DN's Author Type List III

[the state i am in]

^ It's an annoying thing about these forums, but the most up to date list is on page 5 here: http://www.typologycentral.com/forums/popular-culture-type/13672-dn-s-author-type-list-iii-5.html and as you can see, Kafka has been changed to INFJ. Ken Kesey too, is now ENFP. Vonnegut is now INFJ. Point noted about William S. Burroughs, I'm still not sure we've got his type down. I have Henry Miller as ENTP. Would that not work? I will add Campbell and Robbins to the ENFPs. DFW is already listed as INFP. Added Eggers. Lester Bangs I have long since thought of as INFP, but does he fit into an author list? I may add him anyway. Added Calvino. Marquez INxP certainly. Maybe I'll put him as INFP for now, really depends how sure you are of your typing of him? Added Kundera although I'm not familiar with him personally I'll take your word for it. Added Barthelme. Still not sure of Nabakov, certainly INTP/INFJ, just INFJ seems to fit better for now. Ironic you ask, Blake as long flitted between the INFP/INFJ categories, although currently INFJ. Ginsberg will add as INFP, I have long thought this but wanted confirmation. Thanks a lot for your extensive insights state!

Didion certainly doesn't look like an ENFP! File:Joan Didion at the Brooklyn Book Festival.jpg - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

i know, that's why i thought she was an infj before i started second guessing. henry miller is 100% enfp. i've never been more certain of anything in my life (something he always says). he's just gushy at times, he's not mentally organized but still scattered and brilliant. an enfp expat reading bergson in paris and wandering the streets of brooklyn to get a hot dog at 3 am. nothing better than going for a walk. marquez is an nf, both him and calvino are tough for me. i think infp until further notice suffices.

what are your thoughts on vonnegut as infj instead of intp? i'm torn, i can see both.

also henry and june is a very interesting book. i'm still not sure if anais nin is infp or isfp. it's a tough call, i find. she definitely understands his gushing inspiration more so than she understands his Ne flights.

 

[Cronkle]

/humbly defers to thestateiam & dynamiteninja:

Are you both sure DFW is INFP? I realize he is clearly very sensitive, but maybe I'm just ignorant in associating his penchant for formulas and mathematical mindset with T. What I'm thinking of here most clearly is his book Everything and More: A Compact History of Infinity. I would think an F would not like how math detracts from human interactions and feelings.

As for Vonnegut, you should read how he excoriates Geraldo Rivera, in his "Autobiographical Collage" Fates Worse Than Death. He is definitely prone to emotional bursts, but his short sentences imply order to me: so xNFJ makes sense. However, what do you base his Introverted function on?

P.S. Still looking for ENFJ authors other than Turgenev, Enid Blyton, & Toni Morrison.

I wish I could read Turgenev in Russian, I doubt the translator too is ENFJ. I have Toni Morrison in a stack to read, though. I put a hold on a Blyton book to analyze her style.

 

[dynamiteninja]

Refers to Cronkle on Vonnegut, state. Changes Miller to ENFP. I really want to be sold on Nabokov being an INTP by the way!

 

[heart]

I still say Blake is INFP all the way. Duality!

Same reason I really think Vidal is INFP as well.

 

[the state i am in]

im as certain on dfw as an infp as i am on kerouac. he's brilliantly creative, uncomfortably perceptive, and downright awkward in most everything else. he makes shit up off the top of his head and you just keep asking for more. the feeling drips off the pages. there's a short story in oblivion (also the story of a man who killed himself explaining why he killed himself which grabs me partly from what happened) about a baby getting scalded by boiling water. it's two pages. there's no plot. just suffering. infp.

vonnegut could be infj or intp based on emotional outbursts. Fe freaking out or inferior Fe can look similar, they just shoot out like lights all the energy that was aimed at them. vonnegut seems like an i to me. solitary, lost in thought, meeting up with a few buddies for a drink in a bar. he's not mingling at the cocktail party. he's at home reading isaac asimov short stories and making jokes about jesus.

extraversion is tougher for authors bc they're always on the go. the great e authors use that to their advantage, discover and document something palpable and present. they float along without getting bogged down in i concentration, slowness, plodding methodical revision, etc.

