January 27th, 2009 / 3:30 pm
Author News
Jimmy Chen
Author News
John Updike dies at 76
He was poked fun of by a new generation of agitated ‘post-everything’ writers and critics — but he was a great writer. His “The Early Stories, 1953-1975” exemplified, for me, how writing ought to sound in the ear when being read. I had a good time with him.
Rest in peace John.
Tags: John Updike
wow
wow
what did he die of?
lung cancer
what did he die of?
lung cancer
no one survives lung cancer. this shouldn’t be a surprise?
or did he not let people know he had lung cancer?
no one survives lung cancer. this shouldn’t be a surprise?
or did he not let people know he had lung cancer?
No one survives anything. I always thought he would die one day.
No one survives anything. I always thought he would die one day.
i was sorry to hear about this today, he was one of the writers i read voraciously in high school when i was starting to realize i wanted to write.
i was sorry to hear about this today, he was one of the writers i read voraciously in high school when i was starting to realize i wanted to write.
i think he kept it pretty quiet.
cool and reserved always
cool and reserved always
His story “A&P” got me into writing in college. Read the last line of that story about 100 times:
His face was dark gray and his back stiff, as if he’d just had an injection of iron, and my stomach kind of fell as I felt how hard the world was going to be to me hereafter.
Now after all my time on Zoetrope I can hear the voices – uh “fell” is kind of close to “felt” and you could really show this more and how is a face dark gray and come on how does a stomach fall and like i said before couldn’t you really show that instead of tell it?
FUCK YOU VOICES! FUCK YOU! This last line is greatness and I will read it later tonight in memoriam even though you telling me I should not love it.
I wonder if Nicholson Baker will do a write-up for someone, perhaps the New Yorker?
His story “A&P” got me into writing in college. Read the last line of that story about 100 times:
His face was dark gray and his back stiff, as if he’d just had an injection of iron, and my stomach kind of fell as I felt how hard the world was going to be to me hereafter.
Now after all my time on Zoetrope I can hear the voices – uh “fell” is kind of close to “felt” and you could really show this more and how is a face dark gray and come on how does a stomach fall and like i said before couldn’t you really show that instead of tell it?
FUCK YOU VOICES! FUCK YOU! This last line is greatness and I will read it later tonight in memoriam even though you telling me I should not love it.
I wonder if Nicholson Baker will do a write-up for someone, perhaps the New Yorker?
Ah, yes “feedback”. At some point, enough.
I like some of his short fiction. I liked that line, David. I never got into his novels, but that’s cool. I thought he was a pretty fair reviewer for the new yorker, too.
Ha, PR, re the feedback line. Yes, I do love the “show don’t tell” explanation…particularly when it takes up 25 of the mandated 100-word Zoe review quirement. I love hearing how showing is so much better for the reader.
I never got into Updike’s novels either. I did read the first Rabbit book and thought it pretty good. I read some more of his short stories and always hovered at the library under “U” but never dragged many of his novels home with me (and those I did never got fully read).
I did find sorta funny (at least portions) the N. Baker book about Updike.
My writing prof said he saw Updike give a reading probably 30 years ago. Updike warned the crowd that he stuttered and not to help him if he blocked on a word. That always endeared Updike to me…though I’m not sure if Updike ever wrote about his stutter. I love writing about stuttering and I’m sure one of his 148 books had at least a few characters who did. I should probably googs it and find out.
Ha, PR, re the feedback line. Yes, I do love the “show don’t tell” explanation…particularly when it takes up 25 of the mandated 100-word Zoe review quirement. I love hearing how showing is so much better for the reader.
I never got into Updike’s novels either. I did read the first Rabbit book and thought it pretty good. I read some more of his short stories and always hovered at the library under “U” but never dragged many of his novels home with me (and those I did never got fully read).
I did find sorta funny (at least portions) the N. Baker book about Updike.
My writing prof said he saw Updike give a reading probably 30 years ago. Updike warned the crowd that he stuttered and not to help him if he blocked on a word. That always endeared Updike to me…though I’m not sure if Updike ever wrote about his stutter. I love writing about stuttering and I’m sure one of his 148 books had at least a few characters who did. I should probably googs it and find out.