My Life with Charlie Brown is a collection of the major prose writings of Charles Schulz, best known as the creator of Peanuts. Schulz (1922-2000) left behind scores of great nonfiction writing about his craft, America, religion, the 1950s, 60s, and 70s, and of course Charlie Brown.
James Rosen found similar value in the essay collection and penned a nice review in Sunday's Washington Post.
...these essays prove unfailingly compelling and often mesmerizing -- not merely for the insight they offer into the towering genius of "Peanuts," but because Schulz the memoirist was so penetrating an observer.
Edited and with an introduction by comics scholar M. Thomas Inge, and with the official approval and cooperation of the Schulz family, the book draws on the cartoonist’s estate, archives, papers, and correspondence to collect the comprehensive nonfiction output of the cartoonist.
My Life with Charlie Brown also earned an A- from the gang at the Onion's A.V. Club in their biweekly roundup of comics reviews. A small excerpt after the jump:
...a welcome addition to any Peanuts fan’s library, bringing together essays, book intros, lectures, and other pieces that Schulz wrote over the years. Even more than the recent batch of Schulz bios, My Life With Charlie Brown digs into what the man himself thought about his life’s work, and his place in the culture at large... His insights into the process of creation and the other work that inspires him are far more profound and valuable than any piece of coffee-table kitsch
My Life with Charlie Brown is now available from UPM.
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