Chicago Days/Hoboken Nights

by Daniel Pinkwater

A sculptor, painter, and writer tells about his unexpected entrance into the art world and answers that age old question, "What is the meaning of Hoboken in the great visual pattern of life?"

Genres: Memoir, Humor, Nonfiction, Audiobook

168 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1991

About the author

Daniel Manus Pinkwater is an author of mostly children's books and is an occasional commentator on National Public Radio. He attended Bard College. Well-known books include Lizard Music, The Snarkout Boys and the Avocado of Death, Fat Men from Space, Borgel, and the picture book The Big Orange Splot. Pinkwater has also illustrated many of his books in the past, although for more recent works that task has passed to his wife Jill Pinkwater.

Reviews

[Phrodrick slowed his growing backlog · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bottom Line First:
Chicago Days/Hoboken Nights by Daniel Pinkwater Is likely correct in stating that this is mostly a fan book. As a memoir it is too incomplete and as a read it can be choppy. The pieces collected were originally intended to be read as part of Pinkwater’s occasional appearances on National Public Radio. They are perhaps better in the spoken medium as occasional broadcasts than as a sit down read. A sure good time for fans and perhaps too disjointed for a first time exposure.


I first became aware of DP from the aforesaid broadcasts. His wry humor and genial self-depreciation got me interested in his published works. He is best known as the author of children’s books. He has also written works for pre-adolescents, young adults and adults. What is consistent throughout all of his books is a refusal to be predictable or traditional.

Typical of his books for the pre-adolescents is the ability to create mysteries without exposing the young minds to murder or violence. His are puzzles that are just far enough off the usual center of story-telling to be uniquely his. He can be trusted to avoid language or situations that a monitoring adult would not want in front of children. In fairness, I am not sure that his target audience usually includes pre-adolescent girls.

His adult book shelf is not esp large, The After Life Diet being one I have read as well as this collection, stay in his mold of avoiding the excessively risque and overtly naughty , while maintaining an more sophisticated version of his odd ball, yet pointed view of his universe.
Returning to Chicago Days/Hoboken Nights, Pinkwater reminisces over scenes from his childhood, his struggles -if such a deliberately light hearted recounting can be typified as struggles - to become an artist in several visual media. It is almost an unintended accident that he became a writer and that is how much he covers the move that would save him from himself.

What makes this this book a worthwhile read for more than just fans, is Pinkwater. His is a gentle and gentlemanly humor. It is unique, off beat and relaxing. These selections do not create a consistent whole, but they can give you a pleasant reason to lite up your Kindle

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

I bought this book (years ago) because I used to enjoy hearing the author on NPR and thought he was pretty funny. It's taken me a long time to get around to reading it but it did not disappoint, although I prefer hearing him tell his stories aloud. This book is personal stories and reminiscences, and was published in 1991, so there was an additional element of interest/nostalgia for me in observing the changes from the author's early life to his adulthood, and then from the time the book was published to now. Quick, light read.

[Ellice · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have always heart-ed Daniel Pinkwater. I will always heart Daniel Pinkwater. This book of short, autobiographical vignettes, originally delivered as audio clips on NPR, firmly confirm my decision. They are sweet, they are funny, they are charming, they are Pinkwater. The story near the beginning about turning down a number of dirt-cheap custom-made (for someone else) cowboy suits will stay with me.

Pinkwater is not for everyone, but if he is for you, you will know it.

[elstaffe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pull quotes/notes
"The Iran-Contra hearings were going on at that time, and Big Bob had been following Oliver North's testimony.
'I don't get it,' Big Bob said. 'How come he doesn't want ta go to jail? He was s'posed to be da fall guy, right? Well da fall guy goes to jail. Instead, dis guy starts in to mention people.
'G. Gordon Liddy went to jail. He never spilled a single woid. I don' want to say anythin' against a Lootenant Coinel in the Marines—but dis guy strikes me as very unprofessional.'" (103)

[Krissy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been a Daniel M. Pinkwater fan for as long as I can remember. Probably discovered him in the fourth grade. My sense of humor can definitely trace back to him in a lot of ways. Found this on audiobook from my local library. So much fun to hear the author's own voice! Going to listen to the audiobooks of The Snarkout Boys and the Avocado of Death and The Snarkout Boys and the Baconburg Horror next; still two of my most cherished tween books. Also read by Pinkwater!!!

