Paul Auster, author of New York Trilogy, RIP

[ejp626]

Sad news...  https://www.theguardian.com/books/2024/may/01/paul-auster-dies-aged-77-death-american-author-new-york-trilogy

I saw him at a reading in Ann Arbor.  I'm pretty sure he was reading from The Music of Chance.  I was able to get him to sign my copy of The New York Trilogy.  I've read a fair bit of his work, though I haven't tackled 4 3 2 1, since my impression is I would probably have to reread several key novels before I did so.  One of these days...

[mjazzg]

A shame, 77 isn't very old these days although he did well to get there having lung cancer.

I really enjoyed his early works and reconnected with 4321 which I thought was a really good read.  

[Niko]

back as a kid in the 90s, he was one of my favorite authors... RIP

Edited May 1, 2024 by Niko

[soulpope]

R.I.P    ....

[GA Russell]

RIP.

[Dmitry]

There is a jazz connection...he wrote and directed (a pretty crappy, as I remember it) jazz-themed film, Lulu on the Bridge, with Harvey Keitel, Willem Dafoe and Mira Sorvino, plus a bunch of cameos by the Likes of Lou Reed. Blue Note released the soundtrack.

My first interaction with his work was from his script for a truly brilliant film, The Music of Chance.

I also read one of his books, about a really fat man and his son, the title escapes me now.

Looks like he lived an interesting life.

[Dmitry]

Just read The Music of Chance. The film was better than the novel it was based on. Usually this isn't the case, in my experience.

 

Edited May 8, 2024 by Dmitry

[adh1907]

The other jazz connection is that the screenplay for the film ‘Smoke’ was written by Paul Auster and the main character Auggie was based on Augie who ran a jazz club on the upper West Side. Which subsequently became the Smoke jazz club (after Augie had to close down for tax issues I think). I used to visit regularly in the 90s and it was certainly an interesting place when Augie ran it (with his mother stationed at the bar).