Thom Jones
Encyclopedia
Thom Jones is an American
writer, primarily of short stories
.
, and attended the University of Hawaii
, where he played catcher on the baseball team. He later attended the University of Washington
, from which he graduated in 1970, and the Iowa Writers' Workshop
at the University of Iowa
, from which he received an M.F.A. in 1973. Also in 1973, he published a short story, "Brother Dodo's Revenge", in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, an animal-fantasy allegory
in the dystopian George Orwell
mode.
Jones trained in Force Reconnaissance in the Marine Corps
but was discharged before his unit was sent to Vietnam. His experiences, including the suicide of his boxer father in a mental institution, were important sources of material for his fiction-writing. After graduation from college, he worked as a copywriter for a Chicago advertising agency and later as a janitor, all the while reading and writing for hours each day; he was "discovered", well into his 40s, by the fiction editors of The New Yorker
, who published a series of Jones's stories in the early 1990s. One of these, "The Pugilist at Rest", won an O. Henry Award. John Updike
in a Salon.com
interview praised him as one of two writers of a younger generation he admired, and Updike included Jones's story, "I Want To Live!", in the anthology The Best American Short Stories of the Century.
His first book, published in 1993, was the short story collection, also called The Pugilist at Rest. The stories deal with common themes of mortality and pain, with characters that often find a kind of solace in the rather pessimistic
philosophy
of Schopenhauer. Boxing
, absent or mentally ill fathers, physical trauma and the Vietnam War
are also recurring motifs. The collection was a National Book Award
finalist.
His other books include Cold Snap (1995) and Sonny Liston Was a Friend of Mine (1999), both collections of short stories. His story "Night Train" was included in The Best American Nonrequired Reading
2004. Recently he has written scripts for feature films, including a Vietnam screenplay for Cheyenne Enterprises
, actor Bruce Willis
's production company, and an adaptation of deceased Mississippi author Larry Brown
's novel, The Rabbit Factory
, for Ithaka Films, a production company affiliated with the mini-major studio Lions Gate. At least insofar as measured by publications, he has been less active as a writer in recent years, compared to his 1990s pace. He currently resides in Olympia, Washington and has temporal lobe epilepsy
and suffers from diabetes, as do many of the characters populating his stories - for example a story titled "Bomb Shelter Noel" about a diabetic girl was published in the January 2011 issue of Playboy.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
writer, primarily of short stories
Short story
A short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels. Short story definitions based on length differ somewhat, even among professional writers, in part because...
.
Biography
Jones was raised in Aurora, IllinoisAurora, Illinois
Aurora is the second most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois, and the 112th largest city in the United States. A suburb of Chicago, located west of the Loop, its population in 2010 was 197,899. Originally founded within Kane County, Aurora's city limits have expanded greatly over the past...
, and attended the University of Hawaii
University of Hawaii
The University of Hawaii System, formally the University of Hawaii and popularly known as UH, is a public, co-educational college and university system that confers associate, bachelor, master, and doctoral degrees through three university campuses, seven community college campuses, an employment...
, where he played catcher on the baseball team. He later attended the University of Washington
University of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
, from which he graduated in 1970, and the Iowa Writers' Workshop
Iowa Writers' Workshop
The Program in Creative Writing, more commonly known as the Iowa Writers' Workshop, at the University of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa, is a highly regarded graduate-level creative writing program in the United States...
at the University of Iowa
University of Iowa
The University of Iowa is a public state-supported research university located in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. It is the oldest public university in the state. The university is organized into eleven colleges granting undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees...
, from which he received an M.F.A. in 1973. Also in 1973, he published a short story, "Brother Dodo's Revenge", in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, an animal-fantasy allegory
Allegory
Allegory is a demonstrative form of representation explaining meaning other than the words that are spoken. Allegory communicates its message by means of symbolic figures, actions or symbolic representation...
in the dystopian George Orwell
George Orwell
Eric Arthur Blair , better known by his pen name George Orwell, was an English author and journalist...
mode.
