Michael Moore: A Biography [Hardcover]

Emily Schultz (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 28, 2005

Michael Moore's life story, from shy Eagle Scout to vocal critic of the Bush presidency, is told in this biography. In-depth research and interviews sort lies from truth and reveal both the passionate and cranky sides of this bestselling author and Academy Award-winning filmmaker. Previously undocumented information provides insights into Moore's mysterious and disastrous jump from local muckraker to editor of Mother Jones and narrates the runaway success of his first film, Roger & Me. This incisive account lets readers see beyond the myths and presents a verifiable perspective on one of the most visible public figures of our age.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A most complex man, and Emily Schultz lets us see what makes him tick, and then some."  —Shelf Life

"Schultz’s view through the lens of Moore’s life serves as a worthy musing on the...lines between art and fact."  —Broken Pencil

About the Author

Emily Schultz is a magazine writer and editor. She lives in Toronto, Ontario.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: ECW Press (September 28, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1550226991
• ISBN-13: 978-1550226997
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,089,743 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Emily Schultz was born in 1974. With roots in Michigan, she has lived in Richmond, Virginia; Toronto, Ontario; and currently Brooklyn, New York. She is co-publisher of Joylandmagazine.com, an international literary website that the CBC called, "the go to spot for readers seeking the best voices in short fiction."

Schultz's newest novel The Blondes is forthcoming from Doubleday Canada. Her previous novel, Heaven Is Small, released from House of Anansi Press in both Canada and the United States and was named a finalist for the 2010 Trillium Book Award alongside books by Margaret Atwood and Alice Munro. Her first collection of short stories, Black Coffee Night, was shortlisted for the Danuta Gleed Award for Best First Fiction in Canada. A story from that collection was adapted for television, airing across Canada and the United States. She is also the author of the novel, Joyland, and the collection of poetry, Songs for the Dancing Chicken.

Her writing has appeared in the Globe and Mail, Eye Weekly, the Walrus, the Black Warrior Review, Prism, Geist, Event, Descant, New Quarterly, CellStories, the Fanzine, At Length, and several anthologies.

Praise for Heaven Is Small

Schultz's latest is a satire of office life, romance novels, and afterlife narratives. She has accomplished something quite remarkable here...
--Publishers Weekly

A young writer dubbed promising for her first three books, Schultz now keeps that promise: Heaven is Small is confident, disturbing and clever reeling us along, prodding us to notice the lame trappings of what we call living.... Schultz's voice is stronger than ever, her storytelling tighter and her writing still replete with those trademark ziplines, surprising little protons of description that vault the reader into Schultz's unique narrative universe.

--Globe and Mail

Schultz has created a delightful cast of lost souls . . . Heaven is Small is a keen examination of life and the afterlife, brimming with intelligence and wit.
--Quill & Quire

Heaven Is Small [is] a stunning, often surprising read with moments of such audacity that the reader is likely to gasp out loud. . . . Schultz is an impressive talent . . . creating something new, something unique. The result is bold and winning, the sort of novel that satisfies on every level while managing to leave the reader with an afterglow of questions and observations.
--Vancouver Sun

Emily Schultz is one of those forces of nature that propels a literary scene.
--Toronto Star

Emily Schultz's sly novel Heaven Is Small takes a shot at the publishing industry and the pathetic failed writers victimized by it, and it definitely hits the mark.... Hilarious... sensational... poignant... Fun and smart all around.
--Now Magazine

. . . captivating . . . hilarious . . . seems tailor-made for a Hollywood adaptation.
--Flare

--Chatelaine Book Club selection

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Low Quality, December 15, 2005

By 

D. Iwataki (Aurora, IL USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Michael Moore: A Biography (Hardcover)

The cover is great. For a second, you'd think this was finally the definitive guide to Michael Moore's life. Something that documents his struggles and embellishments. Alas, this book is another failed attempt to make a buck.

First, anyone passing by the book and checks it out will notice the font. It is a large, child sized font. Basically, about 100 words average each page. Roughly, it's size is actually a quarter of the length you'd expect it to be.

Then there's the content. Take the chapter on "The Awful Truth". I was a big fan of the show and I expected that the chapter would actually be about how Michael Moore stuggled to make the show with a small budget, getting the show off the ground, and dealing with the lower ratings than "TV Nation". Almost an entire HALF A PAGE is dedicated to all that information! The truth is: the chapter deals with little else than a disgruntled part-time intern/fact-checker getting fired so the show could save more money. I do not care about this part time employee. Especially when it turns out that he stalks Moore. The book tries to set Mike up for being the bad guy for taking legal actions about said ex-employee. Despite the attempts, the fact that Moore receives death threats everyday and does not have secret service to protect him, makes his paranoia reasonable. The ex-employee also comes off as a jerk in the prose, which shows how the propaganda of the novel fails considerably.

Expect every chapter to be vaguely written with little to no details about what is actually interesting in Moore's life. The book takes about a hour or two to read (pretty much, you could read it in Borders and save some money).

What I will say is the best thing about the book are the pictures of a young (and thin) Michael Moore. It's interesting to know that he was once a normal guy. He may be rich now, but he wasn't born that way. I think that is a much better book, but apparently Schultz disagrees with me. Everyone is entitled to their own opinions.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars A disappointment, July 5, 2007

By 

Elizabeth Gaynor (Kamloops B.C. Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Michael Moore: A Biography (Hardcover)

As a Biography this is a poor effort,it consists mainly of 'what this person and that person' thought of Michael and his productions.There was nothing of Michaels' life that isn't already known. That born in Flint. Mich, he is Irish/ American, once thought of the priesthood and his wife is Kathleen Glyn. I could have done better myself,never having even met the man. I would be surprized if the author has either. A waste of money & time in my opinion.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Pretty good, December 17, 2005

By 

Rob (San Diego) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Michael Moore: A Biography (Hardcover)

Sure, this isn't the entire Michael Moore story, but the guy's still alive and from what i can tell, protective of his privacy. "A Biography" does put his often conflicting stories in order and perspective and the really well researched chapter on his ousting from Mother Jones should be hilarious to anyone who's survived publishing or lefty politics. Best of all, the book doesn't try to knight him or drag him through the mud. It just tells his story in clear, and sometimes even witty, language. Best: a long interview with tv nation producer John Deleverany (aka Crackers the Crime Fighting Chicken!) . And yes, the skinny hippy photos are pretty damn cool.