The Pleasure of the Text

Review of Cruddy by Lynda Barry

The Pleasure of the Text — Thu, 26 Jun 2025 19:18:56 -0700

In this episode, we dive headfirst into the raw, surreal, and unforgettable world of Cruddy by Lynda Barry. Part coming-of-age, part fever dream, Barry’s cult classic is a dark, jagged tale told through the scrawled notebook of a teenage girl named Roberta. We unpack its haunting narrative, twisted humour, and graphic novel-style illustrations—exploring how trauma, truth, and storytelling bleed into each other in this unforgettable text.

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A Punishing Breed - An Interview with Author DC Frost

The Pleasure of the Text — Fri, 13 Dec 2024 17:03:08 -0800

For this episode it was our utmost pleasure to interview author DC Frost about her debut novel, A Punishing Breed, published by Red Hen Press.

DC Frost is a second-generation Angelino. For almost twenty years, she has worked as a fundraiser at a small private liberal arts college in the heart of Los Angeles, and before that PBS and Variety. Denise has published several literary fiction short stories in journals including UCLA’s Westword. DC loves and respects Southern California, a melting pot of class and culture that is often misrepresented and misunderstood in popular fiction and media. DC lives in Eagle Rock, California, with her husband, who is an NPR journalist and reporter, and three rescue dogs. DC and her husband have an adult son, a filmmaker, who resides in Los Angeles.

A Punishing Breed - A Synopsis
A Punishing Breed, the first in a series of novels featuring Detective DJ Arias, is a murder mystery that takes place in Los Angeles, the city of angels, freeways, Santa Ana winds, and honeysuckle slithering through chain-link fences and perfuming LA’s dark streets and neighbourhoods. Detective Arias hunts for a murderer on a liberal arts campus that prides itself on its progressive curriculum but is rife with jealousy, racial and sexual tensions, and a hierarchy as real and destructive as a medieval fortress. DJ Arias, good at his job because he sees the worst in people, is challenged by the college community, a neighbourhood recluse, and a young Latino gardener he sent to jail ten years ago for a hit-and-run accident. Through the course of his investigation, Arias will find out no one is who they appear to be. He begins to reclaim his humanity by adopting a dog he names Evidence and finding the clues to a crime born from a dark secret not contained in the past but alive in the present, which will cast destruction and murder on the denizens of the small liberal arts campus.

You can purchase a copy of A Punishing Breed from:
1. Bookshop.org: https://bookshop.org/a/86470/9781939096173
2. https://www.amazon.com.au/Punishing-Breed-DC-Frost/dp/1939096197

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Writing as Translation

The Pleasure of the Text — Mon, 11 Nov 2024 23:15:55 -0800

Here at the Pleasure of the Text, many a time has the topic of translation come up. In this episode we consider the art of translation further, and take a deep dive into the different translations of Albert Camus's, The Outsider.

As always, if you like our videos, please like and subscribe to our channel, The Pleasure of the Text, for more videos: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEp9cZ4HOovyKHeNEDt_BwA

Writing. Re: Solution Update

The Pleasure of the Text — Sun, 08 Sep 2024 01:42:39 -0700

And we are back! At the turn of the new year we sat down with beloved friend and fellow writer Patrick (Writing Solutions) and discussed our writing goals, and solutions, to help us progress forward in 2024.
In this episode, Patrick has returned for a 6-month update on the writing solutions we set out at the start of the year and we went.
This is one of those rare episodes, where the quality of the audio wasn't up to snuff, however the raw and honest sharing of the struggles we all face as writers, and people, was too precious to delete.

As always, if you like our videos, please like and subscribe to our channel, The Pleasure of the Text, for more videos: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEp9cZ4HOovyKHeNEDt_BwA

Review of Stanislaw Lem's Solaris

The Pleasure of the Text — Sat, 10 Aug 2024 04:27:22 -0700

A long time in the coming (and the making); review of Solaris by Stanislaw Lem. Two books and two movies (and more), in this episode at The Pleasure of the Text, we talk about the different translations of Solaris, and compare the two.

As always, if you like our videos, please like and subscribe to our channel, The Pleasure of the Text, for more videos: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEp9cZ4HOovyKHeNEDt_BwA

Book Recommendations - The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly!

The Pleasure of the Text — Tue, 11 Jun 2024 05:48:57 -0700

Another fun episode here at the Pleasure of the Text, where talk about our favourite (and worse) book recommendations.

As always, if you like our videos, please like and subscribe to our channel, The Pleasure of the Text, for more videos: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEp9cZ4HOovyKHeNEDt_BwA

Our Share of Night by Mariana Enriquez

The Pleasure of the Text — Sun, 14 Apr 2024 01:40:30 -0700

"The Darkness is a mouth, and it consumes all."

Our first book review for 2024 is Our Share of Night by Mariana Enriquez, a haunting, thrilling novel full of horror, set in Argentina and spanning the decades of brutal military dictatorship (the Dirty War) and its aftermath.

Translated from the Spanish to the English by Megan McDowell, Mariana loosens the tight prose found in her short stories (The Dangers of Smoking in Bed and Things We Lost in the Fire) into a meandering epic of cursed inheritances, broken families, and the sacrifices a father will make to help his son escape the all consuming Darkness.

We at The Pleasure of the Text loved this book, and gave it 4.5 stars! Let us know what you think in the comments.

As always, if you like our videos, please like and subscribe to our channel, The Pleasure of the Text, for more videos: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEp9cZ4HOovyKHeNEDt_BwA

#ourshareofnight #mariana enriquez

Reading and Writing Solutions for 2024

The Pleasure of the Text — Sat, 02 Mar 2024 14:47:47 -0800

In the first episode of the year, we talk about reading and writing goals, and strategies on how to increase reading and writerly no matter what your current situation is. Enjoy!

As always, if you like our videos, please like and subscribe to our channel, The Pleasure of the Text, for more videos: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEp9cZ4HOovyKHeNEDt_BwA

#writingsolutions #readingsolutions

Review of Yōko Ogawa's Revenge

The Pleasure of the Text — Fri, 22 Dec 2023 21:07:37 -0800

Spoilers Alert!! What an amazing book to end the year on! Each short story in this collection of eleven is a stand alone piece, yet each is more than the sum of its parts, twisting together into a sinister, tangled, spider's web. Beware the carrots that grow in the shape of human hands, splattered tomatoes' on a highway that pop like human heads under car tyres, and a tiger-skinned coat that leaves you chilled to the bone.
Given 5/5 stars by both your hosts this is a book worth reading cover-to-cover, where you end up where you started...

