Russell Hoban in 2005

Russell Conwell Hoban (born February 4, 1925) is an American writer of fantasy, science fiction, mainstream fiction, magic realism, poetry, and children's books. He lives in England. Image File history File links Russell_Hoban. ... Image File history File links Russell_Hoban. ... is the 35th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1925 (MCMXXV) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Smaug in his lair: an illustration for the fantasy The Hobbit Fantasy is a genre of art that uses magic and other supernatural forms as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. ... Science fiction is a form of speculative fiction principally dealing with the impact of imagined science and technology, or both, upon society and persons as individuals. ... // Fiction (from the Latin fingere, to form, create) is the genre of imaginative prose literature, including novels and short stories. ... Magic realism (or magical realism) is an artistic genre in which magical elements appear in an otherwise realistic setting. ... The Chinese poem Quatrain on Heavenly Mountain by Emperor Gaozong (Song Dynasty) Poetry (from the Greek , poiesis, a making or creating) is a form of art in which language is used for its aesthetic and evocative qualities in addition to, or in lieu of, its ostensible meaning. ... Basic Characteristics There is some debate as to what constitutes childrens literature. ... Motto (French) God and my right Anthem No official anthem - the United Kingdom anthem God Save the Queen is commonly used England() – on the European continent() – in the United Kingdom() Capital (and largest city) London (de facto) Official languages English (de facto) Unified  -  by Athelstan 927 AD  Area  -  Total 130...

Biography

Hoban was born in Lansdale, just outside of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the son of two Jewish Ukrainian immigrants. He was named after Russell Conwell. Lansdale is also the surname of a famous American author Joe R. Lansdale. ... Nickname: City of Brotherly Love, Philly, the Quaker City Motto: Philadelphia maneto (Let brotherly love continue) Location in Pennsylvania Coordinates: Country United States State Pennsylvania County Philadelphia Founded October 27, 1682 Incorporated October 25, 1701 Mayor John F. Street (D) Area    - City 369. ... Capital Harrisburg Largest city Philadelphia Area  Ranked 33rd  - Total 46,055 sq mi (119,283 km²)  - Width 280 miles (455 km)  - Length 160 miles (255 km)  - % water 2. ... For other uses, see Jew (disambiguation). ... Russell H. Conwell: Acres of Diamonds Russell Herman == ARIELLE! == (1843-1925) was an American Baptist minister, lawyer, writer, and outstanding orator. ...

After briefly attending Temple University, he enlisted in the Army at age 18 and served in the Philippines and Italy as a radio operator during World War II. During his military service, he married his first wife, Lillian Hoban (née Aberman), who later illustrated many of his books. Temple University is a university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. ... The United States Army is the largest branch of the armed forces of the United States. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... Lillian Hoban (May 18, 1925 – July 17, 1998) was a childrens literature author and artist. ...

Hoban then worked as an illustrator (painting several covers for TIME, Sports Illustrated, and The Saturday Evening Post) and an advertising copywriter—occupations which several of his characters later shared—before writing and illustrating his first children's book, What Does It Do and How Does It Work. He wrote exclusively for children for the next decade, and was best known for his series of short books starring Frances, a temperamental badger child, whose escapades were in part based on the experiences of his four children, Phoebe, Abrom, Esme and Julia, and their friends. The Mouse and His Child, a dark philosophical tale for older children, appeared in 1967 and was Hoban's first full-length novel. Illustration by Jessie Willcox Smith. ... Time (whose trademark is capitalized TIME) is a weekly American newsmagazine, similar to Newsweek and U.S. News & World Report. ... The first issue of Sports Illustrated, August 16, 1954, showing Milwaukee Braves star Eddie Mathews at bat in Milwaukee County Stadium. ... A cover of the Saturday Evening Post from 1903 The Saturday Evening Post was a weekly magazine published in the United States from August 4, 1821 to February 8, 1969. ... Commercialism redirects here. ... A copywriter is a person who writes text, or copy, for clients. ... Genera  Arctonyx  Melogale  Meles  Mellivora  Taxidea For other uses, see Badger (disambiguation). ... 1967 (MCMLXVII) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar (the link is to a full 1967 calendar). ...

