The Writer Says

Book excerpt: The seventh in our popular Words of Wisdom series, The Writer Says summons readers to an intimate gathering of novelists, essayists, grammarians, academics, and journalists—a glittering cocktail party, where the guests may be self-identified introverts (like Patti Smith, who writes "to set herself apart cocooned, rapt in solitude") but share their sparkling insights in this volume. Among the celebrated international guest list: Henry James and Mark Twain, squaring off about modifiers (James: pro and Twain: con); Charles Bukowski and Beverly Cleary, at odds about revision; Zadie Smith and Chinua Achebe, discussing the moral responsibilities of a writer; and Jonathan Ames and Jackie Collins, united in their desire to give readers pleasure. The Writer Says reveals the formative experiences, processes, preferences, and work habits of our most beloved writers, and will inspire readers, writers, and closet scribblers alike to follow Rick Bass's dictum: "Write every day. Don't ever stop."