As always, if you like our videos, please like and subscribe to our channel, The Pleasure of the Text, for more videos: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEp9cZ4HOovyKHeNEDt_BwA

#writing #yokoogawa #japanesewriters

Bookends and Oddities

The Pleasure of the Text — Tue, 05 Dec 2023 23:56:48 -0800

Ambling thoughts and meandering words are the ilk of the writer. In this podcast, we explore new and interesting topics happening in the writing and publishing space, including; AI finishing people's work, creating continuations, ownership dilemmas and more. This is a new format we've explored, so comment below if you enjoyed this episode of The Pleasure of the Text.

As always, if you like our videos, please like and subscribe to our channel, The Pleasure of the Text, for more videos: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEp9cZ4HOovyKHeNEDt_BwA

#writing #aiwriting

Review of The Well of Loneliness by Radclyffe Hall

The Pleasure of the Text — Fri, 10 Nov 2023 18:45:20 -0800

Another month, another book review. In this episode, we look at 'The Well of Loneliness' by Radclyffe Hall. Frowned upon, banned under the Obscenity Act in England, and then lost into obscurity, Hall's 'The Well of Loneliness' deserves far more renown than it currently receives. We hope this podcast raises awareness for Hall, and her other works.
FYI: Spoilers alert in this review!

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#bookreview #bookreviews

Writerly Self Suppression

The Pleasure of the Text — Sun, 01 Oct 2023 02:59:32 -0700

Within the realm of self-suppression and writers destroying their own words, Kafka, Nikolai Gogol, James Joyce and Proust always make the lists. But have you ever heard of Rosemary Tonks, Ann Petry, Dante Rossetti, Ottessa Moshfegh or Sylvia Plath destroying their work?
Watch our latest episode to learn more!

As always, if you like our videos, please like and subscribe to our channel, The Pleasure of the Text, for more videos: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEp9cZ4HOovyKHeNEDt_BwA

#selfsuppression #selfdestruction

One Year Anniversary for The Pleasure of The Text!

The Pleasure of the Text — Fri, 15 Sep 2023 18:03:36 -0700

The time has gone with a flash! It feel unbelievable to say that we have been podcasting (and entertaining) our believed audience for one whole year! In this episode we talk about the milestones, the struggles, the lessons and the triumphs. Please enjoy this very special episode from The Pleasure of the Text!

As always, if you like our videos, please like and subscribe to our channel, The Pleasure of the Text, for more videos: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEp9cZ4HOovyKHeNEDt_BwA

#podcasting #recording

Traditional Publishing VS Self Publishing.

The Pleasure of the Text — Sat, 02 Sep 2023 18:18:31 -0700

In this episode, we explore the pros and cons of the different publishing options available to authors. We also look at the journey of publishing for notable authors, such as: Jane Austen; Beatrix Potter; E.L. James; Andy Wier, and more. Please enjoy the latest episode from The Pleasure of the Text.

As always, if you like our videos, please like and subscribe to our channel, The Pleasure of the Text, for more videos: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEp9cZ4HOovyKHeNEDt_BwA

#selfpublishing #publishing

Under the Skin by Michel Faber

The Pleasure of the Text — Thu, 06 Jul 2023 17:49:39 -0700

Another month, another book review. In this episode, we look at 'Under the Skin' by Michel Faber. Most famously known for his book, 'The Crimson Petal and the White', 'Under the Skin' is Michel Faber's debut novel, a wonderful blend of sci-fi, thriller, and literary genius. We loved this book and hope you will too. FYI: Spoilers alert in this review!

Show Notes can be viewed here.

If you like our videos, please like and subscribe to our channel, The Pleasure of the Text, for more videos.

In this episode, we referenced other podcast episodes:
1. Secret Rendezvous by Kōbō Abe
2. A Disappearing Act: Book Bans and What They Mean for Literature
3. 'Women's Work': Forgotten Writers

#bookreview #bookreviews

The Magic of Seeing Anew: Defamiliarization in Writing

The Pleasure of the Text — Sat, 24 Jun 2023 01:10:16 -0700

In this podcast episode, we use the act of translation as a technique/device to develop "The Reticence of Lady Anne" by Saki. This method forces the reader to produce a 'slow reading', to get to the heart of how each word, chosen meticulously, has the ability to change and enhance the work as a whole.

To join in on the exercise, you can download the "The Reticence of Lady Anne" here.

To see how Gareth and I fared in the exercise, you can see our work in progress here.

Show notes can be viewed here.

As always, if you like our videos, please like and subscribe to our channel, The Pleasure of the Text, for more videos.

#creativewriting #defamiliarization

Substantive Feedback - The Creative Writing Process - Starring Shahn

The Pleasure of the Text — Fri, 09 Jun 2023 03:59:04 -0700

We are incredibly grateful and fortunate to have a long-time friend and fellow writer join us for this podcast episode; Shahn. As a dedicated writer, she is continuously developing her craft and finesse in the creative writing process. Shahn has much to share on what happens after one has finished their manuscript, namely, receiving substantive feedback from a trusted creative writing group, to enrich the final manuscript for publication. Shahn is an inspiration to us, carving out the small hours of her day (around a full-time job!) to work on her story; we are beyond excited for its future publication.
Please enjoy!

As always, if you like our videos, please like and subscribe to our channel, The Pleasure of the Text, for more videos: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEp9cZ4HOovyKHeNEDt_BwA

#creativewriting #writingfeedback

Literary Censorship - Part Two

The Pleasure of the Text — Tue, 16 May 2023 21:18:41 -0700

In this episode, we continue our discussion on the impact of literary censorship, sensitivity readers and publishers, as they stand, on the future of fiction.

This is part two of our two-part mini-series on censorship. You can watch Literary Censorship - Part One here: https://youtu.be/Gq7vR7Y4OBc

As always, if you like our videos, please like and subscribe to our channel, The Pleasure of the Text, for more videos: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEp9cZ4HOovyKHeNEDt_BwA

#censorship #bookbans

Literary Censorship - Part One

The Pleasure of the Text — Tue, 02 May 2023 04:10:47 -0700

In this episode, we talk about the impact of literary censorship, sensitivity readers and publishers, as they stand, on the future of fiction.

As always, if you like our videos, please like and subscribe to our channel, The Pleasure of the Text, for more videos: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEp9cZ4HOovyKHeNEDt_BwA

#censorship #bookbans

A Disappearing Act: Book Bans and What They Mean for Literature

The Pleasure of the Text — Sun, 09 Apr 2023 19:39:45 -0700

In this episode, we explore the books that have been banned throughout history (and even now).
Please enjoy the latest episode from The Pleasure of the Text.

As always, if you like our videos, please like and subscribe to our channel, The Pleasure of the Text, for more videos: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEp9cZ4HOovyKHeNEDt_BwA

#censorship #bookbans

One Episode. Two Book Reviews. Honey and Spice, and Book Lovers.

The Pleasure of the Text — Fri, 24 Mar 2023 05:03:08 -0700

Read apart, reviewed together. One Episode, two reviews. A plot twist they didn't see coming...
Wrapping up our month of romance, we review romance novels Honey and Spice by Bolu Babalola, and Book Lovers by Emily Henry.
Please enjoy the latest episode from The Pleasure of the Text.