In 1969, Hoban, his wife, and their children travelled to London, intending to stay only a short time. The marriage dissolved, and while the rest of the family returned to the United States, Hoban remained in London and has resided there ever since. All of his adult novels except Riddley Walker, Pilgermann and Fremder are set in whole or part in contemporary London. For the Stargate SG-1 episode, see 1969 (Stargate SG-1). ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ...

Hoban now lives with his second wife, Gundula Ahl; they have three children, one of whom is the composer Wieland Hoban, to whom Riddley Walker is dedicated. Wieland has set one of his father's texts in his piece Night Roads (1998-99). Wieland Hoban (born 1978 in London) is a British composer, now resident in Germany. ... Year 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar). ... Year 1999 (MCMXCIX) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1999 Gregorian calendar). ...

In 2002 an annual fan activity dubbed the Slickman A4 Quotation Event (SA4QE) (named after its founder, a member of experimental Chicago theatre troupe the Neo-Futurists) began, in which Hoban enthusiasts celebrate his birthday by writing down favourite quotes from his books (invariably on sheets of yellow A4 paper, a recurring Hoban motif) and leaving them in public places. The event has now taken place in some 38 cities across 13 countries worldwide and been reported on in the Independent on Sunday[1] and Guardian [2] newspapers. For album titles with the same name, see 2002 (album). ... The Neo-Futurists are an experimental theater troupe founded by Greg Allen in 1988. ... The Independents old (pre-compact) masthead. ... The Guardian is a British newspaper owned by the Guardian Media Group. ...

In 2005 fans from across the world celebrated Hoban's work in London at the first international convention for the author, entitled The Russell Hoban Some-Poasyum (a pun on symposium from Riddley Walker) [3]. A booklet was published by the organisers to commemorate the event featuring tributes to Hoban from a variety of contributors including actor and politician Glenda Jackson, novelist David Mitchell, composer Harrison Birtwistle and screenwriter Andrew Davies. Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Symposium originally referred to a drinking party (the Greek verb sympotein means to drink together) but has since come to refer to any academic conference, whether or not drinking takes place. ... Glenda Jackson Glenda May Jackson, CBE, (born 9 May 1936) is a two-time Academy Award-winning British actress and politician, currently Labour Member of Parliament for the constituency of Hampstead and Highgate in the London Borough of Camden. ... David Mitchell in Poland, Warsaw, April 7, 2006 David Mitchell (born January, 1969) is an English novelist. ... Sir Harrison Paul Birtwistle, CH (born July 15, 1934) is a British composer, widely seen as one of the most significant modern composers from that country. ... Andrew Wynford Davies (born September 20, 1936 in Rhiwbina, Cardiff, Wales) is a British screenwriter. ...

As of January 2007 Hoban's latest novel Linger Awhile has been released in paperback and his next novel My Tango with Barbara Strozzi is scheduled for publication in November 2007. Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... A couple dances Argentine Tango. ... Barbara Strozzi (August 6, 1619 (baptism) â€“ 1677) was an Italian Baroque singer and composer. ...

Themes and genres

Hoban is often described as a fantasy writer; only two of his novels, Turtle Diary and The Bat Tattoo, are entirely devoid of supernatural elements. However, the fantasy elements are usually presented as only moderately surprising developments in an otherwise realistic contemporary story, i.e. magic realism. Exceptions include Kleinzeit (a comic fantasy whose characters include Death, Hospital, and Underground), Riddley Walker (generally considered science fiction because of its futuristic though primitive setting), Pilgermann (a historical novel about the Crusades), and Fremder (a more recognisably science-fiction novel). Magic realism (or magical realism) is an artistic genre in which magical elements appear in an otherwise realistic setting. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... For the record label, see Hospital Records. ... The London Underground is a transit system that serves much of Greater London and some neighbouring areas. ... This article is about the medieval crusades. ...

