“I don't think you could teach someone to be a genius, but you can certainly teach them to not make rookie mistakes and to look at writing the way a writer looks at writing, and not just the way a reader looks at writing. There are a lot of techniques and skills that can be taught that will be helpful to anybody, no matter how gifted they are, and I think writing programs can be very good for people.” PeopleThinkingWayWritingLooksMatterMistakeTeachTaughtReaderGeniusSkillsProgramVery GoodTechniqueHelpfulGiftedRookies Author:Michael Chabon
“From early on there were two things that filled my life - music and storytelling, both of them provoked by my father. He was a jazz pianist and also a very good storyteller, an avid reader. He passed both those interests on to me.” TwoFatherInterestReaderFilledJazzVery GoodStorytellingTwo ThingsStorytellerPianistProvokedAvid Author:Athol Fugard
“We live but for a short time, we see but very little, and we know almost nothing; so, at least, let's do some dreaming. Have yourself a very good Sunday, my dear readers.” KnowsLittlesDreamReaderVery GoodDearSundayShort Time Author:Orhan Pamuk
“There wasn't very much time between wrapping Revolutionary Road and starting The Reader. It was about five and a half months, which, for me, isn't that long. Some actors are very good at just going from one thing to another but I've always been a bit useless at that. The preparation time is important for me.” LongImportantActorsBitsHalfFiveOne ThingMonthsReaderStartingVery GoodPreparationUselessRevolutionaryWrapping Author:Kate Winslet
“Very often, or perhaps more often, and even in very good collections - even in some of the best collections ever written, I would argue - it's because our "voicier" writers hew so closely to one given set of dictional tics that we as readers can't read the books all the way through in a single sitting, because if we did, the stories and their narrators would all start to bleed together.” IfsWayBookStoriesTogetherGivenWrittenReaderSittingVery GoodArguingCollectionsNarratorsTics Author:Roy Kesey
“I think in terms of educating a group of readers, MFA programs are very good. I just think the model of MFA programs in which a young poet goes through the program, publishes a series of books, gets teaching jobs, that's a bit at risk.” ThinkingBookJobsYoungBitsTermRiskGroupsTeachingPoetReaderModelsProgramSeriesVery GoodPublish Author:Edward Hirsch
“People will say you should quit running if you're a slow runner. Or you should quit basketball if you can't dribble with your left hand. I don't agree with that. If you're not a very good reader at 14, nobody thinks you should stop reading.” PeopleIfsThinkingShouldHandsRunningReadingLeftReaderBasketballAgreeVery GoodQuittingRunnersLeft HandDribble Author:Timothy Shriver