The Writer’s Life

AMBITION. FAME. SEX. Envy. Gossip. Money. Death. They’re all here, in this dazzling book of quotations—many of them previously unpublished—from the diaries, journals, and notebooks of the world’s greatest writers. Arranged chronologically, from the fervent declarations of youth to the serene reflections of old age, The Writer’s Life spans twenty-three countries and four centuries to observe the entire spectrum of the human condition, with particular attention paid to the joys and agonies of literary endeavor. Eloquent, candid, brimming with passion, insight, and wit, the result is an invaluable resource for any writer—or for anyone seeking expert instruction in the art of being human. THE WRITERS INCLUDED: SHERWOOD ANDERSON - ISAAC BABEL - ROY BLOUNT JR. RAYMOND CARVER - ANNIE DILLARD - ATHOL FUGARD GAIL GODWIN - DONALD HALL - JIM HARRISON CHRISTOPHER ISHERWOOD - HENRY JAMES - CAROLYN KIZER PHILIP LEVINE - THOMAS MANN - LORRIE MOORE JOYCE CAROL OATES - BEATRIX POTTER - JAMES SALTER LEO TOLSTOY - WILLIAM TREVOR - C. K. WILLIAMS and a great many more