First Details For Chuck Palahniuk's 2010 Novel, "Tell All"

In a recent audio interview Chuck did with KPBS, while on the road promoting his latest novel "Pygmy", Chuck openly talked about his next novel.  In fact, Chuck revealed that, while caring for his mother last year, he actually wrote three novels!  The one which is going to drop in 2010 is called "Tell All" and if you thought Chuck couldn't get anymore original and daring... think again. 

Lillian Hellman, to be the central character in Chuck Palahniuk's 2010 novel 'Tell All'.

The plot:  The novel will feature Lillian Hellman, a real life playright.  She is best known as Dashielle Hammet's lover and the writer of the controversial film "The Children's Hour" which featured Audrey Hepburn and Shirley McClain as lesbians.   According to the interview, Chuck wants to reinvent her as a "larger than life Super Hero" and talk about her incredible life and exploits, as she wrote about them in her memoir "An Unfinished Woman".

You can listen to the full, 16 min audio interview with Chuck, where he discusses "Tell All" by clicking here.  (Chuck begins talking about the novel around the 15:19 mark)

And here is some more information about Hellman from her Wikipedia page:

Lillian Florence Hellman (June 20, 1905 – June 30, 1984) was an American playwright, linked throughout her life with many left-wing causes. She was romantically involved for 30 years with mystery and crime writer Dashiell Hammett (and was the inspiration for his character Nora Charles), and was also a long-time friend and literary executor of author Dorothy Parker.

Read more here

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mirka
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Ms. Hellman wrote three memoirs, actually. From this link: http://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/database/hellman_l.html

n 1969 Hellman published AN UNFINISHED WOMAN, the first of three memoirs that dealt with her social, political, and artistic life. Followed four years later by PENTIMENTO: A BOOK OF PORTRAITS and in 1976 by SCOUNDREL TIME, these books were a moving investigation of the life of a strong, successful woman -- the life of a woman who stood against an unjust government and was able to maintain her dignity and artistic vision. Though criticized for inaccuracies, these books were influential not only for their depiction of an exceptional and exciting artistic time, but for their tone, which many associated with the beginnings of the feminist movement.

I think I'll try the first one.

JKabol
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.

it sucks to hear about his mom. a few years ago, after that crazy ish happened to his father and his father's girlfriend, after the police requested his permission to seek the death penalty, his writing changed to his own version of horror. this change seems to bait a more serious side..

you used to read in school about artists and writers going through "dark" periods, or stages in which the artist tries to "exhaust her reds". picasso's "blue" period. it is such a trip watching and experiencing chuck through his writing "changes". most authors are not so open to discussion, that; you have to rely on studying the facts after. so seldom do you get to follow an author while the author goes through the changes.

that is something i will never forget about chuck
-kabol

..

spacemonkey1888
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JKabol wrote:

.

it sucks to hear about his mom. a few years ago, after that crazy ish happened to his father and his father's girlfriend, after the police requested his permission to seek the death penalty, his writing changed to his own version of horror. this change seems to bait a more serious side..

you used to read in school about artists and writers going through "dark" periods, or stages in which the artist tries to "exhaust her reds". picasso's "blue" period. it is such a trip watching and experiencing chuck through his writing "changes". most authors are not so open to discussion, that; you have to rely on studying the facts after. so seldom do you get to follow an author while the author goes through the changes.

that is something i will never forget about chuck
-kabol

..

exactly dude, thats why it pisses me off when people say "this is nothing compared to survivor or fight club. he should stick to what he does best and knows"..... complete ignorance.

JKabol
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yeah haha i generally stay outta those threads. chuck'll get most of em back someday anyway-

usedbyyou88
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I'm with you guys on this one..its obvious that a writer is going to change his style at some point.. I love how he has been experimenting with different styles for his last few books..It pisses me off when people bash on him if they don't like one of his books..no one ever said you have to like all of Chucks books to be a fan but you dont need to hate on Chuck for it.. I happen to love all of his books..and Pygmy is great so far..keep up the great work Chuck..and sorry about your mother.

monkeywright
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So...we should only be allowed to have positive opinions of his work? We shouldn't discuss where we think he succeeds or fails stylistically?

usedbyyou88
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you can disguss whatever you want just dont go saying Chuck sucks as a writer just because he wrote one book that you didnt like..

monkeywright
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Citation, please.

Also, I can say Chuck sucks as a writer if I haven't read any of his books.

