Sunday, August 28, 2005

Humorous goings-on at the Elliot Bay Book Company, where Aimee Bender gave a reading and got insipid questions afterward:

Instead, Bender got the greedy, frantic questions of a crowd full of fans who, in spite of their love for her, asked what people who'd never read Bender could have asked her: How does your writing process begin? Sits at a desk for two hours every day. What's your source of inspiration for sitting there for two hours every day? "It's the law." You really sit there for two hours? Yes. Do you ever write for more than two hours? No. Why not? Makes things easier. How do you know when you're done with a story? Appropriately vague answer. What are you reading right now? Middlesex. Do you write in the morning? Yes. Do you eat breakfast during? Yes, yogurt and grapenuts. Do you set an alarm or does it just happen when you get up? Happens when she gets up. Longhand or laptop? Desktop.

I'll never understand why people persist in believing that the creative process is interesting.