Dan Chaon Reading
Dan Chaon reads from his novel, You Remind Me of Me. Chaon discusses his portrayal of the Doberman in the novel, and how he successfully choreographed the shift of the character from a tame to dangerous dog.
During a question and answer session, Chaon discusses his transition from short story writing to fiction. Chaon points out that so much more time is spent with the characters in his novel than short stories, and that a “clear architectural sense” is needed to create a structured novel. He reveals his tendency to narrate specific details very thoroughly; his editor claims that Chaon would write an entire book filled with these details, void of action, if he could. Chaon explains that the details about “mundane” moments or images in his novel are utilized to work up to an event or to give psychological insight into a character.
Chaon goes on to discuss the editing process for You Remind Me of Me, explaining that the novel was originally written in first person but was eventually changed to third person with multiple narrators. He claims that there is a “dramatic irony” to a first person narrative, and that this narrator can never be entirely trusted. Chaon also felt that multiple narrators were needed to balance out the main character of Jonah.
In: "Live from Prairie Lights" Audio Archive | Fiction
Authors: Dan Chaon
Date Recorded: September 20, 2004
Works Read: "You Remind Me of Me" by Dan Chaon
Program: Live From Prairie Lights
Format: reading
Contributors: Introduction by host Julie Englander.
Topics: short story writing, novel writing, childhood, adoption,