 

[Cronkle]

extraversion is tougher for authors bc they're always on the go. the great e authors use that to their advantage, discover and document something palpable and present. they float along without getting bogged down in i concentration, slowness, plodding methodical revision, etc.

I think this is why such a large percentage (according to Gifts Differing) of journalists are ENFJ. I think the statistic I read in gifts-differing was a little more than 60% of journalists were ENFJ.

More than half the fun, I think, of being a journalist, is walking around and meeting new people.
It's also extremely good for networking and our penchant for social ascension; however, the simple talking to and learning from them part is more important.

What makes it easier for Extroverts than Introverts is that journalism requires deadlines, and what state just said about the way introverts tend to have revision, slowness, and a plodding nature--well, there's just not enough time for that! Paper runs tomorrow! Let's go people!

I think some famous journalists may be xNxJ: Gay Talese and Tom Wolfe, for example. Both authors are immaculately dressed and orderly (J) and not really concerned with conforming to society (N).

 

[dynamiteninja]

John Updike may possibly be ENFJ, Cronkle, although I have to say I'm currently leaning ENFP. YouTube - Charlie Rose - John Updike

Funny (as in odd) how few ENFJ writers there are compared to the other NFs, although they would be expected to be the smallest category of NF writers.

 

[Cronkle]

John Updike may possibly be ENFJ, Cronkle, although I have to say I'm currently leaning ENFP. YouTube - Charlie Rose - John Updike

Funny (as in odd) how few ENFJ writers there are compared to the other NFs, although they would be expected to be the smallest category of NF writers.

Dammit, spoilers! I didn't know Rabbit died. Oh well, I'll still get around to reading that series one day. What type do you think Charlie Rose is?

What makes you lean ENFP? I think I'm always biased towards making everyone ENFJ ;]

Barack Obama is supposed to be ENFJ. I really liked The Audacity of Hope and I hear Dreams From My Father is a great work of writing, independent of his status as president.

P.S. II What do you attribute the lack of ENFJ writers to? I know expressing myself in "the real world" is more important than on the page. So, I wonder if other ENFJs feel the same way. It seems a lot of introverted writers are not so good at expressing themselves in their day-to-day lives, so writing is something of a refuge and is likely practiced more than ENFJ.

 

[dynamiteninja]

Dammit, spoilers! I didn't know Rabbit died. Oh well, I'll still get around to reading that series one day. What type do you think Charlie Rose is?

What makes you lean ENFP? I think I'm always biased towards making everyone ENFJ ;]

Barack Obama is supposed to be ENFJ. I really liked The Audacity of Hope and I hear Dreams From My Father is a great work of writing, independent of his status as president.

P.S. II What do you attribute the lack of ENFJ writers to? I know expressing myself in "the real world" is more important than on the page. So, I wonder if other ENFJs feel the same way. It seems a lot of introverted writers are not so good at expressing themselves in their day-to-day lives, so writing is something of a refuge and is likely practiced more than ENFJ.

Obama is most likely ENTP, but good news for you, Charlie Rose is an ENFJ.

And yes, the explanation you give is the most likely reason for the dearth of ENFJ writers. Lol. You've obviously thought about these things for yourself, I don't think I can further enlighten you (a good thing).

 

[cascadeco]

Henry James as INFP...hmm...well, maybe that's why while I love his books (am reading one right now, actually!), when reading them I feel like I'm having to concentrate and focus intensely on what he's saying and describing. I 'get it', but it is a workout for my brain. In contrast...reading Dostoyevsky or Maugham or Tolstoy is something that totally flows for me. I don't have to concentrate nearly so hard. Makes sense - Fi as it is unleashed in novel form is quite different from Ni unleashed.

