unflattering information, and the consequences for one's credibility of suppressing it. He assures us that biographers inevitably get some things wrong and that what they get right is sometimes serendipitous. He also tells us exactly what we shouldn't expect biography to do. "At the core of the book are case histories involving the writers Donaldson has spent his career studying. One brilliant section explores the behind-the-scenes rivalries and conflicting agendas that doomed Edwin Arlington Robinson's first biographer, Hermann Hagedorn, to produce a pedestrian 'life of . . .' that may have stymied critical interest in a poet who didn't deserve to fall out of fashion (or to have his name so often incorrectly cited a s Edward ). Another chapter examines how F. Scott Fitzgerald's many biographers incrementally embellished upon the few certifiable facts known about Zelda's 1924 "affair" with a French aviator to dramatize a central episode in the couple's fabled romance. Finally, Donaldson returns twenty-five years later to the story of his own exasperating dealings with the estate of John Cheever over a project that nearly drove him out of the business. At once admitting mistakes and yet defending his turf, Donaldson shows how biography is always personal. "Interwoven with autobiographical anecdotes and propelled by fascinating storie s, The Impossible Cr aft explains why the writing of biographies is often as conflicted, emotionally fraught, and downright messy as the lives they document." -Kirk Curnutt, author of Coffee with Hemingway, "This well-written study belongs in the hands of every would-be or seasoned writer and every impassioned reader and teacher." --Dale Salwak, Biography, "Scott Donaldson brings several decades of experience as a literary biographer to The Impossible Craft --a fascinating study of how and why biographies are written. How does a biographer develop a persona and a voice? How does a biographer deal with the literary heirs? Must the biographer like the subject? Is biography a craft, as the title of this book implies, or an art, or something else? Scott Donaldson has earned the right to have his say on all of these matters." --James L. W. West III, Pennsylvania State University, "Scott Donaldson's The Impossible Craft is a revealing, entertaining, and ultimately inspiring look at a literary form that too many readers assume is a simple matter of compiling chronologies and presenting dry facts dug up through research. In discussing the art of biography--in particular, literary biography, in which the subject isn't just an important literary figure but the telling of the life subscribes to its own high standards of narrative craft and execution--Donaldson proves why he is regarded as a master of this genre. In exploring such nuts-and-bolts issues as the proprieties of interviewing and securing permissions, he offers practical advice to aspiring biographers. This book is so much more than a primer or how-to guide, however. Donaldson plumbs the dangers of overidentifying with one's subject and of ramrodding a single thesis across a lifespan. He examines the ethical challenges of judging the relevance of details, of the repercussions of including unflattering information, and the consequences for one's credibility of suppressing it. He assures us that biographers inevitably get some things wrong and that what they get right is sometimes serendipitous. He also tells us exactly what we shouldn't expect biography to do. "At the core of the book are case histories involving the writers Donaldson has spent his career studying. One brilliant section explores the behind-the-scenes rivalries and conflicting agendas that doomed Edwin Arlington Robinson's first biographer, Hermann Hagedorn, to produce a pedestrian 'life of . . .' that may have stymied critical interest in a poet who didn't deserve to fall out of fashion (or to have his name so often incorrectly cited as Edward). Another chapter examines how F. Scott Fitzgerald's many biographers incrementally embellished upon the few certifiable facts known about Zelda's 1924 "affair" with a French aviator to dramatize a central episode in the couple's fabled romance. Finally, Donaldson returns twenty-five years later to the story of his own exasperating dealings with the estate of John Cheever over a project that nearly drove him out of the business. At once admitting mistakes and yet defending his turf, Donaldson shows how biography is always personal. "Interwoven with autobiographical anecdotes and propelled by fascinating stories, The Impossible Craft explains why the writing of biographies is often as conflicted, emotionally fraught, and downright messy as the lives they document." --Kirk Curnutt, author of Coffee with Hemingway, &"Being a seasoned practitioner, Scott Donaldson understands the complexities, challenges, and delights of literary biography. This is a fine take on an ancient, often misunderstood, craft. A welcome addition to one of the least theorized of all genres.