Archive Record
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Metadata
Title |
Oral History of Cyra McFadden |
Collection |
Oral History |
Scope & Content |
In this oral history, author Cyra McFadden recounts her life in Mill Valley and the creation and reception of her satirical novel The Serial. Born into a rodeo family in Montana, Cyra describes moving out to San Francisco with her young daughter Caroline in the late 1950s and then subsequently over to Mill Valley after marrying her second husband, John McFadden. She recalls how in 1977 she started writing The Serial, which was initially published (serially) in the Pacific Sun newspaper before being brought out in book form by a New York publishing house. Cyra recounts the mixed reception of the novel, which engendered both wild enthusiasm and bitter resentment from some people in the community, and recalls the shock of suddenly becoming a public figure. Reflecting on her writing process, Cyra describes having sought to capture some of the faddishness and pretentiousness of the period - notably, the jargon of the Human Potential Movement - as well as to register the effects of second-wave feminism on family and social life. Finally, looking back at that period of Mill Valley history that she so memorably satirized in The Serial, she notes that for all its folly there was also a remarkable interdependence and social support system in the culture of the community. |
Audio and Transcript |
Click here to hear recording. Click here to read the transcript. |
Dates of Creation |
2016-09-06 |
Interviewee |
McFadden, Cyra |
Interviewer |
Schwartz, Debra |
Extent and Medium |
Transcript: 26pp Recording: 01:14:57 |
Search Terms |
1970s Authors - Marin County Books Cervenak, Tom Feminism Gottlieb, Bob Journalists Maupin, Amistead McFadden, Caroline McFadden, John Mill Valley Mill Valley changes Montgomery, Patricia Mull, Martin MV history - Music and counterculture (1960s and 1970s) Oral history - Visual, performing, literary arts Pacific Sun Rodeos Satires Serial Stanley, Don Taillon, Cy Writers |
Object ID |
2016.099.001 |
Object Name |
Recording |
Copyrights |
Transcript and recording copyright Mill Valley Public Library, 2016. Materials are made available for research purposes only; all rights are reserved to the Mill Valley Public Library. Requests for permission to quote for publication or for any other usage must be obtained from the Library. |