 

[dynamiteninja]

Henry James as INFP...hmm...well, maybe that's why while I love his books (am reading one right now, actually!), when reading them I feel like I'm having to concentrate and focus intensely on what he's saying and describing. I 'get it', but it is a workout for my brain. In contrast...reading Dostoyevsky or Maugham or Tolstoy is something that totally flows for me. I don't have to concentrate nearly so hard. Makes sense - Fi as it is unleashed in novel form is quite different from Ni unleashed.

That's exactly how people should experience books. It's good that you can confirm the types of these authors in this way (although no one has ever disputed the ones in question before).

 

[Polaris]

Here are a few thoughts on some of the authors you listed.

Stephen King--I really don't think he's an INFP. I've watched a few of his interviews, and he seems to have two basic attitudes. The first is serious and almost harsh--not at all Feeling--and the other is a playful friendliness that looks like Fe. These same qualities are reflected in his writing, so I'm going to guess that he's an ?NTP.

JK Rowling--I think she's about as far from an ISFP as it gets. She comes off as extroverted in most interviews, and she has a wild, quirky imagination that strikes me as intuitive. A Sensor would be focused on action and the tangible (which are not really her strong points), not on the nature of the afterlife and the power of love. She's definitely a Feeler: her writing and her life are both very values-driven. I'm not sure whether she's a Judger or a Perceiver. She describes herself as disorganized (as you can see on her website, which is based on a photograph of her desk), and her writing gives me Ne vibes (suggesting she's an ENFP). On the other hand, she plotted seven books many years in advance and stuck to her plans, which points toward Judging.

Orson Scott Card--He's obviously intuitive. I don't think anyone who has read his books would argue with that. His writing (particularly his self-righteous rants) has an Fi quality, in that it's focused on his inner moral convictions instead of something of a more intellectual or outward nature. I'm going to place him as an ?NFP, probably an extravert, given how fond he is of controversy.

Frank Herbert--Based on how his son describes him, I'm going to guess that he was an ENTJ. According to his son, Herbert tended to dominate conversations (E). As far as the J goes, Herbert was very anal about being left to write at his appointed time, and he was prone to manipulate his children through outrageous means (such as hooking them to a fake lie detector that he made).

Dan Simmons--I could see him as an ISTP. His writing seems much more focused on the physical and the active side of things (the last two books in the Hyperion Cantos are especially Se). There is definitely some intuition there, I'll agree, but I think it can be credited to tertiary Ni.

Oscar Wilde--I find it impossible to see him as an ENTP. To me, he comes off as a classic INFJ.

Philip Pullman--I agree. He's definitely an INTJ.

Anne Rice--I also think she's an INFJ.

C. S. Lewis--I could see him as an INFJ.

 

[dynamiteninja]

Here are a few thoughts on some of the authors you listed.

Stephen King--I really don't think he's an INFP. I've watched a few of his interviews, and he seems to have two basic attitudes. The first is serious and almost harsh--not at all Feeling--and the other is a playful friendliness that looks like Fe. These same qualities are reflected in his writing, so I'm going to guess that he's an ?NTP.

JK Rowling--I think she's about as far from an ISFP as it gets. She comes off as extroverted in most interviews, and she has a wild, quirky imagination that strikes me as intuitive. A Sensor would be focused on action and the tangible (which are not really her strong points), not on the nature of the afterlife and the power of love. She's definitely a Feeler: her writing and her life are both very values-driven. I'm not sure whether she's a Judger or a Perceiver. She describes herself as disorganized (as you can see on her website, which is based on a photograph of her desk), and her writing gives me Ne vibes (suggesting she's an ENFP). On the other hand, she plotted seven books many years in advance and stuck to her plans, which points toward Judging.

Orson Scott Card--He's obviously intuitive. I don't think anyone who has read his books would argue with that. His writing (particularly his self-righteous rants) has an Fi quality, in that it's focused on his inner moral convictions instead of something of a more intellectual or outward nature. I'm going to place him as an ?NFP, probably an extravert, given how fond he is of controversy.

Frank Herbert--Based on how his son describes him, I'm going to guess that he was an ENTJ. According to his son, Herbert tended to dominate conversations (E). As far as the J goes, Herbert was very anal about being left to write at his appointed time, and he was prone to manipulate his children through outrageous means (such as hooking them to a fake lie detector that he made).

