Author Patrick Somerville:
In the end nothing matters but the work. You can’t control how it’s taken, and the act of telling a story always involves a gap. Sometimes confusion is the risk of ambiguity–I say that to students all the time. It’s true at the fireside and it’s true in the parlor, and it’s true in made-up towns and New York. Two humans face one another, words come out of one, words go into the other mind through the ears and eyes of the listener. It’s a story. It’s simple. The gap is the thing. Make sure you build the bridge.
Somerville's most recent book got a harsh review from the NYT, at least partly because of a mistake in reading by the reviewer. He dealt with it handsomely, winning a correction. I'd say it was the first time an author got the last word, except that it was his character who did the talking: "Thank You For Killing My Book."
No comments:
Post a Comment