&" &-Jay Parini, author of Robert Frost: A Life, "A captivating and intimate glimpse of the challenges and rewards of writing lives of novelists and poets." -Publishers Weekly, &"Scott Donaldson&'s The Impossible Craft is a revealing, entertaining, and ultimately inspiring look at a literary form that too many readers assume is a simple matter of compiling chronologies and presenting dry facts dug up through research. In discussing the art of biography&-in particular, literary biography, in which the subject isn&'t just an important literary figure but the telling of the life subscribes to its own high standards of narrative craft and execution&-Donaldson proves why he is regarded as a master of this genre. In exploring such nuts-and-bolts issues as the proprieties of interviewing and securing permissions, he offers practical advice to aspiring biographers. This book is so much more than a primer or how-to guide, however. Donaldson plumbs the dangers of overidentifying with one&'s subject and of ramrodding a single thesis across a lifespan. He examines the ethical challenges of judging the relevance of details, of the repercussions of including unflattering information, and the consequences for one&'s credibility of suppressing it. He assures us that biographers inevitably get some things wrong and that what they get right is sometimes serendipitous. He also tells us exactly what we shouldn&'t expect biography to do. &"At the core of the book are case histories involving the writers Donaldson has spent his career studying. One brilliant section explores the behind-the-scenes rivalries and conflicting agendas that doomed Edwin Arlington Robinson&'s first biographer, Hermann Hagedorn, to produce a pedestrian 'life of . . .&' that may have stymied critical interest in a poet who didn&'t deserve to fall out of fashion (or to have his name so often incorrectly cited as Edward). Another chapter examines how F. Scott Fitzgerald&'s many biographers incrementally embellished upon the few certifiable facts known about Zelda&'s 1924 &"affair&" with a French aviator to dramatize a central episode in the couple&'s fabled romance. Finally, Donaldson returns twenty-five years later to the story of his own exasperating dealings with the estate of John Cheever over a project that nearly drove him out of the business. At once admitting mistakes and yet defending his turf, Donaldson shows how biography is always personal. &"Interwoven with autobiographical anecdotes and propelled by fascinating stories, The Impossible Craft explains why the writing of biographies is often as conflicted, emotionally fraught, and downright messy as the lives they document.&" &-Kirk Curnutt, author of Coffee with Hemingway, "Donaldson's book is a wonderfully engaging read, not only for biographers or would-be biographers but also for students and scholars of literature. It provides valuable context regarding the challenges and insights of biographical research and can broaden our understanding of biographical narrative and the literary voices we value." --Sara A. Kosiba F. Scott Fitzgerald Review, "This well-written study belongs in the hands of every would-be or seasoned writer and every impassioned reader and teacher." --Dale Salwak Biography, "There may not be another writer in America more qualified than Scott Donaldson to meditate on the agonies-and separate-peace victories-of the literary biographer. He has delivered a biography of biography-making, and he doesn't spare us his mistakes and regrets." -Paul Hendrickson, author of Hemingway's Boat: Everything He Loved in Life, and Lost, "Books about the nature and practice of biography are rare. As such, this eminently readable and important book by a stellar biographer is uniquely instructive." --David Madden Key Reporter, "What makes The Impossible Craft so satisfying is Mr. Donaldson's willingness to address the nature of biography on many different levels. Those simply curious about how biographers work will get an education, and those who already know a good deal about biography will nevertheless find his case studies riveting. His book, in fact, is a model for what more literary critics should be doing." -Carl Rollyson, Wall Street Journal, "Scott Donaldson brings several decades of experience as a literary biographer to The Impossible Craft-a fascinating study of how and why biographies are written. How does a biographer develop a persona and a voice? How does a biographer deal with the literary heirs? Must the biographer like the subject? Is biography a craft, as the title of this book implies, or an art, or something else? Scott Donaldson has earned the right to have his say on all of these matters." -James L. W. West III, Pennsylvania State University, "This well-written study belongs in the hands of every would-be or seasoned writer and every impassioned reader and teacher." -Dale Salwak, Biography, "What makes The Impossible Craft so satisfying is Mr. Donaldson's willingness to address the nature of biography on many different levels. Those simply curious about how biographers work will get an education, and those who already know a good deal about biography will nevertheless find his case studies riveting. His book, in fact, is a model for what more literary critics should be doing." --Carl Rollyson Wall Street Journal, "Scott Donaldson's The Impossible Craft is a revealing, entertaining, and ultimately inspiring look at a literary form that too many readers assume is a simple matter of compiling chronologies and presenting dry facts dug up through research. In discussing the art of biography-in particular, literary biography, in which the subject isn't just an important literary figure but the telling of the life subscribes to its own high standards of narrative craft and execution-Donaldson proves why he is regarded as a master of this genre. In exploring such nuts-and-bolts issues as the proprieties of interviewing and securing permissions, he offers practical advice to aspiring biographers. This book is so much more than a primer or how-to guide, however. Donaldson plumbs the dangers of overidentifying with one's subject and of ramrodding a single thesis across a lifespan. He examines the ethical challenges of judging the relevance of details, of the repercussions of including unflattering information, and the consequences for one's credibility of suppressing it. He assures us that biographers inevitably get some things wrong and that what they get right is sometimes serendipitous. He