September in Spain
““It’s like playing tennis. If you tried to think too much, you’d hit the ball out. You hit this ball you think is going to be a winner—and it just goes out. If you’re writing a story, it’s the same problem if you start thinking, What does the story mean? Stop that! Get an image. Follow an object. Follow the thing to see where it will take you—or follow the rhythm. But don’t try to wrest meaning from it. If you think too much, you’re fucked.”
Colm Tóibín
Dear Writers,
We‘re writing from the sunny terrace of an elegant, old hotel in S’Agaro, Spain. Downstairs, there are gorgeous, black-and-white photos of Elizabeth Taylor, Ava Gardner, Salvador Dali, Cole Porter and Jack Nicholson laughing, lounging and racing through the lobby and the bar. We’re sipping café con leche and gazing at the Mediterranean through salty cedar trees. It’s a beautiful place to write and rest.
Last week, we were deep in the ten day period between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, also known as the Days of Awe. What has filled you with awe this month? We stand in awe at the fury of Mother Nature and the relentlessness of the pandemic, at the ways nature and disease have upended so many lives. We also stand in awe of our writing community’s eagerness to bear witness to the shattered beauty of our world. The best stories are about characters under siege. Many of us are feeling under siege— and writing about our experiences together. Check out our monthly series, Writers at Work, where we talk to writers about their writing processes and books they love. Our third Q&A with Barbara Trommer is terrific.
Juicy Reads: A special list of essays, stories and books that will keep you happily absorbed and hopefully set you up to write your own great work. For more, check out our Reading Recommendations on our website.
Doris Cheng, Earthling (short stories)
D.T. Max, How Colm Tóibín Burrowed Inside Thomas Mann’s Head (essay)
Maggie Shipstead, Great Circle (novel)
Qian Julie Wang, Beautiful Country (memoir)
Crystal Wilkinson, Perfect Black (poetry)
