William Michaelian
Encyclopedia
William Michaelian, is an American
novelist, short-story writer, and poet. Born in Dinuba
, California
, a small town southeast of Fresno, Michaelian grew up on his family's farm. He has lived in Salem, Oregon
, since 1987. His stories, poems, and drawings have appeared in literary periodicals in the United States and Armenia
; his work has been performed on Armenian National Radio. His fiction and poetry have appeared in Ararat (New York), a quarterly journal devoted to literary and historical work on Armenian subjects. He is also a contributor to the multilingual Armenian Poetry Project, curated and produced in New York by Lola Koundakjian. In 2003, he launched an open online literary dialogue, "The Conversation Continues", with John Berbrich, publisher and editor of the small press literary quarterly, Barbaric Yawp (Russell, New York).
, James Thurber
, Samuel Beckett
, and Fyodor Dostoevsky
. Analysis of contemporary human behavior, sympathy for the downtrodden, humor, satire
, and a strong anti-war sentiment are hallmarks of his work. Much of his poetry and prose bears a lyrical, rhythmic quality; in many pieces, its visual appearance adds to this effect. Other influences include Richard Brautigan
, Thomas Wolfe
, Guy de Maupassant
, and William Saroyan
, the author's contemporary and grandmother's first cousin.
Michaelian has also published numerous drawings. Most are portraits of imaginary people with exaggerated emphasis placed on the eyes, which draw attention and help convey a range of emotion. A progressional study of the drawings on Michaelian's website reveals that his subjects have taken on a more sorrowful or troubled aspect over time. This is especially evident in the pencil drawings that accompany his Songs and Letters, a mostly autobiographical collection of poetry and prose he began in 2005.
that includes complete authorized versions of much of the author's work; autobiographical material that focuses on various periods of his life including the present; and reviews, commentary, family recipes, and hundreds of the author's drawing
s. The material is organized into departments; the purpose of each department is clearly defined in an introduction or preface
. The site also contains works-in-progress which, when completed, are maintained for public access. Useful notes and background information pertaining to the author's print publications and other online publications are included on a news
page.
of Stephen Monroe, a self-employed divorced man battling financial insolvency and emotional instability. Still in love with his ex-wife, Mary, and strongly attached to their teenaged son, Matt, Michaelian's main character struggles with guilt and low self-esteem toward a positive affirmation of himself. Encouraged by the discovery of an untapped talent and the growing hope of a rekindled relationship with Mary, Stephen grapples, often humorously, with the problems of daily life while seeking their root cause in society and himself. The novel
focuses on a harrowing week that culminates in Stephen and Mary making the long drive to Stephen's hometown to visit Stephen's aging mother. The emotionally exhausting trip leads to the possibility of the couple's full reconciliation.
can be enjoyed for its romantic element, humorous element, and Michaelian's careful treatment of its major and minor characters, the author uses his protagonist to address several major societal concerns. These include poverty
and homelessness
; the ongoing presence and threat of war; the shortcomings of public education; and social alienation
. As a result, the story transcends its simple framework, and serves as a compendium
of relevant contemporary observations, and as a compelling plea for understanding and self-exploration.
have ranged from $33.00 to $707.00. In an explanatory note on the same site, he certifies the text in the review copies as authentic and complete.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
novelist, short-story writer, and poet. Born in Dinuba
Dinuba, California
Dinuba is a city in Tulare County, California, United States. The population was 21,453 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Visalia Metropolitan Statistical Area according to the United States Census Bureau...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, a small town southeast of Fresno, Michaelian grew up on his family's farm. He has lived in Salem, Oregon
Salem, Oregon
Salem is the capital of the U.S. state of Oregon, and the county seat of Marion County. It is located in the center of the Willamette Valley alongside the Willamette River, which runs north through the city. The river forms the boundary between Marion and Polk counties, and the city neighborhood...
, since 1987. His stories, poems, and drawings have appeared in literary periodicals in the United States and Armenia
Armenia
Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
; his work has been performed on Armenian National Radio. His fiction and poetry have appeared in Ararat (New York), a quarterly journal devoted to literary and historical work on Armenian subjects. He is also a contributor to the multilingual Armenian Poetry Project, curated and produced in New York by Lola Koundakjian. In 2003, he launched an open online literary dialogue, "The Conversation Continues", with John Berbrich, publisher and editor of the small press literary quarterly, Barbaric Yawp (Russell, New York).
Assessment
Michaelian's work has been compared by reviewers to that of Walt WhitmanWalt Whitman
Walter "Walt" Whitman was an American poet, essayist and journalist. A humanist, he was a part of the transition between transcendentalism and realism, incorporating both views in his works. Whitman is among the most influential poets in the American canon, often called the father of free verse...
