In theory, the author of a great novel is invisible to the reader, letting her stories and characters speak for themselves. In practice, however, it can help for an author to make herself known, as explained by Tim Parks in this essay. Sample quote: “We have the impression that if someone ever did find the full story of his life, we would immediately recognize the person we had in mind.”
Show and Tell
Reader’s Nostalgia
“Why do we spend so much time with stories whose endings we already know?” Derek Thompson writes about nostalgia and culture for The Atlantic, and his piece pairs well with Katy Waldman‘s Slate essay about “thinking that you’re not getting as much from reading as you used to.”
Emerging Writer’s Contest
The Ploughshares Emerging Writer’s Contest ends on May 15th! Check out the guidelines to find out more about how you can be published in the literary journal (and win a nice chunk of change).
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