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Conversations with Barry Hannah
Between 1972 and 2001, Barry Hannah (1942–2010) published eight novels and four collections of short stories. A master of short fiction, Hannah is considered by many to be one of the most important writers of modern American literature. His writing is often praised more for its unflinching use of language, rich metaphors, and tragically damaged characters than for plot. “I am doomed to be a lengthy fragmentist,” he once claimed. “In my thoughts, I don't ever come on to plot in a straightforward way.”
Conversations with Barry Hannah collects interviews published between 1980 and 2010. Within them Hannah engages interviewers in discussions on war and violence, masculinity, religious faith, abandoned and unfinished writing projects, the modern South and his time spent away from it, the South's obsession with defeat, the value of teaching writing, and post-Faulknerian literature. Despite his rejection of the label “southern writer,” Hannah's work has often been compared to that of fellow Mississippian William Faulkner, particularly for each author's use of dark humor and the Southern Gothic tradition in their work. Notwithstanding these comparisons, Hannah's voice is distinctly and undeniably his own, a linguistic tour de force.
Conversations with Barry Hannah collects interviews published between 1980 and 2010. Within them Hannah engages interviewers in discussions on war and violence, masculinity, religious faith, abandoned and unfinished writing projects, the modern South and his time spent away from it, the South's obsession with defeat, the value of teaching writing, and post-Faulknerian literature. Despite his rejection of the label “southern writer,” Hannah's work has often been compared to that of fellow Mississippian William Faulkner, particularly for each author's use of dark humor and the Southern Gothic tradition in their work. Notwithstanding these comparisons, Hannah's voice is distinctly and undeniably his own, a linguistic tour de force.
240 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2016
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June 5, 2017
This book is really good on number of levels. From the perspective of someone interested in interviews in general, it gives you a good idea of how much Hannah had to tolerate being asked the same questions over and over. Almost everyone asks the obligatory Mississippi and Faulkner questions and he usually handled those questions with grace and didn't give pat answers. When he's not as gracious is when he's at his best and funniest.
Second, Barry Hannah is just an insight-machine for writing and even life in some respects. His comments on life in suburbia and Oxford are interesting. The insights he gives on his writing-process are great. His mantra of write "a beginning, middle, and end, and thrill me" is classic. I have underlined enough quotes from this book that you could make a small book of proverbs from it.
I'd recommend the book for anyone interesting in writing, especially writing short stories, and for fans of Barry Hannah in general. I will, however, give the warning that parts of the book are tedious due to the aforementioned repetition of some questions asked.
Second, Barry Hannah is just an insight-machine for writing and even life in some respects. His comments on life in suburbia and Oxford are interesting. The insights he gives on his writing-process are great. His mantra of write "a beginning, middle, and end, and thrill me" is classic. I have underlined enough quotes from this book that you could make a small book of proverbs from it.
I'd recommend the book for anyone interesting in writing, especially writing short stories, and for fans of Barry Hannah in general. I will, however, give the warning that parts of the book are tedious due to the aforementioned repetition of some questions asked.
Displaying 1 of 1 review