MetaMaus – The Story Behind Spiegelman’s Classic – 2011 radio interview.

Condensed
transcript included. https://www.npr.org/2011/10/05/141085597/spiegelmans-metamaus-
the-secrets-behind-maus

This 30-minute podcast is based on Spiegelman’s new book MetaMaus – a reflection on

the creative process that occurred in the creation and production of his Pulitzer Prize
winning novel, The Complete Maus (the text you are studying). In it, you will hear him
answer questions, expand on ideas, talk about his father and many other things. If you
are interested, you can read more about the making of The Complete Maus by following
links to MetaMaus. You might like to take notes as you listen to the interview to help you
answer the questions below.

Before you listen:

Metafiction is writing (or creating other texts) that detail the process of writing. Many
elements of The Complete Maus are self-reflexive. In other words, Art Spiegelman reflects
on the creation of the text through, documenting his process of creating the story.
Metafiction is fiction about fiction. As the interviewer states: “Maus was the first comic to
bridge the gap between literature, memoir and cartooning.”

Note: using anthropomorphism is the process of giving animals or inanimate objects human
characteristics (or treating them as humans). In Maus we see anthropomorphic mice, cats
and other animals.

Answer the following questions:

1. Why do you think it took Spiegelman so long to write and publish The
Complete Maus (13 years)?
2. What was his reaction to becoming famous through the success of this
book and why do you think he might have felt this way?
3. What does he have to say about the anthropomorphism (mice and cats)
used in the novel? Do you think it is an important factor? Why?
4. At one point he explains that the novel is based on “received memory
from my father that I am interacting with that I am giving visual voice
to.” What does he mean by this?
5. One of the callers asks about The Prisoner on the Hell Planet (pages 102-
105). Why is he so taken by this section of the novel? How does
Spiegelman respond?
6. Towards the end of the interview he speaks about the importance of the
panels on the page. What do his comments tell you about his work?
 7. Another caller admires Maus as a simple narrative. How does
Spiegelman respond to this comment? He disagrees and says he was
insulted by this comment. He doesn’t think of Maus as simple but rather
that he wanted to make the story clear.
8. In the final part of the interview, Spiegelman discusses Maus as a
monument. What type of monument did he intend to create and is this
important?

Final Reflection:

What have you come to appreciate about Maus, Art Spiegelman’s process and metafiction
from listening to this podcast? Write a short reflective paragraph expressing your thoughts
and feelings on this prompt.