内容简介
WithoutquestionCharlesBaxter,whoseravishingnovelTheFeastofLovewasaNationalBookAwardfinalist,isoneofourfinestcontemporarywriters.Thesetwobooks,setintheMichiganlandscapethatBaxterhasmadehisown,displayhisunparalleledgiftforrevealingtheunexpectedineverydaylife.Theoften-curiousconnectionsofrelativesandstrangersareilluminatedinthethirteenexquisitestoriesofARelativeStranger."Youcan'tjustgetabrotheroffthestreet,"acharactersays,butindeedhedoes.
作者简介
CharlesBaxterOfCharlesBaxter'sfiction,RonHansonwroteinTheNewYorkTimesBookReview,"Baxter'sstoriesareintelligent,original,gracefullywritten,alwaysmoving,frequentlyfunnyand--therarestofcompliments--wise."BiographyAlthoughhisbodyofworkincludespoetryandessays,award-winningwriterCharlesBaxterisbestknownforhisfiction--brilliantlycrafted,non-linearstoriesthattwistandturninunexpecteddirectionsbeforereachingsurprisingyetnearlyalwayssatisfyingconclusions.HespecializesinportraitsofsolidMidwesterners,regularJoesandJaneswhoseordinarylivesaredisruptedbyaccidents,chanceencounters,andthearrivalofstrangers;andhisbookshavegarneredafierceandloyalfollowingamongreadersandcriticsalike.BorninMinneapolisin1947,Baxterwasbarelyatoddlerwhenhisfatherdied.HismotherremarriedawealthyattorneywhomovedthefamilyontoasprawlingestateinsuburbanExcelsior.Fromprepschool,BaxterwasexpectedtoattendWilliams,butinsteadhechoseMacalester,asmall,liberalartscollegeinSt.Paul.Intendingtopursueacareerinteachingandwriting,heenrolledinthePh.D.programattheStateUniversityofNewYorkatBuffalo,attractedbyafacultythatincludedsuchliteraryluminariesofthedayasJohnBarthandDonaldBarthelme.Aftergradschool,BaxtermovedtoMichigantoteachatWayneStateUniversityinDetroit.Hespentmorethanadecadeconcentratingonwritingpoetry,butafteraparticularlydiscouragingdryspell,hedecidedtotryhishandatfiction.Helaboredlongandhardoverthreenovels,noneofwhichwasacceptedforpublication.Then,justashewasabouttogiveupaltogether,heattemptedonelasttrick.Hewhittledthethreenovelsdowntoshortstories,replacingepicthemes,extraordinarycharacters,andambitiousstoryarcswiththesmall,quietstuffofordinarylife.Itwasagooddecision,In1984,hisfirstcollectionofshortfiction,HarmonyoftheWorld,waspublished.Anotheranthologyfollowed,thenadebutnovel.Publishedin1987,FirstLightcharmedreaderswithitsunusualstructure(thestoryunfoldsbackwardsintime)andacastofrichly,draw,fullyhumancharacters.Baxtercontinuedtopublishthroughoutthe1990s,alternatingbetweenshortandfull-lengthfiction,andwitheachbookhegarneredlarger,moreappreciativeaudiencesandbetterreviews.Hisbreakthroughoccurredin2000withFeastofLove,anovelcomposedofmanysmallstoriesthatformasingle,cohesivenarrative.DescribedbyTheNewYorkTimesas"...rich,juicy,laugh-out-loudfunnyandcompletelyengrossing,"FeastofLovewasnominatedforaNationalBookAward."EverytimeI'vefinishedabook,itfeelstomeasifthewashraghasbeenrungout,"Baxterconfessedina2003interview.Yethekeepsoncraftingabsorbingstoriesinfusedwithquiet(sometimesabsurdist)witandacompassionateunderstandingofthehumancondition.AlongtimedirectorofthecreativewritingprogramattheUniversityofMichigan,heisknownasagenerousmentor,andseveralofhisstudentshavegoneontoforgesuccessfulliterarycareersoftheirown.GoodToKnowInourexclusiveinterview,Baxtersharedsomefascinatinginsightswithus:"Mynovelsaresometimescriticizedforbeingepisodic,orstructurallyweird.Andtheyare!Ilikethemthatway.It'sfairlylateintheday--2003asIwrite--inthehistoryofthenovel,andIthinkit'sfairforwriterstomessaroundwiththatform,andtostopthinkingthattheyhavetowritebooksthatmovesmoothlyfromthefirstacttothesecondact,andthentotheclimaxandthedenouement.Ilikedigressions,asides,intrusions,advice,anythingthatgetsinthewayofasmoothnarcoticflow.Newnovelsshouldnotlooklikeoldnovels,exceptwhentheywantto.""MyfatherdiedwhenIwaseighteenmonthsold,andIexpecttheunexpectedtohappeninlifeandinart,andmyfictionisfull,orloadeddown,withunexpectedfatalitiesofonekindoranother.Forme,that'srealism.""IhadanunhappychildhoodthatIthoughtwashappy,andIdoveintobooksasinspirationandreliefandcomfortandsecurityandinformationaboutwhatpeopledidandhowtheythought.Icanstillgethappyandsentimentaljustoverthethoughtoflibraries--theimageofawomansittingquietlyandreadingisaterrificallysexyimageforme.""Likemanywriters,I'mprivateandquietandobservantandbookish.Foraphysicaloutlet,Iliftweightsatthegymtwoorthreetimesaweek,andIdon'tquitunlessanduntilI'veworkedupafairlygoodsweat.Manywritersneedanoutletlikethattocounterthesedentarynatureofwhattheydo.Idon'thaveanywilddelusionsaboutthegreatnessofmywork:Iamhappytoworkhumblyinthisfieldwheresomanywritershavecreatedsomanyimmortalmanifestationsofthemindandspirit.AsHenryJamessaid,youworkinthedark;youdowhatyoucan;therestisthemadnessofart."Hometown:Minneapolis,MinnesotaDateofBirth:五月13,1947PlaceofBirth:Minneapolis,MinnesotaEducation:B.A.,MacalesterCollege,1969;Ph.D.,StateUniversityofNewYorkatBuffalo,1974Website:https://www.charlesbaxter.com
