Because ... this is what you do

“I write because I can't imagine not writing.” – Richard Price
Born on this date in 1949, Price's novels explore late-20th century urban America in a gritty, realistic manner that has brought him considerable literary acclaim. Several of his novels, including the best-selling Clockers, are set in a fictional northern New Jersey city called Dempsy.  Praised for its humor, suspense, dialogue, and character development, Clockers was also made into a Spike Lee-directed movie, which got Price going on screenwriting as well.  
Among his top screenwriting efforts (besides that) was his Academy Award-nominated The Color of Money, and an Emmy Award-winning segment of the HBO series The Wire.  Not a writer to get pigeonholed into any particular genre, he also has written feature stories, magazine essays, and radio programs, and taught writing at Columbia, Yale and NYU.
Richard Price[image error]

“I think the definition of an artist is not necessarily tied into excellence or talent; an artist is somebody who, if you took away their freedom to make art, would lose their mind,” he said when asked what makes a writer want to write.  “I write because I write - as anyone in the arts does. You're a painter because you feel you have no choice but to paint. You're a writer because this is what you do.”



Share A Writer’s Moment by clicking on the g+1 link below.