'You create - like a sculptor'

 

“I think most serious writers,certainly in the modern period, use their own lives or the lives of peopleclose to them or lives they have heard about as the raw material for theircreativity.” – Chaim Potok

Born in New York City on this date in 1929, Potok’s very first book, TheChosen, ended up on The New York Times’ bestseller list for 39consecutive weeks and sold more than 3.4 million copies. Not a bad firsteffort. Ultimately – up to his death in 2002 – he would write 20 books, many plays and dozens of essays.

 

Raised in a strict Jewish householdand encouraged to read and study only orthodox Jewish writings, he said knew hewanted to take a different writing path after reading Evelyn Waugh'snovel Brideshead Revisited as a teenager.  He said Waugh was lifelong writing hero androle model after that. 

 

Potok produced his first fiction atthe age of 16 and at 17 submitted his first story to The AtlanticMonthly. Although it wasn't published, he received a note from the editorcomplimenting his work and softening “the sting” of rejection.   Less than 10 years later he had his firstbook on the market.   

 

Also an artist, Potok permeated hiswritings with the language of art.  Onecritic called him "The Michaelangelo of the written word."  Hewryly answered that the only time he felt like Michaelangelo was when he wasdoing revisions.   

 

“I think the hardest part of writingis revising,” he said.  “A novelist, like a sculptor, has to createthe piece of marble and then chip away to find the figure in it.”