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
On Writing
good advice from Frederick Barthelme
Frederick Barthelme’s The 39 Steps: A Primer on Story Writing, begins: Step one in the great enterprise of a new and preferable you in the… Read More »good advice from Frederick Barthelme
economy
Here is one of the most economical sentence pairings I’ve come across in a while: He couldn’t remember his wife clearly–only the hats she wore.… Read More »economy
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 Criticism & Compulsory Happiness
“I have tried to disregard as much as possible the history of literature. When my students asked me for a bibilography, I told them, ‘A… Read More »Borges on Criticism & Compulsory Happiness
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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