A Goodreads user
asked
Matthew Pearl:
Hi! Just wondering what you studied in college, and did you always picture yourself to become a writer? I'm going off to college in 2 years, so I guess I'm just wondering what college meant to you and how it impacted you? Thank you so much :)
Matthew Pearl
Thanks for asking, Cecily. I studied literature. But I didn't have any inkling of being a novelist, at least not since I was ten years old and wrote two sentences of a novel about a platypus detective investigating a shark. Studying other writers helps understanding storytelling styles and techniques. I wish I had taken creative writing class to give me experience and confidence, and would recommend that regardless of what you major in or study. You might even be able to find one in your area before going off to college. Happy holidays!
More Answered Questions
Christine
asked
Matthew Pearl:
I am so thrilled that you have written this newest book as I read The Dante Club right after reading The Inferno in college. I had sent you an email and you wrote back the nicest response in return. I printed that response and showed my students, (I teach high school English) and I then created a project in which they had to read a book and write an email to the author. Why did you decide to write a sequel?
Sheila
asked
Matthew Pearl:
Yours are the only books where I have reference books at the ready when I read them. I love to be challenged by your grasp of these literary figures and their environment. I am a librarian and have turned on members of our book club to your books. My son and I spent many nights playing "authors" the card game and he still remembers the names of all of the authors. Do you ever come to the West coast?
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