We Will Discuss:

P.Auster, City of Glass. p.114-203

C.McGrath, “Not Funnies,” NY Times Magazine

S.McCloud, Understanding Comics (excerpt)

By Melissa MacDougall, Ken Gorman, and Katherine Chan

Order of Presentation

1. Who is Paul Auster anyways?

2. Synopsis of City of Glass p. 1-113 by Ken

3. City of Glass by Melissa and Katherine

4. Summary of “Not Funnies” and “Understanding Comics” by Ken

5. Connecting and Linking – Narrative and City of Glass

6. Critical and Analytical Interpretation – Discussing parts of City of Glass that were not obvious on first reading

7. Discussion Questions

* We are also open to questions and discussions after each slide

Paul Auster Lives in Brooklyn, New York City of Glass is part of “The New York Trilogy”

other novels are Ghosts and The Locked Room He is the author of many novels, 2 memoirs,

3 screenplays (which he also directed),

a collection of essays and a volume of

poems, and he has also edited books Many of his works are named on the first page of the novel Recipient of the 2006 Prince of Asturias Award for Letters Inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Letters in 2006 Has won literary fellowships from the National Endowment for

the Arts in both poetry and prose Received the Morton Dauwen Zabel Award from the American

Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters

City of Glass Synopsis p.1-113 Typical detective fiction beginning Lonely man whose wife and son died Lives in New York Used to be a popular writer - after his

family died he changed his name to William Wilson

Who is who? And what is the meaning of this as it pertains to the second half of the story?

Theme Is Paul Auster (The Author) all of the

characters in the story and do all authors write as if they are all characters of the story? Is he trying to figure himself out through the use of detective writing?

Does he use the character Quinn to describe all of his different “alter-egos”? Or is Quinn actually all of the alter-egos?

Is it all just a dream?

City of Glass p. 114-203

Key Points Quinn’s 3 Meetings with Stillman Sr Stillman Sr. goes missing Quinn Meets Auster Life in the Alley Living in the Stillman house - Time

“Daniel Quinn is no one, yet, he is everyone”

The Three Meetings

First meeting – pg 115In Riverside Park pg 116 - Read “At last Stillman turned ... after a

long pause”pg 121 – Read “Yes. A language that ...

Correspond to the world” and “When I say the word umbrella ... expresses the will of man.”

pg 122 – “My work is very simple ... Correspond to the things” - Why is he naming these things?

Identifies himself as Quinn

The Three Meetings II

The Second Meeting – pg 124In Mayflower CafeStillman did not recognize Quinn from the

day beforeQuinn introduced himself as who? And who

is this man that he introduced himself as? How do eggs come into this conversation?

Read pg 128 – “It is our duty...help ourselves”

Identifies himself as Henry Dark

The Three Meetings III The Third Meeting – pg 130

Took place on the same day as the second, this time back at Riverside Park, and once again Stillman did not recognize him

pg 131 - “This was the third time Quinn has presented himself, and each time it was as though Quinn had been someone else”

Who is pretending?Read pg 131 – “The old man asked him ... I can

say them all”Pg 134 – “I’ll be able to die happily now, Peter?”-

What does this mean?Identifies himself as Peter Stillman Jr.

Stillman Sr., Missing?

Quinn waits for Stillman outside the hotel and he never comes

Read pg 143 – “It felt as though ... body did not know it” – What starts here?

Identifies himself as Stillman Sr

The Real Paul Auster? Quinn’s confusion and feeling of failure

drives him to confess to the real Paul Auster

Was Virginia’s call just a mistake? Why is there no Detective Paul Auster?

Can anyone relate the story of Don Quixote to City of Glass?

Read pg 158 – “He made one last effort ... “Goodbye myself””

Identifies to Daniel (Auster’s son), and Don Quixote (D.Q)

Life in the Alley

Why did he abandon his previous life to live in the alley and watch after the Stillman’s?

Who was he trying to protect? And from who?

What is the condition of Quinn now? Page 173 – Read first paragraph Loses his apartment

The Dark Room Read pg 196 “The next time he woke up

... for an answer” Concept of time – Read pg 199 “But

even after winter ... forgotten it was there”

Identifies that Max Work persona is dead

Random Overly explicit details

Ex. Arranging notebook in a comfortable way while walking, detailed bowel movements etc.

Critical and Analytical Interpretation

The narrator who came in at the end was a bit of a mystery. Anyone have any ideas?

Theme of Authors “alter-egos” may not have been clear to all readers. Anyone agree or disagree with this?

Connecting and Linking

City of Glass and Narrative?Who is the narrator?Who is the narratee?

Read pg.90 First Paragraph from course reader

Discuss:C.McGrath, “Not Funnies” NYTimes

Magazine

&

S.McCloud Understanding Comics

Charles McGrath

Author of “Not Funnies” Former editor of NYTimes Book Review,

and The New Yorker Contributer to NYTimes Magazine

Discuss:What are comics?

Personal connection Is it a male genre? Is it something that you take part in

now?

Read citing (pg 26)

R.Crumb

Discuss R.Crumb

Art Spiegelman

Daniel Clowes

Joe Sacco

Julie Doucet

Chris Ware

Scott McCloud

Questions?