Bad to Great Sex (Writing)

The Pleasure of the Text — Fri, 17 Mar 2023 03:17:40 -0700

We are back, baby!
In this week's episode, we delve into the topic of sex writing; what makes a good sex scene, how you can win awards for bad sex (writing), and how to practice good sex (writing) techniques. This was an absolute pleasure to record, with innuendos around every corner, so please enjoy this podcast!

If you like our videos, please like and subscribe to our channel, The Pleasure of the Text, for more videos: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEp9cZ4HOovyKHeNEDt_BwA

#romancefiction #erotica #sexwriting

Writing Romance: How to write a first kiss scene and have fun doing it!

The Pleasure of the Text — Fri, 17 Feb 2023 04:16:15 -0800

In this episode, we delve deeper into our creative writing craft and work together to create the first kiss between our protagonists.

WE WANT YOUR INPUT!
Together, Gareth and I have created the scaffold of the first kiss between our main characters, Violet, a TV Producer Intern on the set of Beaue and Belles, and Gabriel, the Florist, who supplied and sets up the flowers for the show. To help us develop this piece, head over and join our Facebook group, and start editing the google doc titled, Beaus and Belles, here, or access the google doc here.

With the final edit, we will be submitting this 1500-word scene to the Romance Writers of Australia competition, First Kiss, closing on the 27th February 2023, here: https://romanceaustralia.com/product/first-kiss-single-entry/

As always, if you like our videos, please like and subscribe to our channel, The Pleasure of the Text, for more videos: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEp9cZ4HOovyKHeNEDt_BwA

Review of A Lover's Discourse: Fragments by Roland Barthes

The Pleasure of the Text — Fri, 10 Feb 2023 03:38:42 -0800

In this week's episode, we delve into the man, the legend, the creator of our podcast's namesake (The Pleasure of the Text), Roland Barthes.

From BC, Jane Austen, and Now: The History and Future of Romance

The Pleasure of the Text — Mon, 30 Jan 2023 20:23:08 -0800

At the Pleasure of the Text, we are theme-ing up the month of February! Whether you loathe or love, well, LOVE, in this episode, we talk about the history of the romance genre, some of its tropes, and where the future of the genre is headed. Enjoy!

Pastoralia by George Saunders

The Pleasure of the Text — Mon, 23 Jan 2023 03:13:33 -0800

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#bookreview #bookreviews

Creative Writing and Feedback

The Pleasure of the Text — Sun, 15 Jan 2023 00:43:15 -0800

In this week's episode is a continuum on last week's podcast, "It was a dark and stormy night...", which can be watched here. In that episode, we discussed auspicious beginnings for 2023 and started the new year strong with the writing prompt: "Wandering through the graveyard, it felt like even the furniture had gone."

We continue to develop our creative writing pieces using the prompt, and, with feedback on each paragraph, we morph fluid ideas into concrete stories. Please enjoy!

If you like our videos, please like and subscribe to our channel, The Pleasure of the Text, for more videos: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEp9cZ4HOovyKHeNEDt_BwA

#writinggoals #creativewriting #writingfeedback

It was a dark and stormy night...

The Pleasure of the Text — Sun, 08 Jan 2023 02:41:57 -0800

The year is 2023 - the year of auspicious beginnings! In this episode, we talk about great beginnings: the first lines of a story, first chapters, and debut novels. Enjoy a wonderful start to 2023!

If you like our videos, please like and subscribe to our channel, The Pleasure of the Text, for more videos: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEp9cZ4HOovyKHeNEDt_BwA

#writinggoals #creativewriting

The Pleasure of the Text - New Year Special!!

The Pleasure of the Text — Sat, 31 Dec 2022 01:33:47 -0800

If you like our videos, please like and subscribe to our channel, The Pleasure of the Text, for more videos: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEp9cZ4HOovyKHeNEDt_BwA

Cursed Bunny by Bora Chung

The Pleasure of the Text — Sat, 24 Dec 2022 00:40:34 -0800

For our fourth book review, we discuss Bora Chung's, Cursed Bunny. For the first time, we had very different opinions on the short stories within this collection... Enjoy, and Merry Holidays!

If you like our videos, please like and subscribe to our channel, The Pleasure of the Text, for more videos: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEp9cZ4HOovyKHeNEDt_BwA

How to use Point of View - 3rd Person

The Pleasure of the Text — Mon, 19 Dec 2022 19:56:36 -0800

In this week's episode, we continue to develop a deeper understanding of how to use 'Point of View (POV)' effectively. Dive in to learn what 3rd-person POV is (Omniscient, Limited, and Objective); examples of when to use them; and then join us in a writing exercise to develop your craft further.

How to use Point of View - 1st and 2nd

The Pleasure of the Text — Fri, 09 Dec 2022 01:53:15 -0800

Show Notes.
This episode continues Episode 15 - Murder in the Dark by Margaret Atwood.

Murder In The Dark
Murder in the Dark is a collection of short fiction by Canadian author Margaret Atwood, published in 1983. The 27 pieces include a variety of styles, including fictionalized autobiography, parables, travel stories, satires and prose poems. These pieces hold together through their themes of loss, menace and terror, and men’s abuse of power.

Margaret Atwood
Reading is a rewarding experience, especially so when the work is Margaret Atwood’s. It’s truly rare to read a piece where you can feel the fun being had by the writer on the other end, and that was apparent all through Murder in the Dark, a collection of Atwood’s short stories, from vignettes, to much longer works. An acclaimed poet, novelist, literary critic, essayist, and teacher, she has now added environmental activist to the title, with the release of her 8-week virtual live course Practical Utopias in February 2022. If it opens again, I wouldn’t think twice about applying for a spot!
Her novel, A Handmaid’s Tale, now on Netflix, frequently ranks as one of the most banned books in the U.S. This is what she had to say on that: “I had thought America was against totalitarianisms. If so, surely it is important for young people to be able to recognize the signs of them. One of those signs is book-banning. Need I say more?” You can follow Margaret Atwood on Instagram (@therealmargaretatwood), Twitter (@MargaretAtwood), Facebook (Margaret Atwood), or her website (http://margaretatwood.ca/). For a great podcast with Margaret Atwood, head to Tim Ferriss’s podcast, Episode #573 (https://tim.blog/2022/02/22/margaret-atwood/).

Murder in the Dark by Margaret Atwood

The Pleasure of the Text — Fri, 02 Dec 2022 14:34:20 -0800

For our third book review, we discuss Margaret Atwood's collection of short stories, Murder in the Dark. Pieces within this collection showcase the mastery Atwood has within the literary space; an absolute pleasure to read and discuss.

