Tuesday, April 10, 2007

Whatever Happened To?

Do you have a favorite writer you know is still alive and yet stopped writing at an early age? Beside from Salinger, of course. I'm thinking of a literary writer here, Jayne Anne Phillips who wrote Machine Dreams, Black Tickets and Shelter and then seemed to disappear. Does it get too much after a while? The grind of doing readings, worrying about sales, satisfying an agent, an editor, a publisher? The actual writing itself. Do you have a favorite writer who dropped out of sight?

4 comments:

Steve Allan said...

Vonnegut.

pattinase (abbott) said...

In his case, it might be age. And I did see he did a collection of essays not too long ago. He's in his eighties, I think.

Steve Allan said...

Yeah, but a collection of essays isn't a novel. However, I saw him give a lecture once and it was like watching one of his books come alive - like a one-man show. Supposedly, he may be working on a novel right now, but that might only be a rumor. His last novel, Timequake, was OK, but not the best.

Maria said...

Wow, timing re: Vonnegut. *shivers*