kels fjord

Feb. 9, 2012 at 2:41pm with 13 notes View comments

what we talk about when we talk about, etc.

Last night I went to see Nathan Englander at the NYPL. It’s the third time I’ve gone to one of those reading/conversations (others were Egan & Didion). Each time it’s been in a different room, and each time it’s been like stumbling through a gorgeous labyrinth trying to find it. But then I do, and everything is daffodils. I have yet to be disappointed by one of these events.

Englander said a lot of really interesting things about writing, writers’ block (and how it doesn’t exist), reasons why he doesn’t consider himself a “Jewish writer,” how he doesn’t go into a story aiming at universality, but is glad when/if that’s what emerges. Those kinds of things.

Two sound bites I ‘surreptitiously’ typed into my phone:

“Never talk to another artist because it’s like talking to someone with the same disease.”

and

“They never put book people on the show Hoarders because it looks so nice.”