[Sutter Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an amazing life Pinkwater has led and continues to lead. What an amazing man he is. An insatiable curiosity. So observant. I read this and Fish Whistle back to back, or some of one, then the other, so can't recall what is in what book. Each one skips around a lot, back and forth in time.
I'd apparently missed hearing him on NPR, and most of the stories here are from those shows.

[Cheryl]

Took a peek to see if I liked it; before I blinked I was on p. 30.
But I have too many physical books on loan from the libraries, so maybe this openlibrary loan will expire and I'll have to get it again....

[Jeremiah Zinn · Rating 4 out of 5]

A must for fans of Pinkwater.

[Russell Fletcher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ha! Ha!1 Ha1

What can I say. Daniel Pinkwater is a very funny man. The book is full of his NPR radio commentaries.

[Heidi Burkhart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it! Pinkwater! Hurrah!

[Neil Troost]

read and understand! the weird mind was made first. the books believe it or not followed from life. his weird life:)

[Treasure Island Books · Rating 2 out of 5]

Essays.

[Johnsergeant · Rating 3 out of 5]

Downloaded from Audible.com

Narrator: Daniel M. Pinkwater
Publisher: Phoenix Audio, 1999
Length: 2 hours and 19 min.

Publisher's Summary
In this comical collection of memories, storyteller Daniel Pinkwater tells how he grew into the beloved figure he is today: a robust genius of the printed page and a rotund genie of the radio. In inimitable fashion, Pinkwater recounts the conversation with his father that suddenly made him an art major in college. He describes his inauguration as a sculptor in a sleazy Chicago art factory and recalls setting off for the bright center of the American art scene...or at least as close as Hoboken, New Jersey. As millions of radio listeners already know, no one has had a life quite like Daniel Pinkwater's.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

What always astounds me about Pinkwater's memoirs is realizing how many of the fantastic elements of his children's books are based on actual events in his life. This particular book covers--as the title would imply--his time in Chicago as a young man learning about art, something of his college years, his years in Hoboken (now, sadly, gentrified out of recognition), his attempts at art. Just to give you an idea, there's one story about how he came to dye a neighbor's vicious cat purple...

[Steve Davis · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm a huge fan of Pinkwater's fiction, and have been for about 20 years. That said, I was very disappointed with this collection of essays. Some were amusing, but I felt most of them straddled an annoying line between self-aggrandizing and self-deprecation that came off as trite and insincere.

[grundoon · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Being essentially unfamiliar with Pinkwater, I enjoyed this as an introduction to his background and style of storytelling. An entertaining glimpse of a slightly earlier era, which weakens only as continuity gives way to randomness in the final section.

[J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

If Freud had never opened his big yap, we might not need this book. But as it stands, I'm glad there are books like this to reorient me to the possibility of happiness in the modern world.

[J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Daniel Pinkwater is among those authors who must be heard, especially reading his autobiographies - Chicago Days, Hoboken Nights and Fishwhistle.

[B · Rating 3 out of 5]

813.54 Autobiographical sketches by a silly children's author and NPR commmentator.

[Konrad · Rating 3 out of 5]

While not nearly as deliriously funny as Pinkwater's fiction, these short bursts of memoir are amusing enough. No way I'd recommend a Pinkwater newbie to start here though.

[Mark Dunn · Rating 3 out of 5]

These were NPR radio broadcast ,but very enjoyable even without the authors voice.

[Susan Katz]

Quite good.

[Dan Blackley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book of essays and stories about Mr. Pinkwater.

[goodbyewaffles · Rating 5 out of 5]

This man is the greatest genius of our time.

I'm not kidding.