The Lit Biz
Literature: Dead Again?
. . . Or Maybe Not By Eric Olsen A recent New York Times column by Scott Turow, the attorney, novelist, and head of the Author’s Guild, is titled “The Slow Death of the American Author.” I was tempted to skip it, since pundits of one sort or another have for centuries been going on [...]
Professional Practices: Part 3
Looking Ahead By Eric Olsen In a couple previous posts, I argued that the disaggregation (or disintegration) of the traditional, highly centralized publishing biz that mediates between the writer and reader will lead to the disaggregation (or disintegration) of the traditional, college-based writers’ workshop, the “Iowa model,” as it’s sometimes called. Or these changes in [...]
Professional Practices: Part 2
Conflicting Views By Eric Olsen In my previous post, I talked about the panel discussion I moderated at the AWP meeting in Boston titled “What We Wish We’d Known.” Panelists included four Iowa Writers’ Workshop grads — my classmates Jane Smiley and Doug Unger, and a couple grads from a generation later — Vu Tran [...]
Professional Practices: Part 1
Can Workshops Change with the Times? By Eric Olsen Is the standard model of the writers’ workshop at all relevant any longer? I’m starting to have my doubts. I think the disaggregation (or disintegration if you prefer) of the traditional publishing biz is going to lead inevitably to the disaggregation (or disintegration) of the standard [...]
Eric Olsen on Writing
A Good Question Is a Terrible Thing to Waste By Eric Olsen A while back, writer/book reviewer Diane Prokop conducted an extensive interview with Eric and ran a portion of it on her website. She has since decided to take time off from blogging to complete her first novel. Naturally, we applaud her decision and [...]
What Do New Writers REALLY Need to Know? Part 6
Slouching Toward Tomorrowland By Doug Borsom This is the sixth in a series of posts leading up to the 2013 AWP Conference at which Eric Olsen will moderate a panel on “What We Wish We’d Known.” Please join us in Boston Saturday, March 9, 1:30-2:45 pm, in room 206 of the Hynes Convention Center. When I was at [...]
What Do New Writers REALLY Need to Know? Part 5
On Shark Agents, Writer Candy and Momentum By Jennie Fields This is the fifth in a series of posts leading up to the 2013 AWP Conference at which Eric Olsen will moderate a panel on “What We Wish We’d Known.” Please join us in Boston Saturday, March 9, 1:30-2:45 pm, in room 206 of the Hynes Convention Center, when [...]
What Do New Writers REALLY Need to Know? Part 3
Shelter in Place By Joe Haldeman This is the third in a series of posts leading up to the 2013 AWP Conference at which Eric Olsen will moderate a panel on “What We Wish We’d Known.” Please join us in Boston Saturday, March 9, 2013, 1:30-2:45 pm, in room 206 of the Hynes Convention Center, when novelists Jane [...]
What Do New Writers REALLY Need to Know? Part 2
The Stars and the Moon By Ross Howell This is the second in a series of posts leading up to the 2013 AWP Conference in Boston at which Eric Olsen will moderate a panel on “What We Wish We’d Known” as young writers just starting our careers. Join us March 9, 1:30-2:45 pm, in room [...]
Eric Olsen Interview
Anyone who’s read We Wanted to Be Writers, or visited this site with regularity, knows how much Eric likes to hold forth. Combine that with Diane Prokop’s unconventional questions, and the result’s bound to be entertaining. Highly!
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