Grace Paley is one of the few writers whose work I could pick up, with no name or other identification on the cover, and know instantly that it is hers. Paley’s voice is so distinct, so recognizable in its abruptness, its stops and starts, its clever and heartfelt truth laced with humor. Her dialogue, in…Continue reading Grace Paley on Voice – Writers on Writing
Category: writers on writing
My Interview with Elizabeth Strout, & her new book My Name Is Lucy Barton
Elizabeth Strout Interview Following the publication of Olive Kittredge, I sat down with Elizabeth Strout at the JCC in San Francisco to interview her. I found Strout to be kind and very funny, generous with her stories, and a bit shy. She spoke of growing up in the end of a dirt road, and of…Continue reading My Interview with Elizabeth Strout, & her new book My Name Is Lucy Barton
Flaubert on authorial presence (Writers on Writing)
“An author in his book must be like God in the universe, present everywhere and visible nowhere.” Gustave Flaubert
5 Writing Habits You Need to Cultivate Now
Develop these 5 Writing Habits for a More Productive Writing Life Writing advice columns will often tell you to write every day, write a certain number of words a day, keep a journal, or find a writing group. While all of those practices are good, they may not work for you. During my 15 years…Continue reading 5 Writing Habits You Need to Cultivate Now
Haruki Murakami on Kindness and Clarity
Why clear explanations are a matter of kindness, not to mention good storytelling I recently came across Paris Review interview with Haruki Murakami. When asked how he chooses his story line and his voice, Murakami says, I get some images and connect one piece to another. That’s the story line. Then I explain the story…Continue reading Haruki Murakami on Kindness and Clarity