'Writing what I wanted to read'

“The great thingabout novels is that you can be as un-shy as you want to be.  I'm very polite inperson. I don't want to talk about startling or upsetting things with people.” – NicholsonBaker

 

Born in New YorkCity in January of 1957, Baker has written nearly two dozen books (both novels andnonfiction) and dozens of essays.   His writings range from poetry and literature to studies about library systems andtime manipulation and he has won numerous writing honors including a National BookCritics Circle Award, the International Hermann Hesse Prize, and a GuggenheimFellowship.

 

Baker studied atboth the Eastman School in Rochester, NY and Haverford College in Philadelphiawhere he began his writing career.  A fervent advocate for libraries’maintaining “physical copies” of books, manuscripts and old newspapers, heestablished the American Newspaper Repository to help insure that they wouldnot be destroyed.  For his ongoing efforts, he won the prestigiousJames Madison Freedom of Information Award.  

                                         

Among Baker’sbest-known works are Double-Fold: Libraries and the Assault on Paper,and Human Smoke: The Beginnings of World War II; The End ofCivilization.  His newest book is 2024’s Finding a Likeness:  How I Got Somewhat Better at Art.

 

He said he likesto write what he enjoys reading.   “(Each time) . . .What I wrote,” he said, “wasexactly what I wanted to read.”