Ask the Author: Barbara Isenberg
Answered Questions (7)
Barbara Isenberg
Sorry. I just saw this. It isn't a fast way, but you should be able to order it from Diesel Books in West Los Angeles or try the Beverly Hills Library. It is probably in many California libraries. If you are still interested in buying it, write me at www.barbaraisenberg.com.
Barbara Isenberg
Inspiration is something you have to make happen. For me, because I usually write articles and books on contract, rather than just to please myself, I often don't have the time to wait for inspiration. But I often get ideas and phrases when I'm doing something else, not writing. I always have a pen and paper in my purse and by the bed at night.
Barbara Isenberg
I'm writing the first talk I will give around the country about my new book, “Tradition!: The Highly Improbable, Ultimately Triumphant Broadway-to-Hollywood Story of Fiddler on the Roof, The World’s Most Beloved Musical,” which will be published by St. Martin's Press in a few weeks. Talks are a different kind of writing, and I always find them challenging.
Barbara Isenberg
It is a good idea to try and write a little every day. It also helps to write at about the same time each day. When I was just starting out as a writer, I took a class with Ray Bradbury, and he encouraged us all to do that. I still remember him saying, "If you're a poet, try and write a poem every day. It's difficult to write 365 bad poems!." I remember rushing up to him afterwards and having him write the word, "write!" on the front page of the book we were reading in class.
Barbara Isenberg
Writing is a wonderful way to express yourself in a creative way. I feel very lucky that I have been able to support myself as a writer my entire adult life.
Barbara Isenberg
Usually I go for a walk and try to think about something else. The most difficult times are writing newspaper or magazine articles when there are short deadlines. So I go for a shorter walk!
Barbara Isenberg
I wrote a long article about Fiddler on the Roof in December, 2001, for the Los Angeles Times. It was wonderful then to write about Fiddler, a groundbreaking musical with historic roots and amusing, articulate people to relate that history. Several years later, I remembered how much I’d enjoyed their stories, and, I thought, “That’s my next book.” And that's exactly what it became! In just a few weeks, St. Martin's Press will publish "Tradition!: The Highly Improbable, Ultimately Triumphant Broadway-to-Hollywood Story of Fiddler on the Roof, The World’s Most Beloved Musical.” Publication is timed to celebrate on Sept. 22, 2014 the 50th anniversary of the iconic musical's Broadway debut.
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