Is this you? As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.
Claim your profile
Articles by Dan Chaon
Čekat Vaše odpověď - Dan Chaon
O knize Čekat Vaše odpověď Největší potíž má u brilantního románu amerického autora z Clevelandu v Ohiu kritika s žánrovým zařazením - hranice mezi pulp fiction a vysokou literaturou je velmi úzká. Od počátku je jasné, že tři nesourodé vyprávěcí roviny budou do sebe nějak zapadat.
One of Us: A Novel
It’s 1915 and the world is transforming, but for thirteen-year-old Bolt and Eleanor—twins so close they can literally read each other’s minds—life is falling apart. When their mother dies, they are forced to leave home under the care of a vicious con man who claims to be their long-lost uncle Charlie, the only kin they have left. During a late-night poker game, when one of his rages ends in murder, they decide to flee.
Five Best: Books on Slippery Characters
Learned Pigs and Fireproof Women By Ricky Jay (1986) Copyright ©2025 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8
New library books
These works of sibling fiction are newly available through the Allen County Public Library. “One of Us” by Dan Chaon A playfully macabre and thrilling tale about orphaned twins on the run from their murderous uncle who find refuge in a bizarre traveling carnival. “Maine Characters” by Hannah Orenstein In this love letter to lake life, two half-sisters meet for the first time at their father’s cabin in Maine after his unexpected death.
Orphans join the circus in 'One of Us,' in search of family
"I'd love to kill you sometime," murmurs a character in "One of Us," all but announcing the quiet, matter-of-fact evil that will drive him to pursue the book's protagonists over the next 200 pages. Charlie is his name. Or, at least, that's what he calls himself but he also says he's the uncle of sister-and-brother escapees Eleanor and Bolt and we know for sure that isn't true.
Orphans join the circus in 'One of Us,' in search of family
"I'd love to kill you sometime," murmurs a character in "One of Us," all but announcing the quiet, matter-of-fact evil that will drive him to pursue the book's protagonists over the next 200 pages. Charlie is his name. Or, at least, that's what he calls himself but he also says he's the uncle of sister-and-brother escapees Eleanor and Bolt and we know for sure that isn't true.
One of Us | Bookreporter.com
In novels like ILL WILL and SLEEPWALK, Dan Chaon has shown that he is adept at blending classic elements of mystery and suspense with fine writing. His latest, ONE OF US, carries on in that vein. The result is a heartfelt story about an improbable sort of family, linked to an absorbing thriller plot. Set in the heart of the rural Midwest in the summer of 1915, ONE OF US centers on Eleanor Lambkin and her brother Bolt, impoverished 13-year-old twins (she’s the elder) from Ohio.
Summary and Reviews of One of Us by Dan Chaon
EXORDIUM They was born out the same womb, two minutes apart, Rosalie says, and her head lolls back. Her eyes stare at the ceiling. They was born 1901, November of the eighth. A girl came forth and— Pullt out her brother with the cord wrapped round his foot— Drug him into the daylight— * * * Rosalie seems to smile sleepily, not blinking even as a mosquito alights on the glossy surface of her cornea. Murderers, she says. Rosalie twitches, her hands gnarling against her chest.
One of Us
. Sept. 2025. 288p. ISBN 9781250175236. $28.99. HISTORICAL FICTION COPY ISBN Chaon’s ( Sleepwalk) latest novel channels many disparate influences yet makes the story wholly his own. Set mostly in 1915 in the United States, it features twin teens Bolt and Eleanor, who possess untapped psychic powers, which many of the novel’s other characters want to harness for their own purposes. After being orphaned, the twins are “adopted” by Charlie, a con man, thief, and killer who claims kinship with them.
Pick a Color by Souvankham Thammavongsa
Thammavongsa, author of the Giller-winning story collection How to Pronounce Knife, crafts a stunning portrait of a solitary woman. Ning, a “family of one” at 42, lives in a small apartment above her nail salon, which she opened five years earlier, after she was let go by another salon, ostensibly due to her age but perhaps because things got too complicated with one of the owners, Rachel (“I don’t want to grow old with you,” Rachel told her after 12 years of working together).
