Two Amazing Bristol Author Events!

If you are anywhere within travelling distance of Bristol, you should really come to these, two astonishingly great American writers! George Saunders (recently named by TIME magazine as one of the world's 100 most influential people, a short story writer) is a bit of a hero of mine, his short stories are indescribably great, they have had a huge impact on my writing, talking about permission. Wacky, dark, wondrous. Come! Read a great interview with George by Ben Johncock here then book your tickets. It's a must.

 

James Salter

Watershed, Bristol

Thu 23 May 2013, 18:10-20:30 (film 18.10-19.00; interview with James Salter 19.30-20.30), £7/ £6

This is a rare opportunity to hear James Salter talk about his latest novel, a sweeping, seductive love story set in post-World War II America that draws together the great themes of Salter’s writing: warfare, love, sex and marriage, and what it means to write. Event includes first UK screening of the documentary A Sport and a Pastime, which traces Salter’s lifelong love affair with France.

Watershed telephone booking: 0117 927 5100

Further details and online booking link: http://www.ideasfestival.co.uk/2013/events/james-salter/

 

George Saunders

Tenth of December

Watershed, Bristol

Thu 30 May 2013, 20.00-21.00, £7/ £6

From the undisputed master of the short story comes a dazzling and disturbing new collection. His most wryly hilarious work to date, Tenth of December illuminates human experience and explores figures lost in a labyrinth of troubling preoccupations, with dark visions of the future riffing against ghosts of the past. Chaired by Nikesh Shukla.

Watershed telephone booking: 0117 927 5100

Further details and booking link: http://www.ideasfestival.co.uk/2013/events/george-saunders/

George Saunders on short stories

I just read a short story by one of my favourite authors, George Saunders -  the sublime The Semplica-Girl Diaries in the New Yorker, and am now reading an interview with George (I hope it's okay to call you George, George!) and I really love what he says about writing:

One thing I always feel in the midst of trying to talk coherently about a story I’ve finished is that, you know, ninety per cent of it was intuitive, done at-speed, for reasons I can’t quite articulate, except in the “A felt better than B” way. All these choices add up, and make the surface of the story, and, of course, the thematics and all that—but I’m not usually thinking about any of that too much, or too overtly. It’s more feeling than thinking—or a combination of the two, with feeling being in charge, and thinking sort of running around behind, making overly literal suggestions, and those feelings being sounded out and exercised and manifested via heavy editing and rewriting (as opposed to, say, planning and deciding). The important part of the writing process, for me, is trying to make choices that push the story in the most interesting direction, by which I mean the direction that causes the story to give off the most light. The story’s goal is to be fascinating and stimulating and irreducible; the writer’s job is to micromanage the text to make this happen.

Isn't that lovely, "the direction that causes the story to give off the most light"! I am going to remember that and read that out to people when I run workshops.  Do go and read the story first, then read the rest of the interview, which gives away a lot of the plot! George has a new collection out very early in 2013 and there are rumours he's coming to do events in the UK. Can't wait!

George Saunders on writing

Yes, I know, this could go on and on... I could quote pithy wisdoms for ever, but George Saunders is one of my favourite writers and I like this! And it seems to be telling me to stop thinking about it:

...we “decide” how to write by doing it over and over, all the while trying to avoid nauseating ourselves—and then we look up afterwards and maybe try to figure out what we’ve done, and what we, therefore, must “believe” about writing.

 Read the rest of the interview over at BOMB magazine's blog.