Reading with Style discussion

20.9 - Elizabeth (Alaska)'s task - Fatherly
In honor of fathers everywhere, read a book by an author who is the father of another author OR read a book by an author whose father is also an author.

Thanks for the suggestion, Rebekah!

Here are a few ideas, not a definitive list.

Cornelius Warren Grafton and Sue Grafton
Alexandre Dumas and Alexandre Dumas-fils
Floyd Skloot and Rebecca Skloot
Stephen King and Joe Hill
Amos Bronson Alcott and Louisa May Alcott
Arthur Waugh and Evelyn Waugh
H.G. Wells and Anthony West
William F Buckley and Christopher Buckley
Charles Dickens and Charles Dickens Jr.
John Updike and David Updike
John Steinbeck and John Steinbeck IV
John Cheever and Susan Cheever
Michael Shaara and Jeff Shaara
Andre Dubus and Andre Dubus III
Ernest Hemingway and Jack Hemingway
Leslie Stephen and Virginia Woolf
Robert Caesar Childers (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_C...) and Erskine Childers
Apollo Korzeniowski (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_K...) and Joseph Conrad
J.R.R. Tolkien and Christopher Tolkien
Arthur Conan Doyle and Adrian Conan Doyle
Francis Hueffer and Ford Madox Ford
Leonard Huxley and Aldous Huxley
Seepersad Naipaul and V.S. Naipaul
Takaaki Yoshimoto and Banana Yoshimoto
Dylan Thomas and Aeronwy Thomas
Frederick George Scott and F.R. Scott
Kinglsey Amis and Martin Amis

Kurt Vonnegut and son Mark Vonnegut

Frank Herbert and son Brian Herbert

here's a whole list of "father-son writing teams":

http://www.abebooks.com/books/fathers...

What counts as an "author"? I was looking at Vladimir Nabokov
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vladimir...
His father was a journalist and his son was a translator (of Nabokov's novels). Would either one count?

Also Nikolai Gogol's father wrote poetry and plays. Some of the plays were staged but I don't know if he published any books. Would that count?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vasily_G...

And Zoe Heller's father was a screenwriter:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lukas_He...

These have all published books:

William Godwin and Mary Shelley
Mark Twain and Susy Clemens & Clara Clemens
John Drabble and Margaret Drabble & A.S. Byatt
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2008/...

Great task... does that count for non-fiction authors, too?

Phoebe wrote: "Great task... does that count for non-fiction authors, too?"

Yes. In general if a task states read a book, non-fiction, fiction, short-stories, plays, poetry all qualify.

Rosemary wrote: "What counts as an "author"? I was looking at Vladimir Nabokov
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vladimir...
His father was a journalist and his son was a translator (of Nabokov's novels). Would e..."

We'd really like to have published books.

I'm going to disallow Nabokov, Gogol, and Zoe Heller. However, your next post with Mary Shelley, Mark Twain, and the Drabble/Byatts are good sleuthing!

Anne McCaffrey and her son Todd Johnson

from:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Todd_J._...


Todd J. McCaffrey (b. April 27, 1956 as Todd Johnson) is an Irish American author of science fiction best known for continuing the Dragonriders of Pern series in collaboration with his mother Anne McCaffrey.

Whoops, never mind, Anne McCaffrey is the mother.

Todd Johnson doesn't work though does he? It is his mother (Anne McCaffrey), not his father that is also an author, so unless he is the father of another author, he doesn't work. Or am I confused about this task? (Wow that is a confusing sentence)

Ceraphina wrote: "Todd Johnson doesn't work though does he? It is his mother (Anne McCaffrey), not his father that is also an author, so unless he is the father of another author, he doesn't work. Or am I confused a..."

Yeah, I realized that 30 seconds after I posted.

I did the exact same thing a couple of times - found a mother/son and started to add them to the list. Yes, Ceraphina (and Deedee corrected her post), mothers/sons is backwards.

Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "We'd really like to have published books.

I'm going to disallow Nabokov, Gogol, and Zoe Heller. However, your next post with Mary Shelley, Mark Twain, and the Drabble/Byatts are good sleuthing! "

Thanks, that makes sense!

Would Mel Brooks qualify as an author for this category? (son Max Brooks)

Kelly wrote: "Would Mel Brooks qualify as an author for this category? (son Max Brooks)"

This is right on the borderline, but I'll take him. Remember we have a page requirement, and we have a one book one task standard now.

Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Kelly wrote: "Would Mel Brooks qualify as an author for this category? (son Max Brooks)"

This is right on the borderline, but I'll take him. Remember we have a page requirement, and we have a one ..."