THIS IS AMERICA! BACK ME UP GIGGAN, HUH, HUH?!

nathaniel parker
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Chuck sucks as a cardio-vascular surgeon!
No way, i'd let him operate on me.

big S
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i don't want him to write the same way he wrote 'survivor', i want him to write as well as he wrote 'survivor'. he got sloppy, he doesn't suck as a writer. change your style all you want but don't fuck it up 4 times in a row. i'll give him a break though, seems like he's going through a lot.

usedbyyou88
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wow i dont get why everyone thinks chucks last few novels suck..i thought haunted, rant, snuff and now pygmy were all good...people just dont like them because there different from what chuck was writing previously..maybe all you haters should find a new author to hate on..

monkeywright
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usedbyyou88 wrote:

people just dont like them because there different from what chuck was writing previously..maybe all you haters should find a new author to hate on..

How old are you?
Don't speak for me.

MCDrake
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I'm going to guess he was born in 1988...

big S
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i'm not gonna keep arguing about something i don't even really care about. i don't like them because they're crap, it has little to do with the books being a different style. i've said my piece.

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Why can’t everyone just be glad that we live in a country where we are able to read what we love freely?! It’s so amazing that we get to consume writing like this I feel so blessed that I can take part in something as simple as reading what I want when I want. I appreciate all writing even “bad” writing, at least those people who take the time to write a work and get it published realize that to them what they have to say and how they say it is important.

monkeywright
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Why can’t everyone just be glad that we live in a country where we are able to express ourselves and disagree freely?! It’s so amazing that we get to say things like this I feel so blessed that I can take part in something as simple as saying what I want when I want.

monkeywright
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...and I didn't mean that to be snarky, I just hate when someone overreacts if you don't feel exactly the same way they do.

WHY YOU HATIN' ON CHUCK?! etc etc.

Discussing what works and what doesn't work about this style helps me grow as a reader and a writer.

MCDrake
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monkeywright wrote:

...and I didn't mean that to be snarky, I just hate when someone overreacts if you don't feel exactly the same way they do.

WHY YOU HATIN' ON CHUCK?! etc etc.

Discussing what works and what doesn't work about this style helps me grow as a reader and a writer.

This.

general sarcasm
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So is this a biography or a fiction about a real person?

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from what I understand, fiction. but maybe Snuff-esque in terms of biography. He said he wants to continuously "name drop" through-out the book in which he makes those names in bold print.

mirka
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general sarcasm wrote:

So is this a biography or a fiction about a real person?

He talks about it at around 15 minutes into the interview linked in the opening post.

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My computer is slow as fuck and would take a day to load that.

MCDrake
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Sir, the language, sir.

general sarcasm
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Would "slow as balls" be more acceptable?

MCDrake
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Sir, yes, sir!

nathaniel parker
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what if he just takes the Rant manuscript and substitutes her name for his throughout the whole thing?!?!!

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Sorry Chuck about your mom that stinks. Hey she raised a great son tho! And "Tell All" seems rly good but different. Almost like he rote it for someone specific like his mom. Maybe I just dont know the plot yet and thats y im saying this. Either way I am really looking forward to it. Tongue

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Le-D911 wrote:

Sorry Chuck about your mom that stinks. Hey she raised a great son tho! And "Tell All" seems rly good but different. Almost like he rote it for someone specific like his mom. Maybe I just dont know the plot yet and thats y im saying this. Either way I am really looking forward to it. Tongue

I didn't know we were texting.

MCDrake
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Do you guys remember Melissareed20-something?

The woman that was talking to Chuck through blogs.

-Richard Dawkins

Edit: Oops

spacemonkey1888
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What?

spacemonkey1888
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No, explain. Like sending a hidden message to him via blog?

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JKabol
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oh, man.. i fucking loved how that blog turned out hahaha

brother s, i respect your opinion, certainly. youre a very cool dude and i dont have to agree with you. i usually do; but i thought rant was pretty fucking good. and mike, you know my affections for you run deep (gimmy that shark!!), so of course most people will and do respect such opinions.

usedbyyou,
i do align more closely with your opinion, but theyre just opinions. not to be taken too seriously.. this is chuck's official site. there is supposed to be criticism here. oh, and again, welcome to the cult. ive enjoyed many of your links and am hopeful to see you in more thread discussions, like in general discussion and particularly the bookclub

-kabol

..

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JKabol wrote:

oh, man.. i fucking loved how that blog turned out hahaha

brother s, i respect your opinion, certainly. youre a very cool dude and i dont have to agree with you. i usually do; but i thought rant was pretty fucking good. and mike, you know my affections for you run deep (gimmy that shark!!), so of course most people will and do respect such opinions.

usedbyyou,
i do align more closely with your opinion, but theyre just opinions. not to be taken too seriously.. this is chuck's official site. there is supposed to be criticism here. oh, and again, welcome to the cult. ive enjoyed many of your links and am hopeful to see you in more thread discussions, like in general discussion and particularly the bookclub

-kabol

..

