Writers at Wharton

Anne Diamond and I went to the Michigan Authors program at the Wharton Center tonight. We were lucky to find each other in the crowd – and to find seats. The Pasant theater was packed full, and they ended up having the overflow crowd sit on the stairs (good thing the fire marshal wasn’t around to see it!).

The program was three authors – Richard Ford, Jim Harrison (who wrote Legends of the Fall), and Thomas McGuane – talking about writing. The moderator started with a question to each of them about dogs and they talked about their dogs and using dogs in their stories. They moved on to talk about literature and writing and what made them become writers and their time at MSU in the 60’s and writing for Hollywood – often funny and completely spellbinding. They quoted favorite authors – Henry James saying “Literature only has to be interesting” and Updike saying “Reading should be the best part of your life.”

They talked about being working writers and how it would be impossible for them to have other jobs – like teaching in academia. McGuane said that when he did teach, he would come home from work and couldn’t write at all. Ford said that writing is all-consuming, which doesn’t make for good relationships or even for being a good human being. They talked about literature being a conversation and the best fiction being 99% journalism (Chekov) and their disappointment in fiction that seems “too made up.”

The program was over much too soon. We saw Becky in the book-signing line on our way out – I can’t wait to talk with her to find out what she thought about the program. Much food for thought.