Detonator
Peter Mountford. Four Way, $19.95 trade paper (240p) ISBN 978-1-961897-52-6 In this perceptive collection, Mountford (The Dismal Science) unearths the inner struggles of characters caught in the middle of political and private battles. In “One More Night Between the Walls,” the child of diplomats in Sri Lanka witnesses the strain on his parent’s marriage over the course of a calamitous New Year’s Eve party, as the threat of civil war mounts.
For the Sun After Long Nights: The Story of Iran’s Women-Led Uprising
Fatemeh Jamalpour and Nilo Tabrizy. Pantheon, $30 (336p) ISBN 978-0-593-70144-7 Journalists Jamalpour and Tabrizy debut with a propulsive account of the 2022 Iranian uprising. The book’s alternating first-person narratives are drawn from letters the authors wrote to each other during the protests—Jamalpour, based in Tehran, delivers an on-the-ground report, while Tabrizy offers analysis from abroad.
Crown by Evanthia Bromiley
Bromiley debuts with a remarkable portrait of a jobless single mother as she navigates an impending eviction, pregnancy, and the watchful gaze of child protection services. Over the course of three days, Jude Woods attempts to keep her sanity and shield her nine-year-old twins, Evan and Virginia, from the harshest realities of their poverty.
ONE OF US | Kirkus Reviews
A magic trick: a novel that’s both deeply unsettling and tenderhearted. Twin siblings run off to join the circus, which proves to be a dark carnival indeed. Bolt and Eleanor, the teenage twins at the center of Chaon’s brilliant fifth novel, are orphans who’ve fallen under the watch of “Uncle Charlie,” a con man and serial killer.
'Autocorrect,' by Etgar Keret Original
AUTOCORRECT: Stories, by Etgar Keret; translated by Jessica Cohen and Sandra Silverston Many people don't realize that short story collections often take years to complete, so it's hard for us fiction writers to remain topical when the cultural terra firma is shifting so rapidly beneath our feet. For example, most of the 33 stories in "Autocorrect,"the most recent book by the celebrated Israeli author Etgar Keret, were written before the Hamas attacks in Israel on Oct.
Surprise Sneakybird celebrates 2nd year in Valley
Never-fried chicken joint to open philanthropic platform Sneakybird, which opened in Surprise late last year, is celebrating its two-year anniversary this month. You must be a member to read this story. Join our family of readers for as little as $5 per month and support local, unbiased journalism. Current print subscribers can create a free account by clicking here Otherwise, follow the link below to join.
The Wedding People
Espach (Notes on Your Sudden Disappearance) offers a sparkling and slightly macabre novel of a 30-something woman finding a new lease on life. After adjunct English professor Phoebe Stone’s husband leaves her for her colleague, she declines an invitation to return the next semester, unable to stomach seeing her husband’s new lover.
The monsters we make
BOO! Welcome back to W.A.R. This is Issue 23 and was going to be a Halloween issue but I didn’t finish in time. If you enjoy this newsletter, please forward to your friends. If someone forwarded it to you, make sure you subscribe. I’m in another stretch where I find myself reading four books at once.
9 Spooky Literary Short Story Collections
For a long time, I’ve described my writing as “spooky literary”—the term that seems closest to the pulse of this genre-muddling category I love so much. “Spooky literary” books have ghosts or monsters or werewolves, and they also have complex characters and gorgeous prose. They have moonlit swamps or dark New England woods or shadowy basements, and they ask troubling questions about what it means to be human.
The horror! The horror!
Good morning and welcome back to this newsletter about reading. It’s finally fall, the best reading season. (But winter, spring, and summer are all great times to read too.) Wherever you read your Writing About Reading today, I hope it involves a hot beverage, a warm top layer, and a view of trees. I just finished Agent Running in the Field by John le Carré, my fourth of his and my favorite so far.
She’s Back From the Dead, but Life’s Just Not the Same
Fiction In the novel “My Murder,” the victim of a serial killer finds that her second chance at existence comes with profound dilemmas. Send any friend a story As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Anyone can read what you share.
