Week 1- Proposal

I think like most people I first heard of Chuck Palahniuk's work when I saw the movie based off of his book Fight Club. Palahniuk's writing style and topics appeal to most teenagers because they are filled with dark, sick humor, and odd characters with odd lifestyles. Every teenager likes weird and disturbing stuff. The first book I read of his was Diary which I read over this past summer. I really enjoyed that book because it was about the struggles of an artist to find inspiration which I could relate to well, but it was Palahniuk's surreal plot line that kept me enthralled.
Chuck Palahniuk meets the criteria for the American Author project in that he is American. An American satirical author to be exact. Palahniuk was born in Pasco, Washington and currently lives in Vancouver, Washington. Palahniuk is also a dramatist writer rather than a poet with a wide range of novels to choose from. Some of his well known fictional works include Fight Club, Lullaby, Haunted, Survivor, Choke, Diary, Invisible Monsters, and his most recent -Rant. Palahniuk has also written two nonfiction books entitled Fugitives and Refugees: A Walk in Portland, Oregon, and Stranger Than Fiction: True Stories. The last, and most important piece of criteria is whether or not Palahniuk can be considered an important contributor to the development of American literature. I feel that Chuck Palahniuk is a significant author and contributor because of his influence on modern literature for a teenage audience. His sadistic style and surreal plot lines have developed into a cult-like phenomenon. His contribution is also demonstrated in film. The fact that his novel Fight Club was made into also cult-like motion picture further demonstrates his strong influence on modern culture.
I have started reading Invisible Monsters and am about halfway through. From what I have read so far along with my knowledge of Fight Club and Diary I have already found some reoccurring themes in Palahniuk’s writing. Therefore I feel confident in my ability to write a ten-page literary analysis based on Palahniuk’s writing. I have began highlighting significant quotes that I feel could later connect to cross-literary themes in more of his books. Right now my main concentration is his reoccurring plot structure. He has a main character with a routine life who’s life usually take a turn for the worse in a surreal twist.

These are the books I will read (or have read):