I was born on august 15, 1896, and at that instant i became an object moving through space toward youlocked in a cabin, on a ship bound for leningrad, lev termen types a letter to clara, his one true love and remembers. In which i seek the heart of clara rockmore, my one true love, finest theremin player the world will ever know. This copy is a first edition and is signed by the author. Lev termen is imprisoned on a ship steaming its way from new york city to the soviet union. Us conductors is steeped in beauty, wonder, and looping heartbreak, a sublime debut that inhabits the idea of invention on every level. Us conductors is a debut novel by canadian writer sean michaels. Author sean michaels will be kicking off a tour to promote his new book us conductors, a fictional account of the life of leon theremin and his love for clara rockmore. An electronic odyssey and found yourself wishing for more of the romantically tragic tale that spun between leon theremin and clara rockmore, then look no further. Us conductors book ottawa public library bibliocommons. Us conductors book club kit vancouver public library.
Us conductors is a book of longing and electricity. He is writing a letter to his one true love, clara rockmore, the finest theremin player in the world. And the social and political relevance of the books is powerful in every case, with insights into mental illness, the abuse of human rights, the. Library of congress cataloginginpublication data michaels, sean, 1982us conductors. Us conductors and over one million other books are available for amazon. This book is a novelisation of the romance between the scientist lev termin aka theremin, inventor of the electronic musical instrument and his muse clara rockmore, for which the author sean michaels won the scotiabank giller prize. Us conductors by sean michaels penguin random house canada.
Recently awarded the 2014 scotiabank giller prize, us conductors will please nearly any reader it comes across. So far, over 150 copies in hard copy have been shipped worldwide. In the first half of the book, we learn of termens early days as a scientist in leningrad. The theremins story is stranger than fiction indy week. This is the clara rockmore method for theremin book, newly revised by david miller and jeffrey mcfarlandjohnson, which i publish. In a finely woven series of flashbacks and correspondence, lev termen, the russian scientist, inventor, and spy, tells the story of his life to his one true love, clara rockmore, the finest theremin player in the world. This is particularly the case during the books longest section, set in the states as. All the while, termen explains, he thought of clarahis one true love. Its a tale of electricity and espionage, jazz and kungfu, harlem and siberia, and the way even doomed love can keep you alive. Us conductors is the imagined story of lev sergeyvich termen, inventor of the theremin one of the first electric musical instruments and his unrequited love for clara rockmore, its greatest player. He succeeds at one of the hardest things a writer can do. Books about theremin what should i read next register for free to build your own book lists.
Sean michaels awarded giller prize for his book us. Us conductors by sean michaels world literature today. A novel a fictional account of leon theremins life. He falls in love with the musician and young violinist clara rockmore. Us conductors is the story of the man who created the most magical musical instrument in the world, the theremin. Up to 20 books are listed, in descending order of popularity at this site. A tale of espionage and electricity, it takes listeners from the gardens of st. Us conductors is michaels debut novel, a fictionalized account of the relationship between leon theremin and clara rockmore. Beginning and ending in the soviet union, its prime focus is. Us conductors makes nprs 2014 best of the year list chosen as an indies introduce pick flavorwire picks us conductors as one of the 50 best independent fiction and poetry books of 2014 us conductors is an impressive debut, a novel as somber and haunting as the voice of. In 2009, time magazine ranked the blog as one of the twentyfive best blogs in the world. In the first half of the book, we learn of termens early days as a scientist in.
Us conductors, which was published by random house canada in april, tells the story of lev sergeyevich termen. New fiction by sean michaels inspired by leon theremin and. Us conductors is the first novel by sean michaels, and is a fictionalized, award winning take on termens life and times. Us conductors in which i seek the heart of clara rockmore, my one true love, finest theremin player the world will ever know book.
Published by tin house books, portland, oregon, and brooklyn, new york distributed to the trade by publishers group west, 1700 fourth st. Petersburg to the jazzage nightclubs of new york, through concert halls, speakeasies, and the siberian wastes. Locked in a cabin aboard a ship bearing him back to russia and away from the love of his life, lev sergeyvich termen begins to type his story. He is better known for his mp3 blog said the gramophone, founded in 2003. Songs of innocence and experience in us conductors the. Throughout all this, his love for clara remains constant and unflagging, traveling through the ether much like a theremins notes.
