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Jim Henson: The Biography Audiobook
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NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • For the first time ever—a comprehensive biography of one of the twentieth century’s most innovative creative artists: the incomparable, irreplaceable Jim Henson He was a gentle dreamer whose genial bearded visage was recognized around the world, but most people got to know him only through the iconic characters born of his fertile imagination: Kermit the Frog, Bert and Ernie, Miss Piggy, Big Bird. The Muppets made Jim Henson a household name, but they were just part of his remarkable story. This extraordinary biography—written with the generous cooperation of the Henson family—covers the full arc of Henson’s all-too-brief life: from his childhood in Leland, Mississippi, through the years of burgeoning fame in America, to the decade of international celebrity that preceded his untimely death at age fifty-three. Drawing on hundreds of hours of new interviews with Henson's family, friends, and closest collaborators, as well as unprecedented access to private family and company archives, Brian Jay Jones explores the creation of the Muppets, Henson’s contributions to Sesame Street and Saturday Night Live, and his nearly ten-year campaign to bring The Muppet Show to television. Jones provides the imaginative context for Henson’s non-Muppet projects, including the richly imagined worlds of The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth—as well as fascinating misfires like Henson’s dream of opening an inflatable psychedelic nightclub. An uncommonly intimate portrait, Jim Henson captures all the facets of this American original: the master craftsman who revolutionized the presentation of puppets on television, the savvy businessman whose dealmaking prowess won him a reputation as “the new Walt Disney,” and the creative team leader whose collaborative ethos earned him the undying loyalty of everyone who worked for him. Here also is insight into Henson’s intensely private personal life: his Christian Science upbringing, his love of fast cars and expensive art, and his weakness for women. Though an optimist by nature, Henson was haunted by the notion that he would not have time to do all the things he wanted to do in life—a fear that his heartbreaking final hours would prove all too well founded. An up-close look at the charmed life of a legend, Jim Henson gives the full measure to a man whose joyful genius transcended age, language, geography, and culture—and continues to beguile audiences worldwide. NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY BOOKPAGE “Jim Henson vibrantly delves into the magnificent man and his Muppet methods: It’s an absolute must-read!”—Neil Patrick Harris “An exhaustive work that is never exhausting, a credit both to Jones’s brisk style and to Henson’s exceptional life.”—The New York Times “[A] sweeping portrait that is a mix of humor, mirth and poignancy.”—Washington Independent Review of Books “A meticulously researched tome chock-full of gems about the Muppets and the most thorough portrait of their creator ever crafted.”—Associated Press
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“Brian Jay Jones tells the story ofhow Henson turned a quaint art form into an entertainment empire that, at thetime of his death, the Walt Disney Company was negotiating to buy for $150million. Jones had excellent access, and took full advantage of it, interviewingHenson’s relatives (including his wife, Jane, who died in 2013) as well as hismany collaborators, from fellow puppeteer Frank Oz (the voice of Bert—Henson wasErnie) to George Lucas, executive producer of Henson’s 1986 fantasy film Labyrinth. He dwelled in the vast Muppetarchive and pored over Henson’s diary. The result is an exhaustive work that isnever exhausting, a credit both to Jones’ brisk style and to Henson’sexceptional life.”
— New York Times Book Review
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“Consistently surprises…Highly readable and never long-winded (even at nearly six hundred pages), Jim Henson joyously documents its subject’s knack for combining old-fashioned puppetry with the world’s newest entertainment medium to forge a kind of furry, felt-covered vaudeville.”
— Wall Street Journal -
“This is a biography that earns the label definitive.”
— Dallas Morning News -
“Brian Jay Jones draws upon new interviews with family and friends, reams of archival material, and Henson’s own journals to provide a nuanced study of a preternaturally gifted, relentlessly driven artist…Jones does a superlative job organizing a massive amount of information.”
— Los Angeles Review of Books -
“A heartwarming, endearing, and joyful study…[Jones] gives us a real Jim Henson, not a saint to be sure, but a man who devoted his creative genius to making the world a better place…In many places it seems that Henson is doing the talking right off the pages. This book is fast-paced like his life, zany like his characters, full of fun and laughter…It is all here in this sweeping portrait that is a mix of humor, mirth, and poignancy.”
— Washington Independent Review of Books -
“Sure to be savored for its exhaustive look at the late Muppet-master.”
— Variety -
“Jones illuminates the full scope of Henson’s genius, phenomenal productivity, complex private life, zeal to do good, and astronomical influence.”
— Booklist (starred review) -
“There are so many enjoyable aspects to this book that it’s hard to know where to start…Jim Henson: The Biography is a fantastic story of a brilliant life cut short, but it can also be read as a blueprint for following your bliss.”
— BookPage -
“Jones chronicles Jim Henson's life, starting with a look at how Henson's teenage fascination with the television industry in the early 1950s propelled him into an enduring journey through the art of puppetry and, on a larger scale, a venue to share his love, imagination, and humor with the world…All the while, Henson created and ran a company built on teamwork, laughter, and abundant creativity…Verdict: Jones’ biography, which draws on interviews with Henson’s family, friends, and colleagues as well as company and family archives, brings to light a spirit of love, warmth, wit, and so much more. It makes an enjoyable companion to Karen Falk’s Imagination Illustrated: The Jim Henson Journal.”
— Library Journal -
“Masterful…Jones continually shows that Henson left the world a better place, which serves as the book’s theme… [Jim Henson] can be enjoyed by readers of more than one generation.”
— Kirkus Reviews -
“Jim Henson was clearly a creative genius, and his legacy lives on in his beloved Muppets. Narrator Kirby Heyborne is an excellent choice for this audiobook, as he seems to effortlessly conjure Henson;s gentle manner of speech as well as the voices of the most famous Muppets, such as Kermit and Rowlf. Additionally, Heyborne is clear and measured while recounting Henson’s upbringing, his sometimes strained family life, and the business partnerships that led to his creative endeavors, such as advertising, his famous television characters, and several movies. Heyborne’s creative narration is an asset for the biography of a man who was an imaginative and productive creative force.”
— AudioFile
Awards
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A BookPage Best Book of 2013
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Winner of the 2013 GoodReads Readers’ Choice Award for History & Biography
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Nominated for the 2013 Plutarch Award for Best Biography of the Year
Jim Henson Listener Reviews
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Alpha Lim, 6/27/2022
About Brian Jay Jones
Brian Jay Jones is the critically-acclaimed, bestselling biographer of books on some of the world’s most iconic creative figures, including Jim Henson, George Lucas, Washington Irving, and Dr. Seuss. For some three decades, he has served as a writer and policy advisor to elected officials at all levels of government, including ten years in the United States Senate.
About Kirby Heyborne
Kirby Heyborne is a musician, actor, and professional narrator. Noted for his work in teen and juvenile audio, he has garnered over twenty Earphones Awards. His audiobook credits include Jesse Kellerman’s The Genius, Cory Doctorow’s Little Brother, and George R. R. Martin’s Selections from Dreamsongs.