Writing Lives is the Devil: Essays of a Biographer at Work

Christianson, a history professor at Indiana State University, has written biographies of mathematician Isaac Newton ( In the Presence of the Creator ) and naturalist Loren Eiseley ( Fox at the Wood's Edge ). In this witty and thought-provoking collection of 13 essays, he examines the creativity that is involved in crafting the story of someone else's life. Christianson reflects on the intricate process of choosing a subject and on the elements that add to or detract from the ``relationship'' that develops between biographer and subject, whether or not the subject is still living. Drawing on his own experiences and quoting from other writers, Christianson describes the painstaking research and the transmuting of documentation into readable text that are the foundation of good biography. He recounts his experiences with editors and book reviewers and cites unusual fan mail that he has received. (Nov.)