While michaels takes some basic events from termens life, this story in particular, the kung fu training, the espionage and his oneside romance for a young violinist, clara, he meets in new york are best to be viewed as fictions of michaels imagination. Like termens own life, it is steeped in beauty, wonder and looping heartbreak. While one may argue that the plot can, at times, become overly. Petersburg to the jazz age nightclubs of new york, through concert halls, speakeasies, and the siberian wastes.
In reading history of termen many of the major facts in this book actually happened,but his thoughts and conversations depend on the authors imagination. Us conductors by sean michaels halifax public libraries. Winner of the 2014 scotiabank giller prize a beautiful, haunting novel inspired by the true life and loves of the famed russian scientist, inventor and spy lev termen creator of the theremin. In which i seek the heart of clara rockmore, my one true love, finest theremin player the world will ever know by sean michaels paperback, 459 pages, pgw, list price.
In us conductors, sean michaels takes the basic story of the inventor of the. And not to be outdone, lev termin or the americanised leon. He is mostly addressing clara rockmore, the american theremin virtuoso. My first novel was a fictional reimagining of the story of lev sergeyvich termen, the inventor of the theremin, and clara rockmore, its greatest player. Sean michaels in a finely woven series of flashbacks and correspondence, lev termen, the russian scientist, inventor, and spy, tells the story of his life to his one true love, clara rockmore, the finest. The story of lev termen is so charming, perhaps because he is always courting his reader. There is a yearning that simply cannot be quenched in clara and it stays with leon wherever he may go. Synopsis winner of the 2014 scotiabank giller prizea beautiful, haunting novel inspired by the true life and loves of the famed russian scientist, inventor and spy lev termen creator of the theremin. Reviews the grace of michaelss style makes these times and places seem entirely new. Michaels becomes the first resident of that city to win the giller since mordecai richler won for barneys version in 1997.
Fiction inspired by the lives of leon theremin and clara rockmore. I was happy to be proved wrong about the theremin being annoyingunmusical when i saw a video of clara rockmore performing the swan a song often mentioned in us conductors here. Songs of innocence and experience in us conductors. Clara rockmore, clara rockmore, nadia reisenberg, rachmaninoff, tchaikovsky, rachmaninoff. A tin house new voice and random house new face of fiction for 2014, us conductors is a beautiful. Us conductors takes us from the glamour of jazz age new york to the gulags and science prisons of the soviet union. The central twist is that termen tells his own story.
Theremin book trailer us conductors, by sean michaels. Michaels debut novel, us conductors, was published by random house canada and tin house books us in 2014. This is a humble, silly, serious trailer for us conductors, the debut novel by sean michaels. Us conductors makes nprs 2014 best of the year list chosen as an indies introduce pick flavorwire picks us conductors as one of the 50 best independent fiction and poetry books of 2014 us conductors is an impressive debut, a novel as somber and haunting as the voice of the theremin itself. I thought it might be a good idea to make this excellent method available for download. Highly regarded as an influential writer and critic in the world of independent music, sean michaels writes his first fulllength work of historical fiction about a strange, warbling electronic instrument known as the theremin and its prolific inventor, lev sergeyvich termen. Russian emigre clara rockmore, the theremins beautiful foremost virtuoso. Much happens to leon in us conductors but the core of book centers around his love of clara, a girl he has fallen in love with, and their many encounters over the years. Us conductors is very much a historical fiction novel. Us conductors finds its music amid the grim oppression of stalins labour camps as there is a combination of emotional intensity, deep character probing and skilled writing in all these novels. Lev termen, the russian scientist, inventor, and spy, tells the story of his life to his one true love, clara rockmore, the finest theremin player in the world. Sean michaels was awarded the 2014 scotiabank giller prize at a gala ceremony in toronto on monday night for his novel us conductors, becoming just the second debut novelist to win canadas most. Termen, the inventor of the theremin, and clara rockmore, its greatest player.
A tale of espionage and electricity, it takes readers from the gardens of st. It received the giller prize, canadas most important literary award, in 2014. Us conductors is the imagined story of lev sergeyvich termen, inventor of the thereminone of the first electric musical instrumentsand his unrequited love for clara rockmore, its greatest player. Sean michaels novel us conductors, the winner of the 2014 scotiabank giller prize, is a fictionalized account of the relationship between rockmore and leon theremin.
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