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Where Did You Contract the Writing ‘Itch’?

By ggelliott

All my life I’ve devoured books insatiably. I wish I had kept a log; the titles number, undoubtedly, in the many thousands. Author names and titles become a blur when one is a true book-hog.

But two names invariably put a shiver over me that ends in goosebumps, even years after first discovering them: John Cheever and Jessica Mitford. Specifically, Cheever’s THE HOUSEBREAKER OF SHADY HILL and THE COUNTRY HUSBAND, and Mitford’s DAUGHTERS AND REBELS.

After reading (‘rolling around in’ might be more accurate) works by both of these authors, my belief in myself as a writer was reinforced for, so far, a lifetime. Cheever and Mitford, for me, embodied inspiration.

An excellent Cheever commentary by Jan Harayda:

“http://oneminutebookreviews.wordpress.com/2007/04/15/ the-stories-of-john-cheever-a-titan-among-past-winners- of-the-pulitzer-prize-for-fiction/“

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This entry was posted on April 12, 2008 at 10:34 pm and is filed under Writing Well. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

2 Responses to “Where Did You Contract the Writing ‘Itch’?”

  1. 1minutebookreviewswordpresscom Says:
    April 13, 2008 at 2:30 am

    Cheever and Jessica Mitford … what great taste! Jessica Mitford’s “The American Way of Death” is great, too, and still one of the best books on its subject.

    A fun literary parlor game is trying to answer the question: Which Mitford sister writes best? Any thoughts on that one? (Nancy Mitford’s “Love in a Cold Climate” is so different from “The American Way of Death,” but so good in its own way.) Thanks so much the link, and hope your blog will be as rewarding for you as One-Minute Book Reviews has been for me.
    Jan

  2. ggelliott Says:
    April 14, 2008 at 3:43 am

    “The American Way of Death” is the first of Jessica Mitford’s works that I read, and afterwards I just wanted to immerse myself in everything she’d ever written. At age 17!

    My thoughts on the Mitford sisters: Nancy’s “Love in a Cold Climate” is very good, but I have to go with Jessica. From the beginning, I’ve felt a deep connection to her.

    Thanks for the encouraging words re: the blog. I didn’t care too much one way or the other about starting one until I stumbled upon yours. But now I’ll always be, I fear, striving to match your quality, and it will take me, most likely, at least the next 99 years!

    So only read mine after you’ve had a glass of wine or something.

    GG

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