Many of his novels could also be considered romances, following the development of a relationship between two characters who often take turns as narrators, bonding over some common obsession or artistic interest. A romance novel is a literary genre developed in Western culture, mainly in English-speaking countries. ...

There is frequent repetition of the same images and themes in different contexts: for instance, many of Hoban's works refer to lions, Orpheus, Eurydice, Persephone, Vermeer, severed heads, heart disease, flickering, Odilon Redon, and King Kong. Binomial name Panthera leo (Linnaeus, 1758) Distribution of Lions in Africa Synonyms Felis leo (Linnaeus, 1758) The lion (Panthera leo) is a mammal of the family Felidae and one of four big cats in the genus Panthera. ... The head of Orpheus, from an 1865 painting by Gustave Moreau. ... In Greek mythology, there were several characters named Eurydice (Eurydíkê, Ευρυδίκη). // The most famous was a woman — or a nymph — who was the wife of Orpheus. ... Proserpine by Dante Gabriel Rossetti, 1874) (Tate Gallery, London In Greek mythology, Persephone (Greek Περσεφόνη, Persephónē) was the Queen of the Underworld of epic literature. ... View of Delft, 1660-1661 Johannes Vermeer (1632 - December 15, 1675) was a Dutch painter. ... Decapitation (from Latin, caput, capitis, meaning head), or beheading, is the removal of a living organisms head. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... According to the theory of persistence of vision, the perceptual processes of the brain or the retina of the human eye retains an image for a brief moment. ... Self portrait, 1880, Musée dOrsay. ... The original 1933 King Kong model. ...

Works

Adult novels

• The Lion of Boaz-Jachin and Jachin-Boaz (1973), ISBN 0-8128-1624-2
• Kleinzeit (1974), ISBN 0-670-41458-1
• Turtle Diary (1975), ISBN 0-394-40199-9
• Riddley Walker (1980), ISBN 0-671-42147-6
• Pilgermann (1983), ISBN 0-671-45968-6
• The Medusa Frequency (1987), ISBN 0-87113-165-X
• Fremder (1996), ISBN 0-224-04370-6
• Mr. Rinyo-Clacton's Offer (1998), ISBN 0-224-05121-0
• Angelica's Grotto (1999), ISBN 0-7475-4611-8
• Amaryllis Night and Day (2001), ISBN 0-7475-5285-1
• The Bat Tattoo (2002), ISBN 0-7475-6022-6
• Her Name Was Lola (2003), ISBN 0-7475-7024-8
• Come Dance with Me (2005), ISBN 0-7475-7452-9
• Linger Awhile (2006), ISBN 0-7475-7984-9

Year 1973 (MCMLXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar) of the 1973 Gregorian calendar. ... Kleinzeit is a metaphysical fantasy novel by Russell Hoban. ... 1974 (MCMLXXIV) was a common year starting on Tuesday. ... Year 1975 (MCMLXXV) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Riddley Walker is a novel by Russell Hoban, first published in 1980. ... Year 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar). ... Pilgermann is a 1983 novel by Russell Hoban, set in the Middle Ages and depicting the journey of a wandering Jew across Europe and Northern Africa on his way to the Holy Land. ... Year 1983 (MCMLXXXIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1983 Gregorian calendar). ... Year 1987 (MCMLXXXVII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link displays 1987 Gregorian calendar). ... Year 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar). ... Year 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar). ... Year 1999 (MCMXCIX) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1999 Gregorian calendar). ... Amaryllis Night and Day is a 2001 novel by Russell Hoban, incorporating elements of magic realism and romance. ... Year 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 2001 Gregorian calendar). ... For album titles with the same name, see 2002 (album). ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ...