'Women's Work': Forgotten Writers

The Pleasure of the Text — Fri, 25 Nov 2022 14:39:00 -0800

Show Notes

Articles Referenced during the Podcast:

Homme de Plume: What I Learned Sending My Novel Out Under a Male Name by Catherine Nicols. (2015). https://jezebel.com/homme-de-plume-what-i-learned-sending-my-novel-out-und-1720637627
VS Naipul find no woman writer his literary match – not even Jane Austen by Amy Fallon. (2011). https://www.theguardian.com/books/2011/jun/02/vs-naipaul-jane-austen-women-writers
12 Women Writers Who Wrote Under Male Pseudonyms by Helen Armitage. (2018). https://theculturetrip.com/north-america/usa/articles/12-female-writers-who-wrote-under-male-pseudonyms/
The often-overlooked Women Behind Male Writers by Noelle Talmon. (2019). https://www.ripleys.com/weird-news/women-behind-male-writers/
Why do so few men read books by women? By MA Sieghart. (2021). https://www.theguardian.com/books/2021/jul/09/why-do-so-few-men-read-books-by-women
Male writers continue to dominate literary criticism, Vida study finds by Hannah Ellis-Peterson. (2015). https://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/apr/07/male-writers-continue-dominate-literary-criticism-vida-study-finds
Scent of a Women’s Ink: Are women writers really inferior? by Francine Prose. (1998). https://harpers.org/archive/1998/06/scent-of-a-womans-ink/

Didn’t end up quoting, by a fascinating read nonetheless; Joanna Scutts on How We Find – and Lose – Women Writers. (2019). https://lithub.com/joanna-scutts-on-how-we-find-and-lose-women-writers/

The Complete Virago Modern Classic Collection (and there are over 717!)

PSA: Announcing a new, collaborative project!
Throughout this episode, it became abundantly clear that the growth and development of literature will remain stunted until we can collate all the overlooked writers into a new Canon, the World Canon. Gareth and I will be developing this list as time goes on, and we would like input on this project. If you are interested, send a message to admin@thepleasureofthetext.com.

Feedback on Writing Examples - Part 1

The Pleasure of the Text — Fri, 18 Nov 2022 19:15:30 -0800

In this podcast, Shannen and Gareth take the work that they developed in the previous week's podcast, Transcribing Music, and give each other feedback. This is an excellent podcast for new writers wanting to start their collaborative journey, giving and receiving feedback on their work. Enjoy!

Transcribing Music - Character Building

The Pleasure of the Text — Fri, 11 Nov 2022 21:56:00 -0800

Show Notes:
Thank you so much to Alex-Production for the music we used in this video:

Wonders by Alex-Productions | https://onsound.eu/ Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US
Food by Alex-Productions | https://onsound.eu/ Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US
Horror by Alex-Productions | https://onsound.eu/ Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US
Soundtrack by Alex-Productions | https://onsound.eu/ Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US

We used this website to create our randomly generated character: https://www.character-generator.org.uk/quick/

Enter scene left, our character, Siddarth Patterson: Siddharth Patterson, 18 years old, is a gentle man from Edinburgh who can only speak when the moon is in Scorpio. He has crazy, orange hair. He comes from a troubled family. He is hiding a terrible secret concerning the future.

The Books That Shape Us

The Pleasure of the Text — Fri, 04 Nov 2022 13:27:18 -0700

In this week's episode, we talk about the books that shaped the way we read and write, from childhood to now. Join us and enjoy as we navigate this trip down memory lane.

Writing Buddies aka "Literary Collaborators"

The Pleasure of the Text — Sat, 29 Oct 2022 01:14:23 -0700

Show Notes

Obviously, no work of art is created in a vacuum – but what are the more noteworthy examples of literature owing its existence to a second author? And does it matter if credit is not given where it's due – or is the aesthetic ideal of the singular vision more important than the occasionally-ugly truth? – Do too many authors spoil the book? By WB Gooderham.

Author Conan Doyle

The late Author Conan Doyle (1859-1930) is a British writer (and physician), notably renowned for his creation of the character Sherlock Holmes, in which he created four novels and fifty-six short stories on the adventures of Dr Watson and Holmes. The Sherlock Holmes stories are milestones in the field of crime fiction. Not as well known, Doyle was a prolific writer, and created other works in the genre of fantasy and science fiction, following Professor Challenger, and comedic pieces about Brigadier Gerard, a Napoleonic soldier. He also produced plays, romances, poetry, non-fiction and historical novels.

Joseph Conrad

Joseph Conrad (1857-1924) wrote stories and novels, many with a nautical setting, that depict trials of the human spirit in the midst of what he saw as an impassive, inscrutable universe. Conrad is considered a literary impressionist by some and an early modernist by others, though his works also contain elements of 19th-century realism. His narrative style and anti-heroic characters, as in Lord Jim, for example, have influenced numerous authors. Writing near the peak of the British Empire, Conrad drew on the national experiences of his native Poland— during nearly all his life, parcelled out among three occupying empires, and on his own experiences in the French and British merchant navies, to create short stories and novels that reflect aspects of a European-dominated world—including imperialism and colonialism—and that profoundly explore the human psyche.

Raymond Carver and Gordon Lish

The late Raymond Carver (1938-1988) was an American short story writer and poet, and contributed to the revitalization of the American short story during the 1980s. Gordon Lish is an American writer, yet as a literary editor, he championed Raymond Carver’s work, and many others, including: Barry Hannah, Amy Hempel, Rick Bass, and Richard Ford. In August 1998, three years after Carol Polsgrove described Lish's heavy editing of Raymond Carver's Neighbors and published a facsimile page showing the editing, The New York Times Magazine published an article by D. T. Max about the extent of Lish's editing of Carver's short stories which was visible in manuscripts held at the Lilly Library. Before his death, Carver had written to Lish: “If I have any standing or reputation or credibility in the world, I owe it to you.”

Harold Bloom

The late Harold Bloom (1930-2019) was an American literary critic and, in 2017, Bloom was described as "probably the most famous literary critic in the English-speaking world." Following the publication of his first book in 1959, Bloom wrote more than 50 books, including over 40 books of literary criticism, several books discussing religion, and a novel. During his lifetime, he edited hundreds of anthologies concerning numerous literary and philosophical figures for the Chelsea House publishing firm.

“Shedding all polemic, Bloom addresses the solitary reader, who, he urges, should read for the purest of all reasons: to discover and augment the self. His ultimate faith in the restorative power of literature resonates on every page of this infinitely rewarding and important book.” This covers a bit of his book, How to Read and Why.

Why Join a Book Club?

To be Continued…

House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski

The Pleasure of the Text — Fri, 21 Oct 2022 00:31:31 -0700

Show Notes.