Jones trained in Force Reconnaissance in the Marine Corps
Marine corps
A marine is a member of a force that specializes in expeditionary operations such as amphibious assault and occupation. The marines traditionally have strong links with the country's navy...
but was discharged before his unit was sent to Vietnam. His experiences, including the suicide of his boxer father in a mental institution, were important sources of material for his fiction-writing. After graduation from college, he worked as a copywriter for a Chicago advertising agency and later as a janitor, all the while reading and writing for hours each day; he was "discovered", well into his 40s, by the fiction editors of The New Yorker
The New Yorker
The New Yorker is an American magazine of reportage, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons and poetry published by Condé Nast...
, who published a series of Jones's stories in the early 1990s. One of these, "The Pugilist at Rest", won an O. Henry Award. John Updike
John Updike
John Hoyer Updike was an American novelist, poet, short story writer, art critic, and literary critic....
in a Salon.com
Salon.com
Salon.com, part of Salon Media Group , often just called Salon, is an online liberal magazine, with content updated each weekday. Salon was founded by David Talbot and launched on November 20, 1995. It was the internet's first online-only commercial publication. The magazine focuses on U.S...
interview praised him as one of two writers of a younger generation he admired, and Updike included Jones's story, "I Want To Live!", in the anthology The Best American Short Stories of the Century.
His first book, published in 1993, was the short story collection, also called The Pugilist at Rest. The stories deal with common themes of mortality and pain, with characters that often find a kind of solace in the rather pessimistic
Pessimism
Pessimism, from the Latin word pessimus , is a state of mind in which one perceives life negatively. Value judgments may vary dramatically between individuals, even when judgments of fact are undisputed. The most common example of this phenomenon is the "Is the glass half empty or half full?"...
philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
of Schopenhauer. Boxing
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
, absent or mentally ill fathers, physical trauma and the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
are also recurring motifs. The collection was a National Book Award
National Book Award
The National Book Awards are a set of American literary awards. Started in 1950, the Awards are presented annually to American authors for literature published in the current year. In 1989 the National Book Foundation, a nonprofit organization which now oversees and manages the National Book...
finalist.
His other books include Cold Snap (1995) and Sonny Liston Was a Friend of Mine (1999), both collections of short stories. His story "Night Train" was included in The Best American Nonrequired Reading
The Best American Nonrequired Reading
The Best American Nonrequired Reading is a yearly anthology of fiction and nonfiction selected annually by high school students in California and Michigan through 826 Valencia and 826michigan...
2004. Recently he has written scripts for feature films, including a Vietnam screenplay for Cheyenne Enterprises
Cheyenne Enterprises
Cheyenne Enterprises is a television and film production company privately owned by Bruce Willis and Arnold Rifkin.-Motion Pictures Produced:* Your Perfect Angel * Charlie Irish * Dolly Dimple * The Lowenfish Party...
, actor Bruce Willis
Bruce Willis
Walter Bruce Willis , better known as Bruce Willis, is an American actor, producer, and musician. His career began in television in the 1980s and has continued both in television and film since, including comedic, dramatic, and action roles...
's production company, and an adaptation of deceased Mississippi author Larry Brown
Larry Brown (author)
Larry Brown was an American novelist, non-fiction and short story writer. He was a winner of numerous awards including the Mississippi Institute of Arts and Letters award for fiction, the Lila Wallace-Readers Digest Award, and Mississippi's Governor's Award For Excellence in the Arts...
's novel, The Rabbit Factory
The Rabbit Factory
The Rabbit Factory is the first novel by author Marshall Karp. It tells the story of detectives Mike Lomax and Terry Biggs as they investigate a series of murders directed at fictional company Lamaar, a parody of Disney, starting with the murder of the man wearing the "Rambunctious Rabbit" costume...
, for Ithaka Films, a production company affiliated with the mini-major studio Lions Gate. At least insofar as measured by publications, he has been less active as a writer in recent years, compared to his 1990s pace. He currently resides in Olympia, Washington and has temporal lobe epilepsy
Temporal lobe epilepsy
Temporal lobe epilepsy a.k.a. Psychomotor epilepsy, is a form of focal epilepsy, a chronic neurological condition characterized by recurrent seizures. Over 40 types of epilepsies are known. They fall into two main categories: partial-onset epilepsies and generalized-onset epilepsies...
and suffers from diabetes, as do many of the characters populating his stories - for example a story titled "Bomb Shelter Noel" about a diabetic girl was published in the January 2011 issue of Playboy.