I really like this interview for a few reasons. One, Mary is representing Michigan. Two, she isn't afraid to say that she wasn't a very good writer in school and a certain professor didn't think she was even good enough to give her a recommendation, and also, because she admits that just because she doesn't like something doesn't mean it isn't good. Certainly a refreshing attitude coming from the world of MFA's, overly saturated with ego. Here's a bit from the interview.
There are so many students who want to write. As a teacher, do you ever believe in telling any of them, “Maybe you should try something else, this isn’t for you”?
No, I’ve never said that because I don’t think I know that. As a teacher, you just don’t know enough, especially if you are only with them for a semester. Someone can write twenty bad stories and then they write a good one; people can potentially develop very fast when they’re young. On top of that, my idea of what’s good or not may be irrelevant—a lot gets published that I don’t like at all.
Read the interview in full: http://fictionwritersreview.com/interviews/woman-to-woman-an-interview-with-mary-gaitskill
1 comment:
Love this! thanks for pointing it out.
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