The Art of Subtext: Beyond Plot
by Charles Baxter, Graywolf Press, 2007. I’m currently reading the next-to-last essay, “Creating a Scene.” It’s putting the spotlight on a tendency I, like many writers, have: letting the taboo against “making a scene” in real life show up in fiction, where making a scene is essential.
The Iliad
by Homer, translated [...]
The Art of Subtext: Beyond Plot, by Charles Baxter. Since plot is my weak point, I asked for this book for Christmas, and have been waiting to read it until normal schedules resumed this Monday. I’ve only gotten as far as the introduction, but can’t wait to dive in.
The Illiad, by Homer. My 12-year-old son [...]
13 Ways of Looking at the Novel, by Jane Smiley
This book was a Christmas gift a year or two ago. I’ve picked it up and put it down several times since I received it, mostly because it doesn’t seem to break much new ground. Smiley has some useful things to say, but they’re buried in [...]