Joe Gould's Secret (Modern Library)

By: Joseph Mitchell

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Synopsis: The story of a notorious New York eccentric and the journalist who chronicled his life: &“A little masterpiece of observation and storytelling&” (Ian McEwan). Joseph Mitchell was a cornerstone of the New Yorker staff for decades, but his prolific career was shattered by an extraordinary case of writer&’s block. For the final thirty-two years of his life, Mitchell published nothing. And the key to his silence may lie in his last major work: the biography of a supposed Harvard grad turned Greenwich Village tramp named Joe Gould. Gould was, in Mitchell&’s words, &“an odd and penniless and unemployable little man who came to this city in 1916 and ducked and dodged and held on as hard as he could for over thirty-five years.&” As Mitchell learns more about Gould&’s epic Oral History—a reputedly nine-million-word collection of philosophizing, wanderings, and hearsay—he eventually uncovers a secret that adds even more intrigue to the already unusual story of the local legend. Originally written as two separate pieces (&“Professor Sea Gull&” in 1942 and then &“Joe Gould&’s Secret&” twenty-two years later), this magnum opus captures Mitchell at his peak. As the reader comes to understand Gould&’s secret, Mitchell&’s words become all the more haunting. This ebook features an illustrated biography of Joseph Mitchell including rare images from the author&’s estate.