Poe
Anne Decatur Danielewski, stage name Poe, is a musician who rose to celebrity in the mid to late 1990s, fusing jazz, rock, folk, hip-hop and electronica elements, with intimate lyrical compositions. She has released two albums, the first in 1995, titled Hello, and the second album in 2000, Haunted. This album is inspired by her brother’s debut novel House of Leaves, and by the discovery of a box of tapes left behind by their late father, film director Tad Danielewski. This album contains pieces of both.

Leslie S. Klinger
Leslie S. Klinger is the editor of the three-volume collection of the short stories and novels, The New Annotated Sherlock Holmes. Since the 1960s, the study of the rich fantastic literature of the Victorian writers has been Klinger's consuming passion. He has written dozens of articles on Sherlockiana, published 20 books on Sherlock Holmes, and regularly teaches UCLA extension courses on "Sherlock Holmes and His World" and "Dracula and His World."

Vladimir Nabokov
The late Vladimir Nabokov (1899-1977), was a Russian-American novelist, translator, poet, and entomologist. He wrote his first nine books in Russian between 1926 to 1938 and achieved international acclaim after moving to the US, where he started writing his works in English. Nabokov's 1955 novel Lolita ranked fourth on Modern Library's list of the 100 best 20th-century novels in 2007 and is considered one of the greatest 20th-century works of literature. Nabokov's Pale Fire, published in 1962, was ranked 53rd on the same list. Other works from Nabokov include:

You Should Have Left
You Should Have Left (2020) is an American psychological horror film written and directed by David Koepp, based on the 2017 book of the same name by Daniel Kehlman, starring Kevin Bacon and Amanda Seyfried. In the film, a former banker, his actress wife, and their spirited daughter book a vacation at an isolated modern home in the Welsh countryside where nothing is quite as it seems.

Margaret Atwood
Reading is a rewarding experience, especially so when the work is Margaret Atwood’s. It’s truly rare to read a piece where you can feel the fun being had by the writer on the other end, and that was apparent all through Murder in the Dark, a collection of Atwood’s short stories, from vignettes, to much longer works. If you would like to join us, you can buy the book here and here.

Street Sketching - Character Building

The Pleasure of the Text — Thu, 13 Oct 2022 22:10:05 -0700

This episode is part of a series of creative writing exercises we have put together to help writers develop strong, well-rounded, characters. Listen to our first episode exploring character building, Textual Portraiture, here.

To join us in this exercise, visit our youtube channel, The Pleasure of the Text, and find Street Sketching – Character Building, or head over to our blog post, Street Sketches, to follow along.

Spoilers Alert! “Pseudo-review” of Smile and Caveat

The Pleasure of the Text — Fri, 07 Oct 2022 14:45:48 -0700

Spoilers Alert! “Pseudo-review” of Smile and Caveat

Smile
Official Trailer - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BcDK7lkzzsU

Rose (Sosie Bacon) first learns about the smiling monster that takes over her life when a distraught young woman named Laura Weaver (Caitlin Stasey) is brought to Rose’s hospital in a state of near-hysteria. Laura explains that she’s been seeing an “entity” no one else can see, a creature with a horrible smile that sometimes appears to her in the guise of other people she knows, alive or dead. Then Laura collapses screaming, clearly something over her shoulder that Rose can’t see. As Rose calls for help, Laura stands up calmly smiling, and slits her own throat. - https://www.polygon.com/23374118/smile-ending-meaning-director-interview

Caveat
Official Trailer - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HoOkSYrf8ew

When the slick and calculating Barret (Ben Caplan) offers Isaac (Jonathan French) a five-day job "babysitting" Barret's adult niece Olga (Lila Psyches), who needs "company" at her "isolated" childhood home, Isaac, a drifter suffering from some kind of amnesia and the mental fog that goes with it, is confused. Barret claims to be an old friend, but Isaac has no memory of him. Also, why is this supposed old friend offering him so much money to hang out with a woman clearly too old to need a "babysitter"? Isaac says, baffled, "There's got to be more to it than that." Suddenly, the title card appears, in jagged letters: "CAVEAT." - https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/caveat-movie-review-2021

Defamiliarization
The Russian Formalists’ concept of "Defamiliarization", proposed by Viktor Shklovsk, refers to the literary device whereby language is used in such a way that ordinary and familiar objects are made to look different. It is a process of transformation where language asserts its power to affect our perception. It is that aspect which differentiates between ordinary usage and poetic usage of language, and imparts a uniqueness to a literary work.

Laura Hasn’t Slept
Desperate to rid herself of a recurring nightmare, a young woman seeks the help of her therapist. To read more, head over here.

Tanganika Laughing Epidemic
An interesting article on the Tanganika Laughing Epidemic can be read here.

M.R. James

Montague Rhodes James (1862 –1936) was an English author and medievalist scholar. Though his work as a medievalist and scholar is still highly regarded, he is best remembered for his ghost stories, which some consider among the best in the genre. He redefined the ghost story for the new century by abandoning many of the formal Gothic clichés of his predecessors and using more realistic contemporary settings. However, his protagonists and plots tend to reflect his own antiquarian interests. Accordingly, he is known as the originator of the "antiquarian ghost story"

The short film, Lost Hearts, can be watched here.

Textual Portraiture - Character Building

The Pleasure of the Text — Fri, 30 Sep 2022 00:01:44 -0700

Show Notes:
In our second creative writing segment, we practice our writing craft to develop strong characters. Join us as we look at mugshots from the New South Wales Police Forensic Photography Archive, taken in the early 1900s. The idea for this podcast came from our recent interview with debut author Cheryl Sullivan. If you would like to join in, head over to Mugshots of Sydney in the 1920s at thepleasureofthetext.com.

David Lodge

Professor David Lodge is a graduate and Honorary Fellow of the University College London, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, was Chairman of the Judges for the Booker Prize for Fiction in 1989, and is also an author of numerous works, including The Practice of Writing.

Graham Greene

English writer and journalist, the late Graham Greene (1904-1991), was regarded as one of the leading English novelists of the 20th century. Strangely enough, he developed a reputation as both a ‘serious writer’, working on Catholic novels, and what he called ‘entertainers’ or thrillers. He was shortlisted for the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1966 and 1967; however, in 1966, Nelly Sachs and Shmuel Yosef Agnon co-won, and in 1967, Miguel Ángel Asturias won the final title. He was recruited into MI6 (Military Intelligence, Section 6, or SIS), the foreign intelligence service of the UK, by his sister Elisabeth in 1941, where he met and befriended Kim Philby, a secret Soviet Agent; Greene later wrote the introduction to Philby’s 1968 memoir, My Silent War.

Why Join a Book Club?

The Pleasure of the Text — Mon, 26 Sep 2022 04:40:35 -0700

In this latest podcast, Shannen and Gareth discuss why you should join a book club. This episode is filled with many wonderful gems, including discussions on what a good book club is, a tier system for ranking books that change us, Oprah Winfrey's book club, and excerpts from members from the Vicious Circle, I mean, The Algonquin Table. Enjoy!

