Biography
Known for his trade-mark white suit, Thomas James Wolfe was born and raised in Richmond, Virginia. After being educated at Yale, he took a job as a reporter for the Springfield Massachusetts Union, starting as a general assignment reporter. After working there, he became a daily reporter for the New York Herald-Tribune and it was during this work that he published his first book, a collection of articles about the burgeoning sixties counter-culture. This led to a string of bestselling essay books, most dealing with modern American society and the people that cause a stir within it. After being published, Wolfe's talent could not be denied. From the late 60's on, Wolfe has lit a trail of fire throughout the literary world, writing books on the art world, the psychedelic 60's, teen sex, America's space program, and much more. He is the coiner of the term, 'good 'ole boy' and definer of "the me decade". Wolfe is now lauded as one of the true literary geniuses of the late 20th century; most of his books appearing on several best-of-the-century lists. Not one to rest on his laurels, Wolfe continues to produce new work at a regular pace. He currently lives in New York City with his wife Sheilla and their two children.
We Recommend
Many of Wolfe's titles are available on audio book, and you may wish to begin with Wolfe's first fiction book, and possibly his most well known work "The Bonfire Of The Vanities". This book revolves around Sherman McCoy, a hot-shot, young investment banker with a 14-room apartment in Manhattan. Things begin to break down for McCoy however after he splits from a freak accident in the bronx, and what follows is an explosive unraveling.
For a good introduction to Wolfe's essays there's "Radical Chic and Mau-Mauing the Flak Catchers" which features two devastatingly funny essays, closely related in theme and substance, both dealing with political stances and social styles in our status-minded world. Finally there's the classic book on the origins of the American Space program "The Right Stuff". This book, which was 6 years in the making, tells the tale of men like Chuck Yeager, Pete Conrad, Gus Grissom, and John Glenn. These were men that had a confidence that went beyond bravery: "the right stuff".
Whether you want to hear his novels, or laugh at one of his incisive essays, LearnOutLoud.com is your one stop shop for the work of Tom Wolfe on audio.