James Baldwin talks about writing...

I remember seeing this clip years ago.  It was in a documentary film about Baldwin that I checked out of the Salem Public Library, soon after discovering Baldwin's wonderful, complicated novels.  I loved his read-out-loud beautiful prose and difficult characters.  And after watching the documentary, I loved him, too.  Through my most difficult times, it was nice to think of someone whose difficult times made mine pale in comparison, and who replied to them with such strength, humor and spirit.

The Pseudonym

Carmela Ciuraru has a small photo-essay in the Huffington post about writers and their pseudonyms -- and the reasons behind the pseudonyms.  Her tone is a little snarky for my taste, but the mini-biographies are interesting.

Perhaps the first character we invent, as writers, is ourselves.

"EM Lewis" isn't really a nom d'plume -- it's just my initials and last name.  And I didn't decide to use it to hide my gender, or because I am a convicted felon (as one of Ciuraru's writers did).  But I do like having my own alternate self.  Somewhere between me and her and all of my characters lies the real me.

And... that's enough psychoanalysis for now.

Chayefsky's Notes on Network

It's always interesting to me to look inside another writer's process of cracking a story.  Seeing how lost they felt, at certain points, is reassuring.  Seeing how doggedly they pursued their stories is encouraging.  So I liked reading this article in the New York Times about Paddy Chayefsky's notes on "Network" that are preserved in the New York Public Library.  This movie is on my "re-watch soon!" list -- now, more than ever.

Are you mad as hell?