also tells us exactly what we shouldn't expect biography to do. "At the core of the book are case histories involving the writers Donaldson has spent his career studying. One brilliant section explores the behind-the-scenes rivalries and conflicting agendas that doomed Edwin Arlington Robinson's first biographer, Hermann Hagedorn, to produce a pedestrian 'life of . . .' that may have stymied critical interest in a poet who didn't deserve to fall out of fashion (or to have his name so often incorrectly cited as Edward). Another chapter examines how F. Scott Fitzgerald's many biographers incrementally embellished upon the few certifiable facts known about Zelda's 1924 "affair" with a French aviator to dramatize a central episode in the couple's fabled romance. Finally, Donaldson returns twenty-five years later to the story of his own exasperating dealings with the estate of John Cheever over a project that nearly drove him out of the business. At once admitting mistakes and yet defending his turf, Donaldson shows how biography is always personal. "Interwoven with autobiographical anecdotes and propelled by fascinating stories, The Impossible Craft explains why the writing of biographies is often as conflicted, emotionally fraught, and downright messy as the lives they document." -Kirk Curnutt, author of Coffee with Hemingway, "While the autobiographical portions of The Impossible Craft are compelling enough, the parts that had me repeatedly reaching for my commonplace book (or rather clicking open the Word doc that has supplanted it) are those in which Donaldson undertakes a sort of tour d'horizon of the difficulties, weaknesses, hazards, and rewards of biography, and of who has memorably said what about them." --Ben Downing, The Hopkins Review, "A captivating and intimate glimpse of the challenges and rewards of writing lives of novelists and poets." -- Publishers Weekly, "Scott Donaldson brings several decades of experience as a literary biographer to The Impossible Craft --a fascinating study of how and why biographies are written. How does a biographer develop a persona and a voice? How does a biographer deal with the literary heirs? Must the biographer like the subject? Is biography a craft, as the title of this book implies, or an art, or something else? Scott Donaldson has earned the right to have his say on all of these matters." --James L. W. West III,Pennsylvania State University, "While the autobiographical portions of The Impossible Craft are compelling enough, the parts that had me repeatedly reaching for my commonplace book (or rather clicking open the Word doc that has supplanted it) are those in which Donaldson undertakes a sort of tour d'horizon of the difficulties, weaknesses, hazards, and rewards of biography, and of who has memorably said what about them." --Ben Downing The Hopkins Review
Dewey Edition23
Dewey Decimal920
Table Of ContentContents Abbreviations 1 Beginnings Biography: A Background Sketch Becoming a Biographer And Then I Wrote . . . The Editor's Hand: Hemingway Fitzgerald and the Craft The Amazing Archibald MacLeish A Dual Biography of Fitz and Hem Recovering Robinson Other Chores, On to Fenton 2 Topics in Literary Biography Fact and Fiction Writers as Subjects Ethical Issues Sources: Letters Sources: Interviews 3 The Impossible Craft The Issue of Involvement Trying to Capture Hemingway The Mythical Ideal Biographer What Biography Can't Do And Yet . . . 4 Case Studies Telling Robinson's Story: The Fight over a Poet's Bones Summer of '24: Zelda's Affair Hemingway's Battle with Biographers, 1949-1954 5 The Cheever Misadventure Writing the Cheever The Lawsuit The Next Biography Bibliography
SynopsisIn The Impossible Craft , Scott Donaldson explores the rocky territory of literary biography, the most difficult that biographers try to navigate. Writers are accustomed to controlling the narrative, and notoriously opposed to allowing intruders on their turf. They make bonfires of their papers, encourage others to destroy correspondence, write their own autobiographies, and appoint family or friends to protect their reputations as official biographers. Thomas Hardy went so far as to compose his own life story to be published after his death, while falsely assigning authorship to his widow. After a brief background sketch of the history of biography from Greco-Roman times to the present, Donaldson recounts his experiences in writing biographies of a broad range of twentieth-century American writers: Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, John Cheever, Archibald MacLeish, Edwin Arlington Robinson, Winfield Townley Scott, and Charlie Fenton. Donaldson provides readers with a highly readable insiders' introduction to literary biography. He suggests how to conduct interviews, and what not to do during the process. He offers sound advice about how closely biographers should identify with their subjects. He examines the ethical obligations of the biographer, who must aim for the truth without unduly or unnecessarily causing discomfort or worse to survivors. He shows us why and how misinformation comes into existence and tends to persist over time. He describes "the mythical ideal biographer," an imaginary creature of universal intelligence and myriad talents beyond the reach of any single human being. And he suggests how its very impossibility makes the goal of writing a biography that captures the personality of an author a challenge well worth pursuing., Explores the challenges and rewards faced by literary biographers. Details the author's experiences writing the lives of writers including Edwin Arlington Robinson, Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, John Cheever, and Archibald MacLeish.
LC Classification NumberCT21.D68 2014