Shownotes

J.R.R. Tolkien

The man, the myth, the legend, John Ronald Reuel Tolkien (1892-1973) is best known for his high fantasy works The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. Termed the “father” of modern fantasy literature, Tolkien wrote stories of Middle-earth to read to his children at night, yet he completed much more in his life. Additionally, Tolkien was a philologist, a poet, and an academic, a professor of English Literature at many Universities, including the University of Oxford, until his retirement in 1959. He was a member of the Inklings, an informal literary discussion group, which included his close friend C.S. Lewis. In 1972 he was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II. After his passing, his son published his father’s extensive notes and unpublished manuscripts, gifting us the Silmarillion amongst other works, including works on the invented languages for Middle-earth!

Ursula Le Guin

What could be termed a prolific writer, the late Ursula Le Guin (1929-2018) had a literary career spanning nearly sixty years, producing over a hundred short stories and more than twenty novels, as well as poetry and other works. Her works include speculative fiction, science fiction works set in her Hainish Universe, and the beloved Earthsea fantasy series. The Earthsea series saw her win both the Hugo and Nebula awards for best novel, making her the first woman to do so. But she didn’t stop there; in her lifetime, she received numerous accolades, including eight Hugos, six Nebulas, and twenty-two Locus Awards, and in 2003, Ursula became the second woman honoured as a Grand Master of The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. But wait, there’s more: in 2000, the U.S. Library of Congress named her a Living Legend! There is so much to be impressed by with Ursula, and others agree; she has influenced many other authors, including Salman Rushdie, David Mitchell, Neil Gaiman and Iain Banks.

Stanislaw Lem

Polish writer, Stanislaw Herman Lem (1921-2006), wrote predominately science fiction, but also essays on various subjects, including philosophy, futurology and literary criticism. Lem’s books have been translated into more than 50 languages, selling over 45 million copies, and his science fiction stories are deemed satirical and humorous (though that may have been lost in translation…). His most renowned novel is the 1961 Solaris, with most of his works exploring philosophical themes through speculation on technology, intelligence, human limitations and humanity’s place in the universe. An interesting fact, the Polish Parliament declared 2021 the year of Stanislaw Lem.

Ian Fleming

British writer Ian Lancaster Fleming (1908-1964) is famous for his spy novels featuring the roguish Mr James Bond. A writer at heart, Fleming moved through several jobs which didn’t stick before he started writing. Much of his inspiration came from his work for Britain’s Naval Intelligence Division during World War Two, where Fleming was involved in planning Operation Goldeneye, and in the planning and oversight of two intelligence units, 30 Assault Unit and T-Force. Fleming was a heavy smoker and drinker for most of his life and died in 1964 at the age of 56 of heart disease. Fleming's creation has appeared in film twenty-seven times and has been portrayed by seven actors.

Fyodor Dostoevsky

Numerous literary critics rate him as one of the greatest novelists in all of world literature; the late Fyodor Dostoevsky (1821-1881) was a Russian novelist, short story writer, essayist and journalist. Given the troubled political and social atmosphere of Russia in the 19th century, his works engage with the human condition under such conditions, and explores themes of religion and p...

Secret Rendezvous by Kobo Abe

The Pleasure of the Text — Fri, 09 Sep 2022 00:21:56 -0700

Show Notes and More:

Kōbō Abe

The late Kōbō Abe (安部公房), (1924-1993), was a Japanese writer, playwright, photographer, and inventor. He was the son of a doctor and studied medicine at Tokyo University; however, he never practised, instead giving it up to join a literary group that aimed to apply surrealist techniques to Marxist ideology. Abe has often been compared to Franz Kafka and Alberto Moravia for his surreal, often nightmarish explorations of individuals in contemporary society and his modernist sensibilities. Though he did much work as an avant-garde novelist and playwright, it was not until the publication of The Woman in the Dunes in 1962 that he won widespread international acclaim. In the 1960s, he collaborated with Japanese director Hiroshi Teshigahara in the film adaptations of The Pitfall, Woman in the Dunes, The Face of Another and The Ruined Map. In 1973, he founded an acting studio in Tokyo, where he trained performers and directed plays. He was elected as a Foreign Honorary Member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1977. Other works by Kōbō Abe:

The Ruined Map
The Box Man
Secret Rendevous
The Woman in the Dunes
The Face of Another
The Ark Sakura
The Frontier Within: Essays by Abe Kobo
Three Plays by Kōbō Abe
Kangaroo Notebook

Machi Yamada

In 1945 Machi Yamada and Kōbō Abe married. Machi Abe was a success in her own right. An artist and a stage director, the couple saw successes within their fields in similar time frames. They joined a number of artistic study groups, such as The Night Society and the Japanese Literary School. Machi Abe illustrated Inter Ice Age 4.

Virago Classics

Virago Modern Classics are "dedicated to the celebration of women writers and to the rediscovery and reprinting of their works. Its aim was, and is, to demonstrate the existence of a female tradition in literature and to broaden the sometimes narrow definition of a 'classic', which has often led to the neglect of interesting books." Some of our favourites are:

Mrs Polfrey and the Claremont by Elizabeth Taylor
Frost in May by Antonia White
The Lost Traveller by Antonia White

Editors of Kobo Abe’s work mentioned

Juliet W. Carpenters- An American translator of modern Japanese literature. Born in the American Midwest, she studied Japanese literature at the University of Michigan and the Inter-University Center for Japanese Language Studies in Tokyo. After completing her graduate studies in 1973, she returned to Japan in 1975, where she became involved in translation efforts and teaching. Other works translated by Carpenter:

Japanese Women: Short Stories by Yamamoto Shūgorō
The Hunter by Nonami Asa
Masks by Enchi Fumiko
Shadow Family by Miyabe Miyuki
A Lost Paradise by Watanabe Jun'ichi

E. Dale Saunders (1919-1995) – Was an American scholar of Romance languages and literature, Japanese Buddhism, classical Japanese literature, and East Asian civilization. Saunders obtained an A.B. degree from Western Reserve University in 1941 and an M.A. in Romance Philology from Harvard in 1942. He continued his studies in Japanese after joining the U.S. Naval Reserve, later earning an M.A. from Harvard in 1948 and an Doctorat de l'Université de Paris in 1953. Other works translated by Saunders:

Inter Ice Age 4
The Woman in the Dunes
The Face of Another
The Ruined Map
The Box Man

The Ruined Map, The Box Man, and Secret Rendezvous exist in a Trilogy of sorts:

The Ruined Map [1967]

Mr. Nemuro, a respected salesman, disappeared over half a year ago, but only now does his alluring yet alcoholic wife hire a private eye. The nameless detective has but two clues: a photo and a matchbook. With these, he embarks upon an ever more puzzling pursuit that leads him into the depths of Tokyo’s dangerous underworld, where he begins to lose the boundaries of his own identity. Surreal, fast-paced, and hauntingly dreamlike, Abe’s masterly novel delves into the unknowable mysteries of the human mind.