Very professional and adult indeed.

big S
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JKabol wrote:

oh, man.. i fucking loved how that blog turned out hahaha

brother s, i respect your opinion, certainly. youre a very cool dude and i dont have to agree with you. i usually do; but i thought rant was pretty fucking good. and mike, you know my affections for you run deep (gimmy that shark!!), so of course most people will and do respect such opinions.

usedbyyou,
i do align more closely with your opinion, but theyre just opinions. not to be taken too seriously.. this is chuck's official site. there is supposed to be criticism here. oh, and again, welcome to the cult. ive enjoyed many of your links and am hopeful to see you in more thread discussions, like in general discussion and particularly the bookclub

-kabol

..

i've been meaning to go back and finish 'rant' and 'snuff', i just haven't gotten around to it. i think i just don't want to pay for them.

nathaniel parker
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Le-D911 wrote:

Sorry Chuck about your mom that stinks.

this sentence is in desperate need of a comma.

JKabol
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yeah, that sentence that sucks should have been previewed maybe first-

and rant is good. the beginning frustrate me to hell. had to get used to it. but it really kicks in the resolve. snuff is something else. i think only the hardcore fans are gonna love it. but even meerk has a tough time with the idea of reading it. in fact, she may never haha and they are easy enough to get through most libraries- if you dont wanna pay for em.

MCDrake
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I loved Rant, it is one of my two favorite Chuck books now.

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i did, too!
of course everyone has his own opinion, but to say that it sucked as if it's fact is ridiculous. opinion =/= fact.

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wat r u talking about?

Le-D911
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Why do people keep copying what other people say and than making comments under what was copied?

nathaniel parker
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Le-D911 wrote:

Why do people keep copying what other people say and than making comments under what was copied?

you mean like this?
it's called quoting. Some people feel it helps to point out a specific thought someone previously made and follow up on it.
All the kids today are doing it.

MCDrake
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Le-D911 wrote:

Why do people keep copying what other people say and than making comments under what was copied?

lol...

So...did your village just get internet in?

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nathaniel parker wrote:
Le-D911 wrote:

Why do people keep copying what other people say and than making comments under what was copied?

you mean like this?
it's called quoting. Some people feel it helps to point out a specific thought someone previously made and follow up on it.
All the kids today are doing it.

Some people feel it makes them smarter to quote someone else.

nathaniel parker
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spacemonkey1888 wrote:
nathaniel parker wrote:
Le-D911 wrote:

Why do people keep copying what other people say and than making comments under what was copied?

you mean like this?
it's called quoting. Some people feel it helps to point out a specific thought someone previously made and follow up on it.
All the kids today are doing it.

Some people feel it makes them smarter to quote someone else.

because then, they don't have to do any actual thinking of their own. they can just follow along with what someone else said.

MCDrake
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nathaniel parker wrote:
spacemonkey1888 wrote:
nathaniel parker wrote:
Le-D911 wrote:

Why do people keep copying what other people say and than making comments under what was copied?

you mean like this?
it's called quoting. Some people feel it helps to point out a specific thought someone previously made and follow up on it.
All the kids today are doing it.

Some people feel it makes them smarter to quote someone else.

because then, they don't have to do any actual thinking of their own. they can just follow along with what someone else said.

What he said.

JKabol
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MCDrake wrote:
nathaniel parker wrote:
spacemonkey1888 wrote:
nathaniel parker wrote:
Le-D911 wrote:

Why do people keep copying what other people say and than making comments under what was copied?

you mean like this?
it's called quoting. Some people feel it helps to point out a specific thought someone previously made and follow up on it.
All the kids today are doing it.

Some people feel it makes them smarter to quote someone else.

because then, they don't have to do any actual thinking of their own. they can just follow along with what someone else said.

What he said.

word !!

spacemonkey1888
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JKabol wrote:
MCDrake wrote:
nathaniel parker wrote:
spacemonkey1888 wrote:
nathaniel parker wrote:
Le-D911 wrote:

Why do people keep copying what other people say and than making comments under what was copied?

you mean like this?
it's called quoting. Some people feel it helps to point out a specific thought someone previously made and follow up on it.
All the kids today are doing it.

Some people feel it makes them smarter to quote someone else.

because then, they don't have to do any actual thinking of their own. they can just follow along with what someone else said.

What he said.

word !!

I second that.

Better to stand on the shoulders of giants than reinvent the wheel.

Le-D911
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wow hahhahhaahahha ok lol got it thx i wanna be just like you young kids (im 13)

mirka
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Le-D911 wrote:

wow hahhahhaahahha ok lol got it thx i wanna be just like you young kids (im 13)

Welcome and all that, but we do frown on textspeak. It's even in our guidelines:

As a general rule, post as if you were speaking in real life to another human being. Do not use chat slang, or aim-speak or any other nonsense when posting on the Forum, Blogs, Shoutbox etc. (Unless you are kidding)

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