Dan Chaon's Sleepwalk with Phil Chaon
Mac's will celebrate the paperback release of Dan Chaon's Sleepwalk on May 25 at 7 p.m. Dan will be in conversation with his son Phil Chaon, co-author of Habitats of the World: A Field Guide for Birders, Naturalists and Ecologists. Sleepwalk's hero, Will Bear, is a man with so many aliases that he simply thinks of himself as the Barely Blur. At fifty years old, he's been living off the grid for over half his life. He's never had a real job, never paid taxes, never been in a committed relationship.
SLEEPWALK by Dan Chaon Read by John Pirhalla
FROM THE PUBLISHER: Sleepwalk's hero, Will Bear, is a man with so many aliases that he simply thinks of himself as the Barely Blur. At 50 years old, he's been living off the grid for over half his life. He's never had a real job, never paid taxes, never been in a committed relationship.
Audio Publishers Association Announces Finalists for the 2023 Audie Awards®
Edoardo Ballerini, Terry Crews, Viola Davis, Malcolm Gladwell, Kevin Hart, Ethan Hawke, Lucy Liu, Soneela Nankani, Thandiwe Newton, Billy Porter, Molly Shannon, Paul Simon, and BD Wong Among the Illustrious List of Finalists; Winners Will be Unveiled at the March 28 Gala in NYC , /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Today, the Audio Publishers Association (APA) announced finalists for the 2023 Audie Awards®, the premier awards program recognizing distinction in audiobooks and spoken-word entertainment.
February Book Club - Free & Open to All | BookShop West Portal, San Francisco, CA | February 12, 2023
Schedule Sun Feb 12 2023 at 10:00 am to 11:30 am UTC-08:00 Location BookShop West Portal | San Francisco, CA Join your neighborhood bookstore for this month's book discussion! This month's book is Await Your Reply by Dan Chaon About this Event Order from Bookshop West Portal to get 20% your copy! Await Your Reply by Dan Chaon Summary: The lives of three strangers interconnect in unforeseen ways–and with unexpected consequences–in acclaimed author Dan Chaon’s gripping, brilliantly written new...
Virtual Event - Jonathon Carroll, discussing MR. BREAKFAST with Dan Chaon
Jonathan Carroll, in discussion with Dan Chaon A Virtual Event! This virtual event with Jonathan Carroll, in discussion with Dan Chaon, is free to attend! Mysterious Galaxy's virtual events are hosted on Crowdcast. Click here to register for the event and here to view our virtual code of conduct. Accessibility: Real-time captioning for all Crowdcast events is available via Google Chrome. For enabling captions, please follow this guide. More info here.
Spring 2014
The Spring 2014 issue of Ploughshares, edited by Jean Thompson. Ploughshares, a journal of new writing, is guest-edited serially by prominent writers who explore different personal visions, aesthetics, and literary circles. Acclaimed novelist and short-story writer Jean Thompson (The Year We Left Home) guest-edits this issue of prose and poetry.
The Story of My Imposters
Who were these people pretending to be me? November 6, 2022, 10:18 AM ET I started out as a writer in the early 1990s, before the internet was important. I existed for a long while without a social-media profile, let alone a website to promote my brand. Then—it was about 2009 or so—I was strongly encouraged by my publicist to join the 21st century. I had an opportunity to expose my work to new generations of readers! I thought, Why yes, I would like to do that.
Emily St. John Mandel on SEA OF TRANQUILITY
“I love being immersed in the grand project of a novel. When I was a kid, I was drawn to books about secret worlds, like The Secret Garden, or The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe where you disappear to the back of a wardrobe…” How many times have you re-read Emily St. John Mandel’s genre-blending novels Station Eleven and The Glass Hotel?
Heard the One About the Hole That Swallowed Part of Chicago?
MOUNT CHICAGO, by Adam Levin Adam Levin’s expansive new novel begins with a high-concept catastrophe. One day in November 2021, a crater opens up in Chicago and swallows a swath of Michigan Avenue, along with many thousands of people. It’s a timely setup in this age of disasters beyond parody, and Levin homes in hilariously on the lame official response.