, James Thurber
James Thurber
James Grover Thurber was an American author, cartoonist and celebrated wit. Thurber was best known for his cartoons and short stories published in The New Yorker magazine.-Life:...
, Samuel Beckett
Samuel Beckett
Samuel Barclay Beckett was an Irish avant-garde novelist, playwright, theatre director, and poet. He wrote both in English and French. His work offers a bleak, tragicomic outlook on human nature, often coupled with black comedy and gallows humour.Beckett is widely regarded as among the most...
, and Fyodor Dostoevsky
Fyodor Dostoevsky
Fyodor Mikhaylovich Dostoyevsky was a Russian writer of novels, short stories and essays. He is best known for his novels Crime and Punishment, The Idiot and The Brothers Karamazov....
. Analysis of contemporary human behavior, sympathy for the downtrodden, humor, 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...
, and a strong anti-war sentiment are hallmarks of his work. Much of his poetry and prose bears a lyrical, rhythmic quality; in many pieces, its visual appearance adds to this effect. Other influences include Richard Brautigan
Richard Brautigan
Richard Gary Brautigan was an American novelist, poet, and short story writer. His work often employs black comedy, parody, and satire. He is best known for his 1967 novel Trout Fishing in America.- Early life :...
, Thomas Wolfe
Thomas Wolfe
Thomas Clayton Wolfe was a major American novelist of the early 20th century.Wolfe wrote four lengthy novels, plus many short stories, dramatic works and novellas. He is known for mixing highly original, poetic, rhapsodic, and impressionistic prose with autobiographical writing...
, Guy de Maupassant
Guy de Maupassant
Henri René Albert Guy de Maupassant was a popular 19th-century French writer, considered one of the fathers of the modern short story and one of the form's finest exponents....
, and William Saroyan
William Saroyan
William Saroyan was an Armenian American dramatist and author. The setting of many of his stories and plays is the center of Armenian-American life in California in his native Fresno.-Early years:...
, the author's contemporary and grandmother's first cousin.
Michaelian has also published numerous drawings. Most are portraits of imaginary people with exaggerated emphasis placed on the eyes, which draw attention and help convey a range of emotion. A progressional study of the drawings on Michaelian's website reveals that his subjects have taken on a more sorrowful or troubled aspect over time. This is especially evident in the pencil drawings that accompany his Songs and Letters, a mostly autobiographical collection of poetry and prose he began in 2005.
Website
Michaelian's website, "I'm Telling You All I Know", is an extensive archiveArchive
An archive is a collection of historical records, or the physical place they are located. Archives contain primary source documents that have accumulated over the course of an individual or organization's lifetime, and are kept to show the function of an organization...
that includes complete authorized versions of much of the author's work; autobiographical material that focuses on various periods of his life including the present; and reviews, commentary, family recipes, and hundreds of the author's drawing
Drawing
Drawing is a form of visual art that makes use of any number of drawing instruments to mark a two-dimensional medium. Common instruments include graphite pencils, pen and ink, inked brushes, wax color pencils, crayons, charcoal, chalk, pastels, markers, styluses, and various metals .An artist who...
s. The material is organized into departments; the purpose of each department is clearly defined in an introduction or preface
Preface
A preface is an introduction to a book or other literary work written by the work's author. An introductory essay written by a different person is a foreword and precedes an author's preface...
. The site also contains works-in-progress which, when completed, are maintained for public access. Useful notes and background information pertaining to the author's print publications and other online publications are included on a news
News
News is the communication of selected information on current events which is presented by print, broadcast, Internet, or word of mouth to a third party or mass audience.- Etymology :...
page.
Synopsis
A Listening Thing is the fictional first-person narrativeFirst-person narrative
First-person point of view is a narrative mode where a story is narrated by one character at a time, speaking for and about themselves. First-person narrative may be singular, plural or multiple as well as being an authoritative, reliable or deceptive "voice" and represents point of view in the...
of Stephen Monroe, a self-employed divorced man battling financial insolvency and emotional instability. Still in love with his ex-wife, Mary, and strongly attached to their teenaged son, Matt, Michaelian's main character struggles with guilt and low self-esteem toward a positive affirmation of himself. Encouraged by the discovery of an untapped talent and the growing hope of a rekindled relationship with Mary, Stephen grapples, often humorously, with the problems of daily life while seeking their root cause in society and himself. The novel
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
focuses on a harrowing week that culminates in Stephen and Mary making the long drive to Stephen's hometown to visit Stephen's aging mother. The emotionally exhausting trip leads to the possibility of the couple's full reconciliation.
