This idea
came to me during a conversation with my husband this morning on our way to
work. And then I started to think about some of my favorite books and their authors. Who would I like to have a really interesting conversation with, and
would that necessarily be the result if it was possible? Some of the writers
who came to mind (both living and deceased), in no particular order, are as
follows: Thomas Hardy, Henry James, John Le Carre, John Steinbeck, Ray
Bradbury, Stanislaw Lem, Charles Dickens, Francois Mauriac, CS Lewis, Jean
Rhys, Milan Kundera, George Eliot, Rollo May, Charlotte Bronte, Emily Bronte,
Henry David Thoreau, Michael Crichton, and Dorothy Sayers. These are just a few
of many; but I think these particular writers had a remarkable influence on me
at different times in my life. I’ve read at least one book by each of these
authors; in many cases, three or more.
I wonder how
it would be to interview them; I certainly have many questions I’d love to ask
them. Questions about how they write; the process of writing--do they sit and
write each day? Where do they get their inspiration from? When did they know
that they had this talent, this ability to put words on paper that ended up
being a book, and when did they decide to reveal that talent to the world? I
would ask them how it felt to finish their books; especially the first one. How
did it feel to read a review of their first book? How did it feel to earn a
living by writing, and was/is it possible? Or do you always need to have a
backup job in case the writing doesn’t provide a comfortable-enough living? Do
they associate with other writers? Do they share their writings with others
during the process, or do they wait until the book is finished before they show
it to someone else? Are they ever nervous about how their books will be
received? How long did it take to write their individual books? Do they
re-write and edit constantly? Do they believe in a collective unconscious—a
collection of the archetypical personal experiences of many individuals that can
be shared with all those who wish to learn from them or utilize them for their
creative works? I will include some of these authors’ books in a future post—the
ones I call my favorites.
