Thomas Mullen (1) (1974–)
Auteur van The Last Town on Earth
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Over de Auteur
Thomas Mullen is an American author, born in Providence, Rhode Island. He is a graduate of Oberlin College. He writes stories and essays which have been published in Grantland, Paste, The Huffington Post, and Atlanta Magazine. His novels include The Last Town on Earth, The Many Deaths of the toon meer Firefly Brothers, and The Revisionists. He writes the Darktown series, which includes the novels Darktown, and Lightning Men. He won the James Fenimore Cooper Prize for excellence in historical fiction with his book, The Last Town on Earth. (Bowker Author Biography) toon minder
Fotografie: Georgia Center for the Book
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Tagged
Algemene kennis
- Geboortedatum
- 1974
- Geslacht
- male
- Nationaliteit
- USA
- Geboorteplaats
- Providence, Rhode Island, USA
- Woonplaatsen
- Rhode Island, USA
Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
Washington, D.C., USA
Decatur, Georgia, USA - Opleiding
- Oberlin College
- Prijzen en onderscheidingen
- James Fennimore Cooper Award
- Agent
- Susan Golomb (The Susan Golomb Literary Agency)
- Korte biografie
- Thomas Mullen
Dates
b. 1974
Georgia Connections
Decatur, DeKalb County
Notes of Interest
Thomas Mullen is the award-winning writer of two novels who has been an active member of the literary community since he moved to Decatur with his family in 2007. He has received the James Fennimore Cooper Prize for excellence in historical fiction, and his books have appeared on several best-of lists.
Thomas Mullen was born in 1974 in Providence, Rhode Island, where he was raised. He was graduated from Oberlin College in Oberlin, Ohio. He has lived in Boston, Chapel Hill, NC and Washington, DC before coming to Georgia. "I liked the fact that there was a real community of writers and readers in Decatur, and it felt like a comfortable place for me to be," he said. He has assisted in planning for the annual AJC Decatur Book Festival, where he has appeared twice, and he has spoken to a number of libraries and community organizations.
His first novel, "The Last Town on Earth," appeared in 2006. Set in 1918 at the time of a dangerously spreading epidemic, the book focuses on what happens when a small town quarantines itself and has to confront the moral dilemmas the decision forces.Critics called it "a powerful, dark, richly imagined story," and author Matthew Pearl called Mullen's debut "stirring, classic storytelling." The novel won the James Fennimore Cooper award, was a New York Times Editor's Choice and was named the Best Debut Novel of the year by USA Today. His second novel, "The Many Deaths of the Firefly Brothers," was published in 2010 and follows the picaresque adventures of a pair of Depression-era bank robbers who appear to have died in the novel's opening pages. "A rollicking, smart novel -- mythic, mysterious, utterly compelling," wrote author Jess Walter. His most recent novel, "The Revisionists," appeared in 2011 and was hauiled by the Los Angeles Times Magazine as "an imaginative, elegant work of literary sci-fi."
For Further Reading
Thomas Mullen's Web Page, www.thomasmullen.net
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Discussies
Chat in Book Discussion : Darktown by Thomas Mullen (maart 2018)
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I had a hard time deciding on a rating for The Rumor Game. As far as the story goes, I would give it 3-3.5 stars, but because it seems to be very well researched, based on some true facts and tackles head-on a sentiment in the United States during World War II that is not easy to face, I decided to give it 4 stars.
Anne is a reporter writing a newspaper column call The Rumor Game, chasing down rumors floating around in Boston. She has her sights set on bigger goals, however, and her personal history fits right into it. She was raised as a Catholic and only found out after her father’s death that her mother’s family is Jewish. She is still coming to terms with this and how the treatment of her and her family by those considered friends – and the church - changed when this became known. This in part drives her to investigate the persecution and physical violence being done to Jewish families in Boston. Devon is a G-Man, an FBI agent whose job is to try and prevent sabotage in the area and to root out spies and sympathizers. His father pushed for him to become an agent and stay out of wartime action overseas. Unfortunately, this means that Devon is viewed by many as a slacker who cunningly avoided any real action.
Anne and Devon are not very likable characters. Anne hasn’t embraced being Jewish except when it suits her. She is reckless and endangers those she enlists to help her, has a constant chip on her shoulder over not receiving the recognition she believes she deserves, and definitely is looking for more exposure and rewards. When we meet Devon he has just finished seducing yet another woman whose husband is away fighting; he’s not a very honorable man. He is clever and a bit slippery and seems to do just enough to get by. He and Anne are brought together to try to get to the bottom of the murder of an immigrant. They come together, break apart, come together . . . not sure if there will be more to this relationship or not.
