More on Literary Influences
By Celeste Ng
If you liked Alexander Chee’s essay on studying with Annie Dillard, rejoice. There’s more where that came from. Chee’s piece is part of the just-published anthology Mentors, Muses and Monsters: 30 Writers on the People Who Changed Their Lives, edited by Elizabeth Benedict (Simon & Schuster, Oct. 2009). I love hearing about how writers interact with other writers and what lessons–positive or negative–they gleaned from their teachers, so I can’t wait to read this.
Here are some additional sneak peeks:
- “The Scholars and the Pornographer”: Carolyn See on her father, who turned to writing pornography at the age of 70, in The Rumpus
- Jim Shepard offers “An Appreciation of John Hunt”, also in The Rumpus
- Joyce Carol Oates reflects on her writerly influences in “In the Absence of Mentors/Monsters,” in Narrative
For more, check out the Mentors, Muses and Monsters website, read an excerpt via B&N.com, or pick up a copy of the book.
Washington, DC: Monday, Nov. 9 at 6:30 pm
with Elizabeth Benedict, John Casey, and Maud Casey
Chevy Chase DC Public Library
Cambridge, MA: Friday, Nov. 13, at 6 pm
with Elizabeth Benedict, Jay Cantor, Chris Castellani, Julia Glass, Margot Livesey, and Jim Shepard
Brattle Theatre (tickets required)
Fort Greene, Brooklyn: Monday, Nov. 23 at 7:30 pm
with Elizabeth Benedict, Alexander Chee, Mary Gordon, Martha Southgate, and Lily Tuck
Greenlight Bookstore
NYC: Monday, Dec. 7, at 7pm
with Elizabeth Benedict, Mary Gordon, Sigrid Nunez, and Lily Tuck
Upper East Side Barnes & Noble
This video (from the publisher) features Elizabeth Benedict discussing the book:
With no disrespect intended to anyone else,
is it me or are like 90% of the awesome posts on FWR by Celeste?
Go Celeste. Thanks for all the great lit info!
Yeah, she pretty much rocks.
[...] Elizabeth Benedict, editor of the recent anthology Mentors, Muses, & Monsters, discusses her experience being forced to unplug: Finding this blank book already so full of hope [...]