Ask the Author: Jon Mooallem
Answered Questions (4)
Jon Mooallem
It was pretty late in the research when I finally got around to reading the play. It's exactly like I describe in the book: the recognition that I had the same strange omniscience as the Stage Manager. Still, it wasn't until I had done a lot of writing that I realized the similarities of what I was doing. I just kept going with it.
Jon Mooallem
I reread lots and lots of my favorite nonfiction books (a few: Robert Sullivan's A Whale Hunt, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, A Paradise Built in Hell by Rebeca Solnit, Moneyball) just to see how other people do it, but I mostly read novels. Weirdly, many of them were dystopian novels. Two favorites were Station Eleven and Severance by Ling Ma.
Jon Mooallem
I set aside times of day when I don't allow myself to look at my computer or phone. Is it working? I am typing this during one of those times.
Jon Mooallem
Hi! This project actually *started* with a collaboration with most of those same musicians, instead of the other way around. You can hear a performance of that show (plus an interview about the book) on this week's episode of the podcast 99% Invisible. The episode is called "This is Chance! Redux"
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