Read an Excerpt From Dan Chaon’s Sleepwalk
Will Bear is a man with so many aliases that he simply thinks of himself as the Barely Blur… We’re thrilled to share an excerpt from Sleepwalk by Dan Chaon, a high speed and darkly comic road trip through a near future America, out now from Henry Holt and Co. Birthfather “So… I think you might be my biological father?” she says.
Dan Chaon’s Madcap Novel About a Road-Tripping Mercenary
Book Review|Dan Chaon’s Madcap Novel About a Road-Tripping Mercenary https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/24/books/review/dan-chaon-sleepwalk.html fiction Just how lawless and unhinged can the world rendered in “Sleepwalk” get? Send any friend a story As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Anyone can read what you share.
Dan Chaon: Hardcover: 9781250175212: Powell's Books
Synopses & Reviews A high speed and darkly comic road trip through a near future American with a big hearted mercenary, from beloved and acclaimed novelist Dan Chaon Sleepwalk's hero, Will Bear, is a man with so many aliases that he simply thinks of himself as the Barely Blur. At fifty years old, he's been living off the grid for over half his life. He's never had a real job, never paid taxes, never been in a committed relationship.
Review: 'Sleepwalk,' by Dan Chaon
Say what you will about Quentin Tarantino: His films are violent but often hilarious, exulting in the history of cinema, from spaghetti westerns to slasher films to auteurs such as Welles and Kurosawa. The same can be said of Dan Chaon's brash, exuberant new novel, "Sleepwalk," a Tarantino vibe in book form, with nods to Pynchon-paranoia and Kerouac-style road epic, Greek myths and dystopian fiction.
Sleepwalk: A Novel
We are at a tenuous moment as a planet, as a species, and as a nation. The American experiment is racing toward its own demise, choking on resentment, hate, and greed, and soaked in ultra-violence.
Paul Griner
I first met Paul Griner when we were students in the M.A. program at Syracuse in the late 1980s—English with a concentration in Creative Writing, which was a thing back then. Paul was a year ahead of me, but we both were studying with Tobias Wolff and Doug Unger. It was an exciting place to be. George Saunders had recently graduated, and our peers included such writers as Lily King and Claire Messud and Tom Barbash, and everyone seemed mostly to get along well, even the poets.
Pareidolia, by Buck Meek
Streaming + Download Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more. Purchasable with gift card $1.50 Pre-order the Full Digital Album Record/Vinyl + Digital Album Preorder the black vinyl version of Two Saviors, out January 15, 2021. First pressing is limited to 500 copies. Includes digital download. Includes digital pre-order of Two Saviors.
Author Interview: Dan Chaon On Writing, and Inspirations.
Author Interview: Dan Chaon On Writing, and Inspirations. copyright: Geraldine Aresteanu Dan Chaon’s most recent book is Ill Will, a national bestseller, named one of the ten best books of 2017 by Publishers Weekly. Other works include the short story collection Stay Awake (2012), a finalist for the Story Prize; the national bestseller Await Your Reply and Among the Missing, a finalist for the National Book Award.
Best Microfiction 2019
Review by Diane H, Reviewer Last updated on 25 Feb 2019 I Recommend This Book Yes Mystery, romance, mythology and pathos. It is all here in the Best Microfiction 2019. In the time taken to watch another catheter ad on daytime tv, you could slip into a fully formed life. It may be the story of a dragon, a protective older brother, or a murder victim. Some of these super-short stories may linger for days while others quickly fade from memory. However, all 87 are worth the reader’s time.
Best Microfiction 2019
The Best Microfiction anthology series provides recognition for outstanding literary stories of 400 words or fewer. Co-edited by award-winning microfiction writer/editor Meg Pokrass, and Flannery O’Connor Prize-winning author Gary Fincke, the anthology features the well-known novelist and short story writer Dan Chaon serving as final judge, an exclusive craft-oriented interview with the great Etgar Keret, and an essay about the current state of microfiction written by Robert Scotellaro.
