On the latest episode of Jordan Kisner‘’s Thresholds Podcast on Lit Hub Radio, Ocean Vuong discusses the ideas surrounding language and creation that went into his most recent book, On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous. “So much of our culture is bent on fighting David and Goliath, wrestling the muse,” Vuong says. “We look at creation as a battleground. And I think it’s one of the greatest detriments to creativity is to see ourselves as participants in a war when it should be participants in creation.”
Ocean Vuong on Being a Participant in Creation
Tragicomic
Recommended Reading: Helen Vendler on John Berryman. You could also read Stephen Akey on Berryman’s collection The Dream Songs.
Bytegeist
This week Margaret Atwood tweeted a photo of her and Alice Munro drinking champagne in a “secret lair.” There’s no denying it — technology has changed the way we tell stories. Atwood and 16 other writers, from Victor LaValle to Lee Child, discussed how technology influences their work in The New York Times. “There’s nothing worse for plots than cellphones. Once your characters have one, there’s no reason for them to get lost or stranded,” Rainbow Rowell said.
Living with Books
Sandra Cisneros on Reaching Non-Readers with Her Books
Sandra Cisneros reflects on the enduring legacy of The House on Mango Street and how it was able to reach audiences around the world.
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Emily St. John Mandel on the Cyclical Nature of Pandemics
Our own Emily St. John Mandel on her 2014 novel: "I think the unfortunate reality is that every few years Station Eleven will seem horribly relevant."
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