One notable characteristic of most of his works is that they use the device of secret history: he uses actual, documented historical events, but shows another view of them in which magic is a major moving force in the motivations and actions of the characters.
Powers was born in Buffalo, New York, and grew up in California, where his Roman Catholic family moved in 1959. He studied English Literature at Cal State Fullerton, where he first met James Blaylock and K. W. Jeter, both of whom remained close friends and occasional collaborators. Another friend he first met during this period (but unlike Blaylock and Jeter, not a fellow student) was Philip K. Dick; the character named "David" in Dick's novel VALIS is based on Powers.
Farewell Opus; Hello Pete, The Perfectly Practical Pig Mon, 06 Oct 2008 15:37:00 -0400 After 30 years, cartoonist Berkeley Breathed is bidding adieu to his charming, politically astute penguin of Bloom County and Opus. His new project is Pete & Pickles, a children's book about a very sad pig. Artist Macaulay Decodes Body In 'Way We Work' Mon, 06 Oct 2008 10:53:00 -0400 Best-selling author and illustrator David Macaulay takes a head-to-toe trip in The Way We Work: Getting to Know the Amazing Human Body. He says illustrating how we work was so difficult, he almost gave up. Extra! Extra! Unionist Bombs Wreck The 'Times' Mon, 06 Oct 2008 10:24:00 -0400 Radical bombers battle strikebreaking capitalists while Clarence Darrow squares off against the "American Sherlock Holmes" in this very popular history of a trial that mixed murder, politics and celebrity in 1910 Los Angeles. Rabbi's Son Visits Bible Belt In 'My Jesus Year' Mon, 06 Oct 2008 12:20:00 -0400 In an effort to reconnect with his Jewish faith, Georgia-native Benyamin Cohen explored the Christianity across the "Bible Belt" of America. He documented his experiences in My Jesus Year: A Rabbi's Son Wanders the Bible Belt in Search of His Own Faith. Is America 'Too Insular' For A Literary Nobel? Mon, 06 Oct 2008 12:12:00 -0400 Horace Engdahl, a Nobel Prize official, commented on Wednesday that the United States is "too isolated" and "too insular" to generate literary Nobel laureates. He said Europe remains the "center of the literary world." NBA's Alonzo Mourning Touts 'Resilience' In Memoir Sun, 05 Oct 2008 00:02:00 -0400 In 2000, the muscular, 6-feet-10-inch NBA star was diagnosed with a rare, life-threatening kidney disease. Alonzo Mourning made a full recovery following a transplant. Now, he's written a memoir about the obstacles he had to overcome on the road back to the NBA.
Allscifi Tim Powers Spotlight - A detailed analysis of the plot, setting, characters, theme, and structure of his greatest novels, and links to similar works by other novelists.
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