'Always about the most important things'
“Reading is probably what leads mostwriters to writing.” – Richard Ford
A novelist, shortstory writer and award-winning editor, Ford is perhaps best-known for his novelsThe Sportswriter and its sequels, Independence Day (winner of both the Pulitzer Prize and ThePEN/Faulkner Award), The Lay of the Land and Let Me BeFrank with You, also a Pulitzer Prize finalist.
A nativeMississippian born on this date in 1944, Ford also wrote the terrific shortstory collection Rock Springs, which has been widely anthologized. Astory collection mostly set in Montana, it includes some of his most popularstories and cemented his reputation as one of the finest writers of the last 50years.
Ford struggled withdyslexia in his growing up years and didn’t get seriously interested in even readingliterature until his college days at Michigan State. He has stated in interviews that his dyslexiamay, however, have helped him as a reader and writer forcing him to read andwrite at a slow and thoughtful pace.
Like many greatwriters, Ford states the best way to be a great writer is to write about whatyou know best. “Happiness for me,” hesaid, “is getting to write about themost important things I know.”
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