As noted, this book is obviously well researched and spotlights the rampant antisemitism in play in Boston and throughout the US at the time. It also addresses espionage, organized crime and domestic fascism, but it’s slow moving and while you feel the author is trying to build suspense to – something – the story often meanders along without a clear point as its goal.
Thanks to St. Martin’s Publishing Group for providing an advance copy of The Rumor Game via NetGalley. It is thought-provoking and I enjoyed it, but the attention to detail becomes too much detail and often overwhelms the story; I think perhaps this would have been a better book if it had been non-fiction anecdotes focusing on how Jews were treated at that time. I voluntarily leave this review; all opinions are my own.… (meer)
Anne is a reporter writing a newspaper column call The Rumor Game, chasing down rumors floating around in Boston. She has her sights set on bigger goals, however, and her personal history fits right into it. She was raised as a Catholic and only found out after her father’s death that her mother’s family is Jewish. She is still coming to terms with this and how the treatment of her and her family by those considered friends – and the church - changed when this became known. This in part drives her to investigate the persecution and physical violence being done to Jewish families in Boston. Devon is a G-Man, an FBI agent whose job is to try and prevent sabotage in the area and to root out spies and sympathizers. His father pushed for him to become an agent and stay out of wartime action overseas. Unfortunately, this means that Devon is viewed by many as a slacker who cunningly avoided any real action.
Anne and Devon are not very likable characters. Anne hasn’t embraced being Jewish except when it suits her. She is reckless and endangers those she enlists to help her, has a constant chip on her shoulder over not receiving the recognition she believes she deserves, and definitely is looking for more exposure and rewards. When we meet Devon he has just finished seducing yet another woman whose husband is away fighting; he’s not a very honorable man. He is clever and a bit slippery and seems to do just enough to get by. He and Anne are brought together to try to get to the bottom of the murder of an immigrant. They come together, break apart, come together . . . not sure if there will be more to this relationship or not.
As noted, this book is obviously well researched and spotlights the rampant antisemitism in play in Boston and throughout the US at the time. It also addresses espionage, organized crime and domestic fascism, but it’s slow moving and while you feel the author is trying to build suspense to – something – the story often meanders along without a clear point as its goal.
Thanks to St. Martin’s Publishing Group for providing an advance copy of The Rumor Game via NetGalley. It is thought-provoking and I enjoyed it, but the attention to detail becomes too much detail and often overwhelms the story; I think perhaps this would have been a better book if it had been non-fiction anecdotes focusing on how Jews were treated at that time. I voluntarily leave this review; all opinions are my own.… (meer)
The setting is Boston during World War Two. The main character (Anne) writes a column exposing false rumors about what is going on in the city some of which are antisemitic (She is Jewish) .She meets and there is some electricity with an FBI agent (Devon). They will eventually help each other on their investigations about things like the attacks and deaths on some Jewish men in the city. There is also gun smuggling from a local arms factory along with a counterfeit stamp ring. This is an engaging novel.… (meer)
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Fascinating story built around the Nazi groups, fascist groups, and other anti Jewish groups in Boston during World War II, including the Christian Front organization.
Told through the eyes of Jewish journalist Anne Lemire and FBI agent Devon Mulvey.
“ Anne wrote for the Rumor Clinic, the weekly Star column she’d managed to create for herself after weeks of persistent calls and a few connections. The idea behind the Rumor Clinic was to identify and disprove the many harmful rumors floating around town, some of them spread by deliberate Axis propaganda to weaken resolve and others just random bits of hearsay mixed with fear, ignorance, and bigotry.”
Incidents are building, fuelled by rumour, and subsequent resentment from blue collar workers about Jews and African Americans supposedly taking their jobs in a munitions factory (untrue.) This, together with the anti semitism of certain Catholic priests, the same sentiments amongst many of Boston police force, and the increased mugging of young Jewish people walking home, weaves a dark tale.
Anne wants to expose fascists and corrupt organizations. Dangerous! Devon is investigating a sudden death. Their paths connect.
Feelings of helplessness, the entanglement of family relationships, of trying to bring untruths to the public awareness—a public that mostly didn’t want to know, pervade.
Challenging and enlightening. Disproving falsehoods and exposing rumors is not easy.
A St. Martin’s Press ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher.
Please note: Quotes taken from an advanced reading copy maybe subject to change… (meer)