Farrar, Straus and Giroux have published a new book by Lydia Davis –
can't and won't
Typographic dust jacket by Charlotte Strick.
Writing
Life is too serious for me to go on writing. Life used to be easier, and often pleasant, and then writing was pleasant, though it also seemed serious. Now life is not easy, it has gotten very serious, and by comparison, writing seems a little silly. Writing is often not about real things, and then, when it is about real things, it is often at the same time taking the place of some real things. Writing is too often about people who can't manage. Now I have become one of those people. I am one of those people. What I should do, instead of writing about people who can't manage, is just quit writing and learn to manage. And pay more attention to life itself. The only way I will get smarter is by not writing anymore. There are other things I should be doing instead.
Author photo by Theo Cote |