Important authors
I tripped over this post, which made me laugh while also making an important point: A reminder about what really matters
There are two “quizzes” below. Scroll slowly and read carefully to get the full effect. Note: It’s okay if you don’t know all the answers, just keep going.
1. Who are the 3 wealthiest writers in the world?
2. Who are the last 3 winners of the Nobel Prize in Literature?
3. Who are the last 3 winners of the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction?
4. What are 5 of the “Top 10 Best Books” of last year?
5. What’s the latest book on shelves that was signed for a 7-figure deal?
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Okay, how about it? Anybody answer any of those questions, or are they all blank? I bet you can anticipate the second “quiz,” can’t you? Here it is:
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1. Who are your 3 favorite authors?
2. What are the last 3 books that made you laugh or cry?
3. What are the last 3 books that inspired you?
4. Which 5 books do you most frequently recommend?
5. What’s the last book that you stayed up until the wee hours of the night reading?
The author of the post — an author named Kristan Hoffman — is pushing back against the envy that can beset authors when they hear about prizes awards and big advances and so forth. Good for her.
Mind you, I don’t think I could name “my three favorite authors” because … how could I choose three? I honestly prefer questions phrased with more wiggle room, such as “Who are three of your favorite authors?” That way I feel free to pick three authors without necessarily deciding they’re really THE three. Then I can let the answer change depending on who I thought of at the moment the question was asked — Patricia McKillip, but the other two will probably vary.
Instead of “The last three books that made you laugh or cry,” I would prefer, “What’s one book that made you get up and go find the kleenix?” Then I can say, “The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson” without feeling like, I mean, am I forgetting something more recent? I can just name something that knocked me out of my chair, even if I read it a long time ago.
I don’t know what the last three books that inspired me would be, but I can say that I’m listening to The Crystal Cave audiobook, and I just hit the conversation between Merlin and Ambrosius, the one right after Merlin realizes Ambrosius is his father, and I thought, I could have written this. I love this. This is exactly how I would have written it. Now I’m thinking maybe this series might have been more influential for me than I ever realized. The description, the pacing, this fantastic, intense conversation, if I met Mary Stewart today, I would say, “Hey, you know what, thanks for writing the Merlin trilogy; I think it might have been a powerful influence on my writing.
The link, by the way, goes to the Chirp audiobook, because that audiobook is still $1.99 as of the time I wrote this post. It might be higher before this post goes live, because I’m going to schedule it for a few days from the time I’m writing this post.
What was the next question? Oh, what are five books that I frequently recommend. Okay, well, it depends on why I’m recommending the book, though! But The Hands of the Emperor is one, especially if someone wants to see great description. So is All Systems Red, for voice and catchiness.
The last question, well, I’m usually pretty committed to turning off the light between nine and ten. The clear awareness that lack of sleep is the single most reliable trigger for headaches means I stick to an extremely consistent schedule. Therefore, I literally don’t remember the last time I stayed up significantly late. It sure doesn’t happen very often.
How about you all? Any of the five questions, pick one and drop a recommendation in the comments.
Also, DOES anybody remember any of the recent winners of the Pulitzer for Fiction? Or whatever. I have no idea about any of those first five questions, and the linked post is right — I also don’t care. That’s as trivial to me as which football team won whatever game last year.
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