Charles Michael "Chuck" Palahniuk (IPA: )"Frequently Asked Questions About Chuck Palahniuk". Chuckpalahniuk.net. Retrieved 2006-06-01. (born February 21 1962) is an American satirical novelist and freelance journalist living in Portland, Oregon. He is best known for the award-winning novel Fight Club, which was later made into a film directed by David Fincher. He has one of the largest centralized followings of any author on the Internet, based around his official web site. His writings, similar in style to those of such peers as Bret Easton Ellis, Irvine Welsh, and Douglas Coupland, have made him one of the most popular novelists of Generation X.

Biography

---

Palahniuk was born in Pasco, Washington, the son of Carol and Fred Palahniuk, and grew up living in a mobile home in Burbank, Washington, with his family. His parents later separated and divorced, often leaving him and his three siblings to live with their grandparents at their cattle ranch in eastern Washington.Jenkins, Emily. "Extreme Sport". The Village Voice. October 19, 1999. In his twenties, Palahniuk attended the University of Oregon's School of Journalism, graduating in 1986. While attending college, he worked as an intern for National Public Radio's KLCC in Eugene, Oregon. He moved to Portland soon afterwards. After writing for the local newspaper for a short while, he began working for Freightliner as a diesel mechanic, continuing in that job until his writing career took off. During that time, he also wrote manuals on fixing trucks and had a short stint as a journalist (a job he did not return to until after he became a successful novelist). After casually attending a free, introductory seminar held by an organization called Landmark Education, Palahniuk quit his job as a journalist in 1988."Fright club". The Observer. May 8, 2005. Wanting to do more with his life than just his job, Palahniuk did volunteer work for a homeless shelter. Later, he also volunteered at a hospice as an escort; he provided transportation for terminally ill people and brought them to support group meetings. He ceased volunteering upon the death of a patient to whom he had grown attached.Palahniuk, Chuck. Stranger Than Fiction: True Stories. New York: Doubleday, 2004. p.195-199 ISBN 0385504489

Palahniuk would also become a member of the rebellious Cacophony Society in his adulthood. He is a regular participant in their events, including the annual Santa Rampage (a public Christmas party involving pranks and drunkenness) in Portland. His participation in the Society inspired some of the events in his writings, both fictional and non-fictional.Palahniuk, Chuck. Stranger Than Fiction: True Stories. New York: Doubleday, 2004. p.56 ISBN 0385504489 Most notably, he used the Cacophony Society as the basis for Project Mayhem in Fight Club.

More on [ Chuck Palahniuk ]

NPR Topics: Authors

Welsh Awards Snafu Leaves Red Faces
Thu, 03 Jul 2008 17:41:00 -0400
Welsh Assembly Culture Minister Rhodri Glyn Thomas has apologized for naming the wrong person winner of the Wales Book of the Year. He named Tom Bullough, who briefly thought he had won. Dannie Abse was the actual winner. Thomas apologized to both.
Who Wrote Shakespeare's Plays? Debate Goes On
Thu, 03 Jul 2008 00:01:00 -0400
Centuries later, doubts persist that William Shakespeare penned the works that bear his name. Skeptics include not only scholars but also famous folks, ranging from Orson Welles to Mark Twain.
'Netherland' Flirts With Greatness Of 'Gatsby'
Wed, 02 Jul 2008 10:53:00 -0400
With plenty of nods to The Great Gatsby Joseph O'Neill's Netherland explores dreams and ambition in post-Sept. 11 New York City. Maureen Corrigan calls the novel "marvelous."
The Twisted Journey Of 'Napoleon's Privates'
Wed, 02 Jul 2008 09:22:00 -0400
How did Napoleon's penis end up in New Jersey? Tony Perrottet, the author of the new book, Napoleon's Privates: 2,500 Years of History Unzipped, outlines the route the emperor's organ took from the island of St. Helena in 1821 to a briefcase under the bed of a New Jersey urologist.
Rival Actors Sparked Fatal 'Shakespeare Riots'
Wed, 02 Jul 2008 09:40:00 -0400
Shakespeare's works inspire strong emotions both on stage and off. Author Nigel Cliff talks about his book The Shakespeare Riots: Revenge, Drama and Death in 19th-Century America, which tells the story of an argument between two actors that led to a deadly riot.
1960: A Pivotal Year For The Olympics
Tue, 01 Jul 2008 16:00:00 -0400
The 1960 Rome Olympics were the first commercially televised games, saw the first doping scandal and the first commercial endorsement. David Maraniss, author of "Rome 1960: The Olympics that Changed the World," calls the year pivotal for the games.

Subscribe to Authors RSS feed