Social significance
While the storyNarrative
A narrative is a constructive format that describes a sequence of non-fictional or fictional events. The word derives from the Latin verb narrare, "to recount", and is related to the adjective gnarus, "knowing" or "skilled"...
can be enjoyed for its romantic element, humorous element, and Michaelian's careful treatment of its major and minor characters, the author uses his protagonist to address several major societal concerns. These include poverty
Poverty
Poverty is the lack of a certain amount of material possessions or money. Absolute poverty or destitution is inability to afford basic human needs, which commonly includes clean and fresh water, nutrition, health care, education, clothing and shelter. About 1.7 billion people are estimated to live...
and homelessness
Homelessness
Homelessness describes the condition of people without a regular dwelling. People who are homeless are unable or unwilling to acquire and maintain regular, safe, and adequate housing, or lack "fixed, regular, and adequate night-time residence." The legal definition of "homeless" varies from country...
; the ongoing presence and threat of war; the shortcomings of public education; and social alienation
Social alienation
The term social alienation has many discipline-specific uses; Roberts notes how even within the social sciences, it “is used to refer both to a personal psychological state and to a type of social relationship”...
. As a result, the story transcends its simple framework, and serves as a compendium
Compendium
A compendium is a concise, yet comprehensive compilation of a body of knowledge. A compendium may summarize a larger work. In most cases the body of knowledge will concern some delimited field of human interest or endeavour , while a "universal" encyclopedia can be referred to as a compendium of...
of relevant contemporary observations, and as a compelling plea for understanding and self-exploration.
Publication history
The novel was first scheduled for print publication in 2002. Michaelian published the work himself, however, in 2003, after publicly documenting the difficulties, business irregularities, and delays he experienced with the book's contracted publisher. The self-published edition can be found on his website. The title page includes a preface to the complete electronic text; the original cover art for the unpublished paperback print edition; promotional copy intended for the cover; and several short reviews. Since the author made the novel available, there has been an increase in demand for an unspecified number of review copies distributed by the publisher to the book trade prior to the time the publisher broke its contract. The original retail price for the book had been set at $14.95. According to the author, prices for a single review copy on Amazon.comAmazon.com
Amazon.com, Inc. is a multinational electronic commerce company headquartered in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the world's largest online retailer. Amazon has separate websites for the following countries: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, and...
have ranged from $33.00 to $707.00. In an explanatory note on the same site, he certifies the text in the review copies as authentic and complete.
Quotations
- "What matters, I think, is this: There are an awful lot of nice, unhappy people in the world who are stuck doing things they really shouldn’t be doing. They’re stuck because their backs are against the wall and they don’t want to starve. They’re stuck because they didn’t know how to stand up for themselves when they were kids. They’re stuck because they were tested and branded and herded into classrooms by frightened adults who, often with the best of intentions, brainwashed them into thinking they were doctors, lawyers, insurance salesmen, teachers, electricians, customs officers, store clerks, or mechanics. They’re stuck because, once upon a time, long ago, the human race took a wrong turn somewhere, and we’ve been dealing with it ever since. Take it from me. I know. I’m stuck, too." (Stephen Monroe's indictment of the system, from Chapter 8 of A Listening Thing, 2003)
- "I have yet to read a great book, or listen to a great symphony, that hasn’t made me aware of the silence and suffering of the person who created it. Yet the result is always joyful. That is the miracle of art — that, and its ability to inspire and awaken others, if not to create their own art, then to live their lives and pursue their true vocations in an artful, creative, original way." (from "Mr. Sterne's Rocking Chair — An Interview with William Michaelian," Cosmopsis Quarterly, Fall 2007)
- "Living is the one true art. What varies is the forms of expression we choose, or that choose us." (from "The One True Art," from Introducing William Michaelian)
Novels
- A Listening Thing Electronic Text (2003)
Short stories
- Among the Living and Other Stories. Musclehead Press. (2000)
- No Time to Cut My Hair Electronic Text (2002)
- Early Short Stories Electronic Text (2005)
Poetry
- Winter Poems. San Francisco: Cosmopsis Books. ISBN 978-0-9796599-0-4 (2007)
- Another Song I Know. San Francisco: Cosmopsis Books. ISBN 978-0-9796599-1-1 (2007)
- Great Minds Think Alike. Poem included in the Collected Poems section of the author's website.
Translations
- A Map of My Heart. Yerevan, Armenia: Artasamanyan Grakanutyun. ISBN 99941-0-136-6 (2004)
- The Old Language. Yerevan, Armenia: Tigran Mets. ISBN 99941-917-1-3 (2004)
Daily journals
- One Hand Clapping Electronic Text (2003–2005)