August 12th, 2009 / 12:46 pm
 Author Spotlight

Rob McLennan interviews Ken Sparling

sparling-bike

Excellent 12 or 20 question interview with Ken Sparling over at Rob McLennan’s blog, about Sparling’s next book, Lish, editing, process, etc. “I haven’t met many editors who can make themselves essential. The only way to do that is to get carnal with the work you’re editing, fuck with it, cross things out, move things around, maybe even add things in.”

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9 Comments

  1. August 12th, 2009 / 5:11 pm sasha fletcher—

      awesome.

  2. August 12th, 2009 / 1:11 pm sasha fletcher—

      awesome.

  3. August 12th, 2009 / 6:58 pm ryan—

      great interview

  4. August 12th, 2009 / 2:58 pm ryan—

      great interview

  5. August 12th, 2009 / 7:05 pm Gian—

      Hmmm…the Tyrant. What a stupid name for a magazine.

      Thank you, Mr. Sparling.

  6. August 12th, 2009 / 3:05 pm Gian—

      Hmmm…the Tyrant. What a stupid name for a magazine.

      Thank you, Mr. Sparling.

  7. August 12th, 2009 / 8:13 pm Catherine Lacey—

      “The only editor I’ve ever totally loved working with on an ongoingbasis is me. Well, maybe Gordon Lish, but he didn’t have as much time for me as I have for myself! Gordon taught me to be ruthless and percipitous and fast, furious.”

      Ruthlessness is key. I think Lish built his whole reputation on ruthlessness and here, here to ruthlessness.

      Nice post

  8. August 12th, 2009 / 4:13 pm Catherine Lacey—

      “The only editor I’ve ever totally loved working with on an ongoingbasis is me. Well, maybe Gordon Lish, but he didn’t have as much time for me as I have for myself! Gordon taught me to be ruthless and percipitous and fast, furious.”

      Ruthlessness is key. I think Lish built his whole reputation on ruthlessness and here, here to ruthlessness.

      Nice post

  9. August 12th, 2009 / 5:08 pm John Madera—

      Sparling on the “role” of the writer in society:
      “The role of the person is to put themself into the world in everything they do to find out how being out there confluences with the others who are out there. My aim in everything I do in my life is to get way the fuck out there among a few others who are trying to get out there, too, beyond the place most people seem to stop. The role of the writer is no different than the role of any other human being. Get out there in the world and forget yourself as much as you can till one day you step back into self-consciousness and find yourself dead.”

      While I’m not sure that there are any “roles” other than ones imposed, or the ones we unconsciously adopt, or consciously accept or design, I definitely find my thoughts dovetailing with Sparling’s here.

      Excellent rollicking interview!