Selected children's books

• "Frances the Badger" series: Bedtime for Frances, Bread and Jam for Frances, etc. (1960-1970)
• The Mouse and His Child (1968, republished 1990), ISBN 0-06-022378-2 (also filmed)
• Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas (1971, republished 1992), ISBN 0-89966-951-4 (also televised)
• Egg Thoughts and Other Frances Songs (1972) (poetry), ISBN 0-06-022331-6
• How Tom Beat Captain Najork and his Hired Sportsmen (1974), ISBN 0-224-00999-0
• A Near Thing for Captain Najork (1975), ISBN 0-224-01197-9
• La Corona and the Tin Frog (1979), ISBN 0-224-01397-1
• The Marzipan Pig (1986), ISBN 0-224-01687-3
• The Trokeville Way (1996), ISBN 0-224-04631-4
• The Last of the Wallendas (1997) (poetry), ISBN 0-340-66766-4

1960 (MCMLX) was a leap year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1960 calendar). ... 1970 (MCMLXX) was a common year starting on Thursday. ... The Mouse and His Child is name of an animated film (1977) based on the Russell Hoban novel (1967) of the same name. ... Year 1968 (MCMLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar) of the 1968 Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1990 (MCMXC) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1990 Gregorian calendar). ... The Mouse and His Child is a 1977 animated film based on the 1967 Russell Hoban novel of the same name. ... Emmet Otters Jug Band Christmas is a 1977 Christmas special created by Jim Henson, based on a book by Russell and Lillian Hoban. ... Year 1971 (MCMLXXI) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the 1971 Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1992 Gregorian calendar). ... Year 1972 (MCMLXXII) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1974 (MCMLXXIV) was a common year starting on Tuesday. ... Year 1975 (MCMLXXV) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Also: 1979 by Smashing Pumpkins. ... Year 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar). ... Year 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar). ... Year 1997 (MCMXCVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1997 Gregorian calendar). ...

Other works

• The Carrier Frequency (1984) (stage play)
• Deadsy and the Sexo-Chanjo and Door (1989, 1990) (text and narration for animated films by David Anderson)
• The Second Mrs Kong (1994) (libretto for opera composed by Harrison Birtwistle)
• The Moment under The Moment (1992) (stories, a libretto, essays and sketches)

Year 1984 (MCMLXXXIV) was a leap year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1984 Gregorian calendar). ... Year 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays 1989 Gregorian calendar). ... Year 1990 (MCMXC) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1990 Gregorian calendar). ... David Alexander Anderson is a director of animated films. ... The Second Mrs. ... Year 1994 (MCMXCIV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display full 1994 Gregorian calendar). ... A libretto is the complete body of words used in an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, sacred or secular oratorio and cantata, musical, and ballet. ... The Teatro alla Scala in Milan, Italy. ... Sir Harrison Paul Birtwistle, CH (born July 15, 1934) is a British composer, widely seen as one of the most significant modern composers from that country. ... Year 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1992 Gregorian calendar). ...

Film

Turtle Diary (1985); Screenplay by Harold Pinter; Starring Glenda Jackson, Ben Kingsley and Michael Gambon Year 1985 (MCMLXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link displays 1985 Gregorian calendar). ... Harold Pinter, CH, CBE (born 10 October 1930) is an English playwright, screenwriter, poet, actor, director, author, and political activist, best known for his plays The Birthday Party (1957), The Caretaker (1959), The Homecoming (1964), and Betrayal (1978), and also for his screenplay adaptations of novels by others, such as... Glenda Jackson Glenda May Jackson, CBE, (born 9 May 1936) is a two-time Academy Award-winning British actress and politician, currently Labour Member of Parliament for the constituency of Hampstead and Highgate in the London Borough of Camden. ... Sir Ben Kingsley, CBE, (born Krishna Bhanji on December 31, 1943) is an Academy Award-winning British actor. ... Sir Michael John Gambon, CBE (born October 19, 1940), is an acclaimed Irish-British actor who has worked in television, film and theatre. ...

External links

• The Head of Orpheus - fan site
• The Russell Hoban Some-Poasyum, London, 11-13 Feb 2005 - information about an international convention in honour of the author
• SA4QE - documents an annual fan activity whereby favourite quotes are left in public places
• Russell Hoban's entry on Literary Encyclopedia
• 1987 audio interview of Russell Hoban by Don Swaim of CBS Radio - RealAudio
• 'Secrets of the Yellow Pages' - 2002 Guardian profile and interview
• 'Odd, and getting odder' - Independent on Sunday interview, January 2006