Dan Simmons--I could see him as an ISTP. His writing seems much more focused on the physical and the active side of things (the last two books in the Hyperion Cantos are especially Se). There is definitely some intuition there, I'll agree, but I think it can be credited to tertiary Ni.

Oscar Wilde--I find it impossible to see him as an ENTP. To me, he comes off as a classic INFJ.

Philip Pullman--I agree. He's definitely an INTJ.

Anne Rice--I also think she's an INFJ.

C. S. Lewis--I could see him as an INFJ.

King: The debate with him is more or less over him being an INTP, or an INFP. You make a good case for INTP, perhaps I shall move him to the undecided category for now.

Rowling: how does JK come across as extroverted in any interviews? And Ps can plan too you know! As for S/N, she sees issues more in black and white, pointing to S.

Scott Card: Certainly N I can agree on. As there are no other suggestions as to his type, under ENFP he goes (at least for now).

Frank Herbert: Clearly NT, and despite having heard suggestions for INTP and INTJ as well as ENTJ, I like your argument. Will add to the list.

Simmons: I'm unfamiliar with him and his work, but I prefer your argument to some of the others. Added.

Wilde seems very much the ENTP to me.

C S Lewis: Most people agree on him being INTJ I think.

 

[Cronkle]

Obama is most likely ENTP, but good news for you, Charlie Rose is an ENFJ.

And yes, the explanation you give is the most likely reason for the dearth of ENFJ writers. Lol. You've obviously thought about these things for yourself, I don't think I can further enlighten you (a good thing).

Why do you say Obama is ENTP and Charlie Rose ENFJ?

 

[dynamiteninja]

Why do you say Obama is ENTP and Charlie Rose ENFJ?

Earlier discussions on the board.


My earlier reasoning on JKR:

An S is more likely to create a complete and fully fledged liveable world like she did. An N would leave more to the imagination. She leaves little for us to surmise ourselves. What isn't known, she knows, she just hasn't written it in a book. It's also less high fantasy that an N would create. It's very grounded in reality. She doesn't introduce any "out there" concepts that an N might into her work. It's all borrowed from elsewhere.

But if she isn't ISFP, then I say ENFP.

 

[Lotr246]

Maya Angelou, an almost archetypal INFP.

 

[dynamiteninja]

Maya Angelou, an almost archetypal INFP.

How?

 

[Lotr246]

How?

There is no how! It is self-evident! No, but reading her autobiography, and her poetry it seems pretty clear. She seems to have, as Keirsey calls, "the ugly duckling complex" as a child. She seemed very dream-like as a child, too. Writes in a very lyrical style. Very sure of her values. Look at interviews. Oh, and in her autobiography, she identifies with Shakespeare. Of course, everyone could, but Shakespeare is a quintessential INFP. What was your hunch?

 

[Polaris]

Rowling: how does JK come across as extroverted in any interviews? And Ps can plan too you know! As for S/N, she sees issues more in black and white, pointing to S.

She's quite talkative and animated in a lot of the public appearances I've seen of her. I also remember watching an interview where she kept playfully interrupting her co-interviewee. And yeah, I agree that a Perceiver can be a meticulous planner, since I'm a Perceiving (albeit weakly so) writer who also plans far in advance. For the S/N part, I don't personally see it that way. To me, seeing things in black and white has much more to do with J/P than N/S (see ENTJs, who are very black-and-white thinkers), although I agree that N/S can be a factor.

But I would be careful about placing too much weight on my assessments, since a lot of them are based on a gut feeling backed up by very scant evidence.

 

[the state i am in]

i agree somewhat. j types have extraverted judging as their first function so the first thing the world sees is the constant sense of yes/no to everything. as they mature they learn to gather more information and reach more complex decisions, perceptions, etc, some sometimes so much that the idea of a decision in general seems like a theoretical gaffe in itself.

i think N vs S is more about the leaps vs the smooth straight sensuous curves of an S. just kind of sinking into metaphor and spinning your tires trying to get out.