Percival Everette's Book Reading

Well I just got back from the book reading by Percival Everett a few hours ago. Honestly, it wasn’t as bad as I’d thought it would be. I mean when you say the words ‘book reading’ together, it usually doesn’t entitle anything fun. But it was interesting.

What I liked about it was, number one, he wrote fiction, and number two, the novel he read parts of was non-linear and total brainstorming. It was interesting to hear how someone else freely thinks and writes instead of being subjected to a boring account of some historical event (not that history is bad, but it can be made really boring). It was definitely different.

For example, he dropped the f-bomb repeatedly in one of his segments. The most memorable quote was the opening: “I come from a nation of stupid fucks.” Now that’s a keeper.

I liked the readings, but the part I liked best was actually the Q & A at the end. I’ve never heard an author answer questions like that, so getting insight as to how their mind works or what they think was cool. I got a lot of good quotes from that like, they way a writer writes is the way he understands the world. Or to write you need to stop thinking and play. Or writing is a way admitting you don’t know anything (or something like that. I didn’t get it word for word). Just listening to those words really causes me to think. I mean, to write you need to stop thinking and play? Or writing is admitting you don’t know anything? That’s pretty deep.

I think what he was trying to say was to just let your heart or your feelings do the writing. Experiment or ‘play’ with words and ideas and don’t get too caught up with ‘Does it make sense?’ or ‘Is that correct?’. Your fiction story would probably be a lot better.

As for the other quote, “Writing is admitting you don’t know anything”, I haven’t come up with a good translation for that one! I’ll think about it more, and if it’s another free blog week I’ll expand on it.

See you guys in class tomorrow!