Can you direct me to the info on one book one task? I checked the FAQ's and I'm not clear on what that means.

These two FAQs explain it about as well as anything - they're about 2/3 of the way down the FAQ.

Different editions of books have widely different number of pages, and ebooks and audiobooks may not have pages at all. How do you determine page count for the 100 page minimum and for awarding Jumbo points?
In the interest of fairness, members that read the same book should receive the same amount of jumbo style points, no matter which edition is used. We will use the most popular print edition to determine page count. For poetry collections, we will use the number of pages of the edition read. For ebooks that do not have a print edition, eligibility will be determined on a case-by-case basis.

A lot of books of poetry have fewer than 100 pages. Would it be okay to read two books by the same author for the task?
Yes, two books of poetry, written by the same author, can be read in order to meet the page requirement. This is the only exception to the page minimum.

Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "These two FAQs explain it about as well as anything - they're about 2/3 of the way down the FAQ.

Different editions of books have widely different number of pages, and ebooks and audiobooks may no..."

Ok, thanks. I thought you meant one book per task without repeating task.
I see that most of his books are under 100 pages. I wanted to confirm that I could read a book by Max Brooks because his father qualified as an author.

Yes, Mel Brooks has The Producers that would qualify, so you're good on him.

And yes, you can repeat tasks as often as you like. (I have several on Kate's task this time as well as this one.)

Floyd Skloot and Rebecca Skloot

Summer Blue by Floyd Skloot is about a father & daughter cross country road trip

To add to Elizabeth (Alaska)'s suggestion of John Steinbeck and son John Steinbeck IV, another Steinbeck son: Thomas Steinbeck

Is it ok to repeat authors for this task? For example, can I read two books by Stephen King?

Yes, repeats are fine, combo as many times as you like.

Which Stephen King? I'm hoping to get to his 11/22/63.

I read 11/22/63 in Spring, but couldn't claim it because I had more than one square peg. I really liked it. I'm thinking about Under the Dome, On Writing, and or one of the short story collections I haven't read yet.

I am wondering if I would be able to use a book by John Berendt? All of his biography information describes him as the son of two authors, and I found his father's name (Ralph Berendt) but I'm having trouble figuring out what he wrote... help?

Do you suppose this is him? http://books.google.com/books/about/T...
It looks like a self published book about Einstein.

That was the only book I could find, but he passed away in 2002 so I am thinking it's not the same person...

The information on the book says that it was published in 1999.

We can't verify that he is the right Ralph Berendt.

Ok, thanks for trying!

Carolyn wrote: "Ok, thanks for trying!"

I found this interview where he speaks about his mother's book but no mention of his father having published.
http://www.livingneworleans.com/?p=2331

from wiki: "Anne Rice's father worked for the U.S. Postal Service and authored the book, The Impulsive Imp..."

Liz M wrote: "from wiki: "Anne Rice's father worked for the U.S. Postal Service and authored the book, The Impulsive Imp...""

Anne Rice's husband, Stan Rice, was also a published poet so her son, Christopher Rice, would also work ^_^

William F. Buckley Jr. and Christopher Buckley

Here's one for you mystery fans!

Dick Francis and Felix Francis

Deedee wrote: "William F. Buckley Jr. and Christopher Buckley"

I used Christoper buckley's book Thank You for Smoking. I don't think he follows the same politics as his dad.(smile)I used it for Make Me Laugh task and got the father combo

Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Here's one for you mystery fans!

Dick Francis and Felix Francis"

And he won an Edgar too!Thanks, Elizabeth!

Miranda July is the daughter of Richard Grossinger

I was wondering whether I could read Am Anfang war die Nacht Musik for this task, as there appears to be no English edition yet?

Alissa Walser is the daughter of German author Martin Walser

Connie wrote: "I was wondering whether I could read Am Anfang war die Nacht Musik for this task, as there appears to be no English edition yet?

Alissa Walser is the daughter of German author Martin Walser"

Thanks for the wiki link - it clearly fits this task, so you are good to go.

F. Scott Fitzgerald is the father of Frances Scott(ie) Fitzgerald Smith who happened to co-author a book or two. An Alabama journal, 1977 and Don't Quote me Can I use Fitzgerald for this/combo points?

Eleanor wrote: "F. Scott Fitzgerald is the father of Frances Scott(ie) Fitzgerald Smith who happened to co-author a book or two. An Alabama journal, 1977 and Don't Quote me Can I use Fitzgerald for this/combo points?"

Yes! I found this article, too, in case it is of interest:

http://unusualhistoricals.blogspot.co...

does the stepfather relationship count because Robert Louis Stevenson has a stepson author

Let's keep with the genetic connection only, no step children.