“Writers on Writing” on KUCI is an excellent regular program, on which many great writers–Tobias Wolff, for example–have been interviewed at length. There’s a regular podcast to which you can subscribe for free. If you’re interested, check out their schedule:
http://www.kuci.org/schedule.shtml
The interviewers are sharp: they’ve actually read the books and they ask great questions.
Here’s an interview with me (on Jenny and the Jaws of Life) from January 28, 2009. It’s the second half of the interview–you must FF past the music, etc.
Just seconds ago I read the Best of Betty, and seconds after that I read, at random, Bullet to the Brain by Tobias Wolff. It is a coincidence that you mentioned him in this blog, but because I like the vocal formations provoked by the word “irony,” I am going to call it ironic.
It is very ironic.
Also, that is a great interview. You’re right, they are sharp.
This idea just came into my head: You should visit the University of Iowa (where I am sitting now) next time you come out with a book. You could stop by the workshop?
Hello Jincy Willett – I’m in bed with the flu and my laptop. I never write to people that I don’t know because spare time is fleeting and if I had an embarrassing abundance I suppose I’d be more inclined to track down my high school boyfriend to ascertain if the real reason that he broke up with me was because I farted in the limo after the prom, rather than to write a fan letter. But this forced nausea-induced indolence has given me the opportunity to seek out your website, prompted by the fact that I read “Best of Betty” in the Sedaris book and it made me love you. I just ordered “Jenny and the Jaws of Life” and I hope it will arrive in time to enhance my convalescence. And I do have a question:
I’ve heard that short stories aren’t very lucrative for the author. Is this true? If it is, it sure seems to me that something just ain’t right. Short stories are my pick of the litter literary favorite. It is amazing that there are writers, such as yourself, that can create something so satisfying in such a svelte package. To me, a good short story is like a succulent hors d’Oeuvre. I’d rather fill up on the small diverse bites, as they are usually much more interesting than the entree.
At least that’s what I think. But I do have a raging fever and my dogs are starting to look like Dr. Seuss characters, so I may be slightly delusional.
As for my high school boyfriend, the whole “growing apart” excuse had fear of flatulence written all over it.
Best regards,
Christine Gwidt
P.S. I love what you said about the fact that you don’t storyboard your work – That you know the beginning and the end, but that it would blunt your desire to tell the story if you overworked it ahead of time. I’m paraphrasing, but I think that was the gist of it. That seems like an exciting way to attack something that could probably quite often be a painstaking process. It’s only fair that you should have some fun, too.
Dear Boss Blog,
I had the good fortune to pick up _Children Playing Before a Statue of Hercules_ this past weekend and read it yesterday on a Megabus into Chicago. My Union Station pick-up was late, which allowed me to fail at finding your e-mail address (or snail mail box, God save me) for three solid hours.
Here goes in the comment section, then: I really enjoyed “The Best of Betty.” Thank you for it.
All the best from all points north,
-Gordon L.