NATIONAL
BESTSELLER
For the
first time ever—a comprehensive biography of one of the twentieth century’s
most innovative creative artists: the incomparable, irreplaceable Jim Henson
He was a
gentle dreamer whose genial bearded visage was recognized around the world, but
most people got to know him only through the iconic characters born of his
fertile imagination: Kermit the Frog, Bert and Ernie, Miss Piggy, Big Bird. The
Muppets made Jim Henson a household name, but they were just part of his
remarkable story.
This
extraordinary biography—written with the generous cooperation of the Henson
family—covers the full arc of Henson’s all-too-brief life: from his childhood
in Leland, Mississippi, through the years of burgeoning fame in America, to the
decade of international celebrity that preceded his untimely death at age
fifty-three. Drawing on hundreds of hours of new interviews with Henson's
family, friends, and closest collaborators, as well as unprecedented access to
private family and company archives, Brian Jay Jones explores the creation of
the Muppets, Henson’s contributions to Sesame Street and Saturday Night Live,
and his nearly ten-year campaign to bring The Muppet Show to television. Jones
provides the imaginative context for Henson’s non-Muppet projects, including the
richly imagined worlds of The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth—as well as fascinating
misfires like Henson’s dream of opening an inflatable psychedelic nightclub.
An
uncommonly intimate portrait, Jim Henson captures all the facets of this
American original: the master craftsman who revolutionized the presentation of
puppets on television, the savvy businessman whose dealmaking prowess won him a
reputation as “the new Walt Disney,” and the creative team leader whose
collaborative ethos earned him the undying loyalty of everyone who worked for
him. Here also is insight into Henson’s intensely private personal life: his
Christian Science upbringing, his love of fast cars and expensive art, and his
weakness for women. Though an optimist by nature, Henson was haunted by the
notion that he would not have time to do all the things he wanted to do in
life—a fear that his heartbreaking final hours would prove all too well
founded.
An
up-close look at the charmed life of a legend, Jim Henson gives the full
measure to a man whose joyful genius transcended age, language, geography, and
culture—and continues to beguile audiences worldwide.
Praise for
Jim Henson
“Illuminating
. . . As Jones expertly shows, Henson remained throughout his life an artist
who was continuously in motion, conceiving, pitching, and managing multiple
projects at once.”—The Atlantic
“Consistently
surprises . . . Highly readable and never long-winded (even at nearly 600
pages), Jim Henson joyously documents its subject’s knack for combining old-fashioned
puppetry with the world’s newest entertainment medium to forge a kind of furry,
felt-covered vaudeville.”—The Wall Street Journal
“This is a
biography that earns the label definitive.”—The Dallas Morning News
“An
insightful look at the gentle artist.”—Parade
“I’m a
rabid Jim Henson fan—his brilliant ideas spawned shows that entertained and
educated millions, myself included. Jim Henson vibrantly delves into the
magnificent man and his Muppet methods. It’s an absolute must read!”—Neil
Patrick Harris
No comments:
Post a Comment