RARA-AVIS: day jobs and grad school

From: Carrie Pruett ( pruettc@hotmail.com)
Date: 28 Nov 2001


MrT quotes this from KC Constantine:

>The same person who asked if reading was important asked
>me if writers need to be of this world or remote from it. I
>believe writers absolutely, definitely, positively need to
>be of the world. If you doubt that, just try reading the
>stuff that comes out of all those graduate writing
>programs.
<snip>
>What I'm
>trying to say is, what the fuck do you write about if you
>don't move around in the commercial and political world?
>How long can you keep writing about having your first sex
>or observing your first death or how your Uncle Buck's
>drinking spoiled your family holidays? Or God help us all,
>how many stories can you write about the politics in the
>English Department?"

Though I think this is hilarious - and in many cases all too true - I think it's more complicated than the quote implies. I mean, there are plenty of perfectly respectable day jobs that don't get you out in the "commercial and political world." We don't particularly need more novels about cubicle politics at Microsoft any more than we do about intrigues in the English department (I mean, Dilbert is great, but how much Dilbert can you take?) On the other hand, a writer who can afford to quit the dull day presumably has the time and funds to travel, explore and experience things that wouldn't be available to them otherwise.

Carrie

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