Writers at Work 09: The Paris Review Interviews Ninth Series

Writers At Work: The Paris Review Interviews #9

by William Styron (Introduction), Harold Bloom (Introduction)

Includes interviews with Mario Vargas Llosa, Samuel Beckett, Tom Wolfe, Maya Angelou, William Kennedy, Doris Lessing, Walker Percy, and others in which they talk about themselves, their work, and their thoughts on the art and craft of writing

Genres: Writing

320 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 1992

About the author

William Styron (1925–2006), born in Newport News, Virginia, was one of the greatest American writers of his generation. Styron published his first book, Lie Down in Darkness, at age twenty-six and went on to write such influential works as the controversial and Pulitzer Prize–winning The Confessions of Nat Turner and the international bestseller Sophie’s Choice.

Reviews

[Kimber]

Really priceless stuff on 20th century writers. I checked this out of the library mainly for a rare interview with P. L. Travers, a writer I admire immensely. And it makes perfect sense indeed that the creator of Mary Poppins is a student of Zen. ( I should'v guessed!)

My favorite quote by her is: "If we're completely honest, not sentimental or nostalgic, we have no idea where childhood ends and maturity begins. It is one unending thread, not a life chopped up into sections out of touch with one another."

She did not see herself as a children's writer--even though children understood her better then grown ups--she wrote as she was inspired to write.

Another interview of interest was on Harold Bloom. I remember he was so famous as a literary critic back in the day, and here he is again harping on how the Color Purple is not literature(who was he arguing with??)...well, I get his point but it is interesting how the role of the literary critic has faded and now everyone's a critic. Everyone has their own take (hence we are here at Goodreads, getting to be our own critics now.) Still we now live in a world where we all get to have our say but standards have gone way, way down and all that seems to matter now are page-turners and whatever sells. ....Kind of sad, but a nice blast from the past to remember the world of the Nineties and how writers were -- a glimpse of the world before the internet changed everything.

[Molebatsi]

Two more in the series to go. In the Ninth I was treated or rather picked Samuel Becket, Doris Lessing, my all-time favourite Maya Angelo, Tom Wolfe, and Mario Vargas Llosa.
Now to Seventh and Women, and I am done with what I have of Writers at Work.