On the Difficulty of Editing Well
“I would have written a shorter letter, but I did not have the time.” Blaise Pascal
Ephemera
A Toy and an Amusement
Writing a book is an adventure. To begin with, it is a toy and an amusement; then it becomes a mistress, and then it becomes… Read More »A Toy and an Amusement
Claire Messud on ambition
Here’s a good interview with Claire Messud, author of The Emperor’s Children, on the Kenyon Review blog. So is ambition ever justified? There’s always something… Read More »Claire Messud on ambition
John Gardner on detail
“In addition to watching the rhythm of his scene–the tempo or pace–the writer pays close attention, in constructing the scene, to the relationship, in each… Read More »John Gardner on detail
graham greene on the importance of superficiality
“So much in writing depends on the superficiality of one’s days. One may be preoccupied with shopping and income tax returns and chance conversations, but… Read More »graham greene on the importance of superficiality
selection: the memoirist’s dilemma
“…a detective must find it as important as a novelist to amass his trivial material before picking out the right clue. But how difficult that… Read More »selection: the memoirist’s dilemma
What We Are Doing
What then shall I do this morning? How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives. What we do with this… Read More »What We Are Doing
Borges on enchantment
I have read almost all of Croce, and though I am not always in agreement with him, I am enchanted by him. Enchantment, as Stevenson… Read More »Borges on enchantment
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