‘Ohio’ as the Locus of 21st-Century Rust Belt Despair
Graduates’ young heads are full of anticipation: What will we become? How will our friends turn out? Will we be the voice of our generation? It may be that our imaginations burn brightest at these gateway junctures, latching onto ideas about ourselves that prove difficult to ever let loose. So, naturally, a class reunion is an irresistibly juicy narrative device for writers.
Dordogne, France: Memory, disrupted by loss
“Oh my God,” said my wife, Sheila. “Is this it?” We had been driving southwest from Paris, and we were nearing the French department of Dordogne when we got off the main road. We had seen a sign that advertised a memorial for the filmmaker Jean Renoir, and we thought we would check it out. At first, there had been arrows that we thought were pointing us in the right direction, but then the arrows ceased, and we continued on in the faint hope that more might appear. Then we were kind of lost.
Dordogne, France: Memory, disrupted by loss
“Oh my God,” said my wife, Sheila. “Is this it?” We had been driving southwest from Paris, and we were nearing the French department of Dordogne when we got off the main road. We had seen a sign that advertised a memorial for the filmmaker Jean Renoir, and we thought we would check it out. At first, there had been arrows that we thought were pointing us in the right direction, but then the arrows ceased, and we continued on in the faint hope that more might appear. Then we were kind of lost.
Dordogne, France: Memory, Disrupted by Loss
Our first act as siblings in Cuba was to straddle the wall that abuts the Malécon, a bottle of Havana Club rum in my brother’s hand. Mario popped the plastic pour control out with his pocketknife so we could drink. The sidewalks were striated with bands of white salt where seawater had slapped down onto the concrete; more than once, a muscular breeze whisked the hat from my head.
Wales: In the Mail, Reminders of Love
Care packages received during a stay in Wales were a discovery: that love could ground you wherever you landed, even as you flung yourself away from it. Large chunks of my 20th summer were spent waiting in line at Welsh post offices. I was covering Wales for a budget travel guide, and my boyfriend sent me care packages that waited for me at various points along my route.
Cuba: My Brother, My Teacher
Our first act as siblings in Cuba was to straddle the wall that abuts the Malécon, a bottle of Havana Club rum in my brother’s hand. Mario popped the plastic pour control out with his pocketknife so we could drink. The sidewalks were striated with bands of white salt where seawater had slapped down onto the concrete; more than once, a muscular breeze whisked the hat from my head.
Berlin: Love, Marriage, Babymoon?
It rained every day we were in Germany. David disagrees with me about this, but I remember every morning pulling on the wool blazer I wear in airports (since 2001, I’ve dressed up for the T.S.A.) because it was the only warm thing I’d brought. But we’re seasoned travelers and a little rain couldn’t stop us. Once ensconced in Berlin, we bought coffee, wine and hazelnut candies at the grocer near our rented apartment. We learned the rail system and went to see Frederick the Great’s summer palace.
Coolhand, by Buzzy Lee
Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more. Includes unlimited streaming of Facepaint EP via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more. Includes unlimited streaming of Facepaint EP via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
Lit Fest 2022
Lit Fest is Back (In Person) Do we hug? Shake hands? Fist bump? Our social skills may be a little rusty after two years of virtual Lit Fest, but we’re returning to an in-person celebration in Denver for the festival’s 17th year. We’re also bringing a world-class roster of 16 visiting authors to town, including Jericho Brown, P. Carl, Victoria Chang, Dan Chaon, Percival Everett, Melissa Febos, Edward Hirsch, Vanessa Hua, Leslie Jamison, Nadia Owusu, Laura van den Berg, and Tiphanie Yanique.
Paperback Row
Six new paperbacks to check out this week. THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD, by Colson Whitehead. (Anchor, $16.95.) Whitehead’s boldly inventive novel follows Cora, a slave in Georgia making her escape to freedom on a literal underground railroad. As she encounters horror after horror, the story trains an eye on aspects of black history too often co-opted by white narrators. This book, one of the Book Review’s 10 best of 2016, won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 2017.
Show More
loading
Actions
Is this you?
As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.Get in touch with Dan
Contact Dan, search articles and posts on X, monitor coverage, and track replies from one place.
Learn more about Muck Rack