The Box Man [1973]

In this eerie and evocative masterpiece, the nameless protagonist gives up his identity and the trappings of a normal life to live in a large cardboard box he wears over his head. Wandering the streets of Tokyo and scribbling madly on the interior walls of his box, he describes the world outside as he sees or perhaps imagines it, a tenuous reality that seems to include a mysterious rifleman determined to shoot him, a seductive young nurse, and a doctor who wants to become a box man himself. The Box Man is a marvel of sheer originality and a bizarrely fascinating fable about the very nature of identity.

Secret Rendezvous [1977]

From the moment that an ambulance appears in the middle of the night to take his wife, who protests that she is perfectly healthy, her bewildered husband realizes that things are not as they should be. His covert explorations reveal that the enormous hospital she was taken to is home to a network of constant surveillance, outlandish sex experiments, and an array of very odd and even violent characters. Within a few days, though no closer to finding his wife, the unnamed narrator finds himself appointed the hospital’s chief of security, reporting to a man who thinks he’s a horse. With its nightmarish vision of modern medicine and modern life, Secret Rendezvous is another masterpiece from Japan’s most gifted and original writer of serious fiction.

Raymond Chandler

American-British novelist and screenwriter, the late Raymond Chandler (1888-1959) became a detective fiction writer at the age of 44 after losing his job at an oil company during the Great Depression. In addition to his short stories, Chandler published seven novels during his lifetime, with the majority of those made into motion pictures. His first novel, The Big Sleep, was made into a film, and an anecdote told about Chandler is that when asked about who killed the chauffeur, he didn’t know!

The Big Sleep
Farwell, My Lovely
The High Window
The Lady in the Lake
The Little Sister
The Long Good-Bye
Playback

Yukio Mishima

An incredibly interesting character, and described as one of the most important Japanese authors of the 20th century, the late Yukio Mishima (1925-1970), was a Japanese author, poet, playwright, actor, model, and founder of the Tatenokai, an unarmed civilian militia. In 1968 he was considered for the Nobel Prize in Literature, but in the end, it was awarded to Yasunari Kawabata, his countryman and benefactor. According to the author and translator, Andrew Rankin, Mishima’s work is characterized by "its luxurious vocabulary and decadent metaphors, its fusion of traditional Japanese and modern Western literary styles, and its obsessive assertions of the unity of beauty, eroticism and death." His works include:

Confessions of a Mask
The Temple of the Golden Pavilion
Sun and Steel

Fiji Mermaid...

Is Writer's Block Real?

The Pleasure of the Text — Fri, 02 Sep 2022 02:25:17 -0700

Writer's Block has plagued aspiring writers since the dawn of time. In this episode, Shannen and Gareth discuss whether Writer's Block is real, how to avoid it, and provide techniques to help you write, whether or not you are inspired.

Show Notes:

Authors discussed, their works, and sidenotes.

“A writer is a person for whom writing is more difficult than it is for other people” - Thomas Mann.

Graham Green

Brighton Rock
The End of the Affair
The Quiet American
The Heart of the Matter
The Power and the Glory
The Third Man and Other Stories
Stamboul Train (Orient Express)
Travels with my Aunt
The Ministry of Fear
Our Man in Havana
Graham Greene: Complete Short Stories

Wikipedia

Ah, Wikipedia, where would we be without you? I challenge any curious individual to make the claim (absurd though it may be) that they have not, at anytime in their life, used the wonderful resource that is Wikipedia. Want to know what catabolism is? Wiki it! Want to know what Cacophony is? You get the picture. Quoted from the Wikimedia Foundation’s own website, “your generous donations help us maintain our independence, serve our diverse and global community, and––unlike many other major websites––guarantee that Wikipedia will never have to rely on advertising. In short, your donations help keep free knowledge free.”

Alice W. Flaherty

Author of The Midnight Disease: The Drive to Write, Writer’s Block, and the Creative Brain, Alice Flaherty has many titles; neurologist, researcher, physician and educator, and her interests included the neural basis of creativity. In her work, she argues that specific areas of the brain function for literary creativity, and that blocks (writer’s block) resulted from disrupted brain activity in those areas.

The Midnight Disease: The Drive to Write, Writer's Block, and the Creative Brain

Free Writing

Monday or Tuesday, published in 1921 by the Hogarth Press, is the only collection of short stories published in Virginia Woolf’s lifetime. The collection includes a short story titled ‘Monday or Tuesday’, but the phrase crops up earlier in 1919 in Woolf’s essay ‘Modern Fiction’:

Examine for a moment an ordinary mind on an ordinary day. The mind receives a myriad impressions – trivial, fantastic, evanescent, or engraved with the sharpness of steel. From all sides they come, an incessant shower of innumerable atoms; and as they fall, as they shape themselves into the life of Monday or Tuesday, the accent falls differently from of old; the moment of importance came not here but there; so that, if a writer were a free man and not a slave, if he could write what he chose, not what he must, if he could base his work upon his own feeling and not upon convention, there would be no plot, no comedy, no tragedy, no love interest or catastrophe in the accepted style, and perhaps not a single button sewn on as the Bond Street tailors would have it.

[1] See Hermione Lee, Virginia Woolf (London: Vintage, 1997), p. 376, citing a letter from Virginia Woolf to Ethel Smyth, 16 Oct 1930.

Virginia Woolf

The late Virginia Woolf (1882-1941) is considered one of the most important 20th-century modernist authors, and a pioneer in the use of stream of consciousness (free writing) as a narrative device. Strange for the times, she was encouraged by her father to start writing professionally in 1900. She was a member of the Bloomsbury Group, an artistic and literary group comprising herself, her brothers and their intellectual friends. In 1917 Virginia and her husband, Leonard Woolf, founded the Hogarth Press, which published much of her work.

Mrs Dalloway
To the Lighthouse
A Room of One’s Own
The Waves
Orlando
The Collected Essays of Virginia Woolf

Writing in Cafes

Have you always thought there is more to writing in a café besides coffee and cake? Well, you may be right. Is Noise Always Bad? Exploring the Effects of Ambient Noise on Creative Cognition can be read here.

The OuLiPo Group

The OuLiPo group, founded in 1960, believed in the use of literary constraints to inspire creativity. The writer most famously associated with OuLiPo was Georges Perec (1936-1982).

- Perec wrote a 300-page mystery novel without using the letter 'e' (La Disparition [1979, A Void]). This is known as a lipogram (i.e. a written work in which a particular letter or group of letters is intentionally omitted).

- He also wrote a short story with 'e' as its only vowel ('Les Reventes' [1972, 'The Exeter Text: Jewels, Secrets, Sex')].

Rather than inhibiting him, Perec claimed that such constraints freed and inspired him to the extent that ‘many of his texts almost wrote themselves.’

