Jim Henson: The Biography by Brian Jay Jones
(Format used for this book: Audiobook)
My fellow book loving friend, Angela, recommended this biography to me months ago and I finally got off the waitlist for it from the library 😃
It took me a few chapters to get into it (sometimes I struggle with biographies for some reason) but by the end, I was fully immersed in the world as Jim saw it.
Here is a summary:
“He was a gentle dreamer whose genial bearded visage was recognized around the world, but most people got to know him only through the iconic characters born of his fertile imagination: Kermit the Frog, Bert and Ernie, Miss Piggy, Big Bird. The Muppets made Jim Henson a household name, but they were just part of his remarkable story.
This extraordinary biography—written with the generous cooperation of the Henson family—covers the full arc of Henson’s all-too-brief life: from his childhood in Leland, Mississippi, through the years of burgeoning fame in America, to the decade of international celebrity that preceded his untimely death at age fifty-three.
Drawing on hundreds of hours of new interviews with Henson’s family, friends, and closest collaborators, as well as unprecedented access to private family and company archives, Brian Jay Jones explores the creation of the Muppets, Henson’s contributions to Sesame Street and Saturday Night Live, and his nearly ten-year campaign to bring The Muppet Show to television. Jones provides the imaginative context for Henson’s non-Muppet projects, including the richly imagined worlds of The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth—as well as fascinating misfires like Henson’s dream of opening an inflatable psychedelic nightclub.
An uncommonly intimate portrait, Jim Henson captures all the facets of this American original: the master craftsman who revolutionized the presentation of puppets on television, the savvy businessman whose dealmaking prowess won him a reputation as “the new Walt Disney,” and the creative team leader whose collaborative ethos earned him the undying loyalty of everyone who worked for him.
Here also is insight into Henson’s intensely private personal life: his Christian Science upbringing, his love of fast cars and expensive art, and his weakness for women. Though an optimist by nature, Henson was haunted by the notion that he would not have time to do all the things he wanted to do in life—a fear that his heartbreaking final hours would prove all too well founded.
An up-close look at the charmed life of a legend, Jim Henson gives the full measure to a man whose joyful genius transcended age, language, geography, and culture—and continues to beguile audiences worldwide.”
I was totally intrigued to hear how the art of puppetry became an interest for Jim.
It was equally as intriguing how he got his start on TV at such a young age while a freshman in college, not only doing sketches in a daytime show marketed at housewives but also doing commercials with his puppets for a coffee company.
TOTALLY surprised me that his target audience was adults…he was big on showing people that the art of puppetry could be entertaining for any age..and also that he had a dark side to his humor (he loved ending sketches with explosions)
What I really enjoyed though was hearing how he came up with and created things that made me think of my own childhood in the 80s…Sesame Street, Fraggle Rock, The Storyteller (anyone remember that show??), All the muppet movies, and The Dark Crystal just to name a few!
The imagination and creativity that man possessed was just endless and tremendous. He was a dedicated hard worker but also believed life should be fun and moments cherished and enjoyed.
He believed in taking care of each other, the planet, basically just doing good for the sake of doing good. People absolutely loved working with him and being around him….although he was far from perfect and could be problematically non confrontational in all relationships and endeavors.
This was a really great listen and remembers well all the things that made Jim Henson the quiet and magical creative genius that he was.
When I heard the description of his memorial service, I about broke down. It was the most beautiful picture to imagine in my head of the most perfect way to say farewell to him.
You should definitely read this book.
There was one final quote towards the end of the book that stuck with me.
Before he died at the age of 53 he had written letters to his children years before that his lawyer had on hand just in case.
These words were his advice at the end of one of the letters:
“Please watch out for each other and love and forgive everybody. It’s a good life, enjoy it.”
Simple yet powerful and strong words.