Christopher Klim
Encyclopedia
Christopher Klim is an American novelist, best known for the novels Jesus Lives in Trenton and The Winners Circle.
working on long-range satellites, and became a journalist. His work has been compared to John Steinbeck
, Dashiell Hammett
, Raymond Chandler
, and Carl Hiaasen
. His first novel, Jesus Lives in Trenton, became "a cult favorite satire
on religious fanaticism
". Klim said, "JLIT served as a litmus test, evoking people’s sense of God and religion by the title alone...". Everything Burns is a fictionalized study of pyromania
based partly on his experiences as a journalist. His novel The Winners Circle, a satire
about the meaning of wealth in America, lead The Book Reporter to call him "among the top humor novelists of the day." His work has been praised repeatedly in publications such as Booklist
, Publishers Weekly
, and Kirkus.
In 2007, Klim became the executive editor of Best New Writing, which was said to "immediately become a treasured possession” by Walter Cronkite. He is a speaker on a range of topics from society
to the writing
craft. He was the lead editor in restoring the works of the American writer Eric Hoffer
to print as well as editing American writer Robert Gover
's later books. Klim is currently a professor of journalism at The College of New Jersey
. He is a member of the Society of Professional Journalists
and the Association of Documentary Editors at the University of Virginia
.
by "highlighting salient writing, as well as the independent spirit of small publishers." The winning stories and essays appear in Best New Writing, and the book awards are covered in the US Review of Books, both produced by Hopewell Publications. The "Hoffer" honored prose is largely unpublished and the books are chiefly from small, academic, and micro presses, including self-published offerings.
Life
Klim spent his formative years as a space program physicistPhysicist
A physicist is a scientist who studies or practices physics. Physicists study a wide range of physical phenomena in many branches of physics spanning all length scales: from sub-atomic particles of which all ordinary matter is made to the behavior of the material Universe as a whole...
working on long-range satellites, and became a journalist. His work has been compared to John Steinbeck
John Steinbeck
John Ernst Steinbeck, Jr. was an American writer. He is widely known for the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Grapes of Wrath and East of Eden and the novella Of Mice and Men...
, Dashiell Hammett
Dashiell Hammett
Samuel Dashiell Hammett was an American author of hard-boiled detective novels and short stories, and political activist. Among the enduring characters he created are Sam Spade , Nick and Nora Charles , and the Continental Op .In addition to the significant influence his novels and stories had on...
, Raymond Chandler
Raymond Chandler
Raymond Thornton Chandler was an American novelist and screenwriter.In 1932, at age forty-five, Raymond Chandler decided to become a detective fiction writer after losing his job as an oil company executive during the Depression. His first short story, "Blackmailers Don't Shoot", was published in...
, and Carl Hiaasen
Carl Hiaasen
Carl Hiaasen is an American journalist, columnist and novelist.- Early years :Born in 1953 and raised in Plantation, Florida, of Norwegian heritage, Hiaasen was the first of four children and the son of a lawyer, Kermit Odel, and teacher, Patricia...
. His first novel, Jesus Lives in Trenton, became "a cult favorite satire
Satire
Satire is primarily a literary genre or form, although in practice it can also be found in the graphic and performing arts. In satire, vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ideally with the intent of shaming individuals, and society itself, into improvement...
on religious fanaticism
Fanaticism
Fanaticism is a belief or behavior involving uncritical zeal, particularly for an extreme religious or political cause or in some cases sports, or with an obsessive enthusiasm for a pastime or hobby...
". Klim said, "JLIT served as a litmus test, evoking people’s sense of God and religion by the title alone...". Everything Burns is a fictionalized study of pyromania
Pyromania
Pyromania in more extreme circumstances can be an impulse control disorder to deliberately start fires to relieve tension or for gratification or relief. The term pyromania comes from the Greek word πῦρ . Pyromania and pyromaniacs are distinct from arson, the pursuit of personal, monetary or...
based partly on his experiences as a journalist. His novel The Winners Circle, a satire
Satire
Satire is primarily a literary genre or form, although in practice it can also be found in the graphic and performing arts. In satire, vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ideally with the intent of shaming individuals, and society itself, into improvement...
about the meaning of wealth in America, lead The Book Reporter to call him "among the top humor novelists of the day." His work has been praised repeatedly in publications such as Booklist
Booklist
Booklist is a publication of the American Library Association that provides critical reviews of books and audiovisual materials for all ages. It is geared toward libraries and booksellers and is available in print or online...
, Publishers Weekly
Publishers Weekly
Publishers Weekly, aka PW, is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers and literary agents...
, and Kirkus.
In 2007, Klim became the executive editor of Best New Writing, which was said to "immediately become a treasured possession” by Walter Cronkite. He is a speaker on a range of topics from society
Society
A society, or a human society, is a group of people related to each other through persistent relations, or a large social grouping sharing the same geographical or virtual territory, subject to the same political authority and dominant cultural expectations...
to the writing
Writing
Writing is the representation of language in a textual medium through the use of a set of signs or symbols . It is distinguished from illustration, such as cave drawing and painting, and non-symbolic preservation of language via non-textual media, such as magnetic tape audio.Writing most likely...
craft. He was the lead editor in restoring the works of the American writer Eric Hoffer
Eric Hoffer
Eric Hoffer was an American social writer. He was the author of ten books and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in February 1983...
to print as well as editing American writer Robert Gover
Robert Gover
Robert Gover grew up in an endowed orphanage , received a B.A. in Economics from the University of Pittsburgh, worked as a journalist, became a best-selling novelist at age 30, lived most of his life in California, and now lives in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. On the Run with Dick and Jane is his...
's later books. Klim is currently a professor of journalism at The College of New Jersey
The College of New Jersey
The College of New Jersey, abbreviated TCNJ, is a public, coeducational university located in Ewing Township, New Jersey, a suburb of Trenton....
. He is a member of the Society of Professional Journalists
Society of Professional Journalists
The Society of Professional Journalists , formerly known as Sigma Delta Chi, is one of the oldest organizations representing journalists in the United States. It was established in April 1909 at DePauw University, and its charter was designed by William Meharry Glenn. The ten founding members of...
and the Association of Documentary Editors at the University of Virginia
University of Virginia
The University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...
.
Works
- Jesus Lives in Trenton (novel)
- Write to Publish: Essentials for the Modern Fiction and Memoir Market (nonfiction)
- Everything Burns (novel)
- Firecracker Jones is on the Case (juvenile fiction)
- The Winners Circle (novel)
- Idiot! (novel)
- True Surrealism (stories)
Eric Hoffer Award
Klim chairs the Eric Hoffer Award for books and short prose. This award, from The Eric Hoffer Project, honors the American writer Eric HofferEric Hoffer
Eric Hoffer was an American social writer. He was the author of ten books and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in February 1983...
by "highlighting salient writing, as well as the independent spirit of small publishers." The winning stories and essays appear in Best New Writing, and the book awards are covered in the US Review of Books, both produced by Hopewell Publications. The "Hoffer" honored prose is largely unpublished and the books are chiefly from small, academic, and micro presses, including self-published offerings.