Oulipo Compendium by Alastair Brotchie

Georges Perec

Perec (1936-1982) is a French novelist, filmmaker, documentalist, essayist, and is a member of the OuLiPo group. Oulipo Group, you ask? Oulipo is short for French: Ouvroir de littérature potentielle; roughly translated: "workshop of potential literature", or an even better description was coined by Raymond Queneau, Oulipo’s founder, who described Oulipians as "rats who construct the labyrinth from which they plan to escape." Oulipo was a group of French writers and mathematicians who sought to use constrained techniques to enhance their creative endeavours. Georges Perec was a notable member, as well as Italo Calvino. Perec wrote the novel La disparition, which did not contain the letter ‘e’ (which is an incredibly common letter in the French language). Just as impressive as Perec’s feat, this novel has been translated into multiple languages, also excluding common letters. It was translated into English by Gilbert Adair under the title A Void, which omitted the use of ‘e’, the Spanish version excludes ‘a’, whilst the Russian version excludes ‘o’.

Life: A User’s Manual
Things: A Story of the Sixties with a Man Asleep
Species of Spaces and Other Pieces
W or the Memory of Childhood
A Void
I Remember
An Attempt at Exhausting a Place in Paris
Brief Not...

What Can You Achieve in 48 Hours?

The Pleasure of the Text — Fri, 26 Aug 2022 02:13:38 -0700

In our very first podcast episode, numero uno, we talk about what can be achieved in 48 hours or a weekend to progress your writing forward. Please enjoy as we discuss the recommended coffee intake, available writing challenges, and the creative practices of other Writers.

Show Notes

"How vain it is to sit down to write when you have not stood up to live." - Henry David Thoreau

Ernest Hemingway

Many works by the late Ernest Hemingway (1899-1961) are considered classics of American literature. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1954, “for the influence that he has exerted on contemporary style” on 20th-century fiction. Some interesting facts on Hemingway: as mentioned in the podcast, Hemingway wrote standing up. He also survived two plane crashes, was an avid hunter and fisherman, and he loved polydactyl cats! If you happen to be staying in Regensburg, Germany, make your way to Hemingway’s (www.hemingways.de), where Shannen wrote some of her novel, Hemingway style, with absinthe. Hemingway’s works include seven novels, six short story collections and two nonfiction works.

The Sun Also Rises
The Old Man and the Sea
A Farewell to Arms
For Whom the Bell Tolls
A Moveable Feast
Winner Take Nothing
The Complete Short Stories of Ernest Hemingway

George Plimpton

Widely known for his sports writing, the late George Plimpton (1927-2003) was an American journalist, writer, editor, actor, and the occasional amateur sportsman. Many of Plimpton’s works involved him competing in professional sporting events, and then recording the experience from the point of view of an amateur. He is also known for establishing the Paris Review, a quarterly literary magazine, founded in 1953, which published works and hosted interviews of some of the greats; Italo Calvino, William Faulkner, Vladimir Nabokov, Ernest Hemingway, Margaret Atwood, Dorothy Parker and Hilary Mantel, to name a few. Plimpton edited The Paris Review until his death in 2003.

Truman Capote: In which various Friends, Enemies, Acquaintances and Detractors Recall His Turbulent Career
Paper Lion
Out of my League
One for the Record: The Inside Story of Hank Aaron’s Chase for the Home Run Record
The Bogey Man: A Month on the PGA Tour
Shadow Box: An Amateur in the Ring
The Paris Review Anthology
As Told at the Explorers Club
The Best of Plimpton

Graham Green

Brighton Rock
The End of the Affair
The Quiet American
The Heart of the Matter
The Power and the Glory
The Third Man and Other Stories
Stamboul Train (Orient Express)
Travels with my Aunt
The Ministry of Fear
Our Man in Havana
Graham Greene: Complete Short Stories

Joan Lindsay

The late Joan Lindsay (1896-1984) was an Australian novelist, playwright, essayist, and artist. Her most celebrated work, Picnic at Hanging Rock, written over a four-week period, is predated by her literary work, Through Darkest Pondelayo (1936), which she wrote under a pseudonym at age forty, then her second novel, Time without Clocks (1962).

Picnic at Hanging Rock
Time without Clocks

Steven King

Described as the “King of Horror”, Steven King has published 64 novels and sold over 350 million copies, dabbling in multiple genres: horror, suspense, crime, supernatural fiction, science-fiction and fantasy. Acceptance of Carrie by publishing house Doubleday, set King’s career in motion. As we discussed on the podcast, and openly mentioned in Stephen King’s memoir and craft book, On Writing, King developed a drinking problem in the early 1970’s, and then later a drug addiction. Yet, since the 1980’s, he has quit all drugs and alcohol, and later acknowledged that he didn’t need substances to engage in the creative process. Notably, King donates roughly $4 million per year “to libraries… schools, and a scattering of organizations that underwrite the arts.” There are too many of King’s books to list, but below is a list of my favourites. Additionally, a new fantasy book, Fairy Tale, is on track for release on the 6th of September. You can engage with Stephen King on Twitter (https://twitter.com/StephenKing), or on his website (www.stephenking.com).

On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft
It
Misery
The Shining
Pet Sematary
Salem’s Lot
The Green Mile
Misery

Michael Crichton

The late Michael Crichton (1942-2008) is most renowned for the Jurassic Park franchise, but, he has produced many other fantastic works, having sold over 200 million copies of his books worldwide, and over a dozen have been adapted into films. For those internally debating their choice of career, take a leaf from Crichton’s book (pun intended). Crichton received an M.D. from Harvard Medical School, but never practised, instead choosing to focus on his writing. Crichton first started writing under the pseudonym “Jeffrey Hudson”, which was a reference to the 17th-century court dwarf and his own height (a towering two meters).

The Terminal Man
The Andromeda Strain
Jurassic Park
The Lost World
Sphere
Timeline
State of Fear
Dragon Teeth

Salman Rushdie

Sir Salman Rushdie’s work combines historical fiction with magical realism, often looking at migration issues, especially between Eastern and Western civilizations. Where to start? Rushdie’s second novel, Midnight’s Children, won the Booker Prize in 1981, and then won the Booker Prize for “the best novel of all winners” twice, both for the 25th and 40th Anniversary of the Booker Prize. If you hadn’t heard already, on 12 August 2022, Rushdie was stabbed on stage in Chautauqua, New York, where he was scheduled to deliver a lecture, More Than Shelter, focusing on “the United States as an asylum for writers and other artists in exile and as a home for freedom of creative expression”. What sparked this event was the publication of Rushdie’s fourth novel, The Satanic Verses. This book has been incredibly controversial: a fatwā was ordered by the Supreme Leader of Iran on the 14th of February 1989; on the 7th of March 1989, the UK and Iran broke diplomatic relations over it, and a failed assassination attempt on Rushdie in August 1989. It has re-spa...