like shaking hands with god: a conversation about writing is a conversation between kurt vonnegut and lee stringer.

in it there's amention of a previously unknown to me mark twain story - an extract from 'captain stormfield’s visit to heaven'. the captain is a great writer (who worked his whole life as a tailor). he is never read (but in heaven he receives his honour).

before he became a writer lee was homeless and crack addicted and using a pencil to clean out the mesh in his crack pipe when he ran out of crack. to kill time (when he'd run out of crack) he began writing with the pencil... five hours later he stopped (but he was hooked). this may be because, as kurt says paraphrasing psychoanalyst edmund bergler, writing allows us to treat our own neuroses, by writing.

vonnegut is attentive to the losses that computers bring - in going out and wandering around and meeting people - this is a loss in experience, this is why he still uses a typewriter (and then annotates it in pencil).

A book I wouldn't have thought to by for myself, I wish there was more to it...they were right when they said you are left wanting more.

I'd read you!

Una breve intervista e una brevre conversazione, un po' poco per pubblicare un libro.
Una stretta di mano che mi ha un po' deluso

I read this book in an hour, and I am not a fast reader. It's two guys talking. One of them happens to be Vonnegut, but, the other guy is not all that interesting, their talk is not particularly interesting, it is only sometimes concerned with writing. All and all, this was a pretty crummy book to have Vonnegut's name on it. Thoroughly disappointed.

I enjoy hearing professionals discussing what they do because, while a few will be obnoxious and pretentious about it, many will be really insightful. This was an interesting book about the process of creating a novel. I only wish it were longer so they could expand on some of their thoughts.

Had a free hour and a half the other day to read this book, and loved listening to Kurt and Lee's discussion on art and on life. It was a good time, and a nice quick read that inspired me to grab my pen.

Absolutely brilliant book about writing and life. Everybody who fancies themselves a writer should give this a good read. Kurt Vonnegut and Lee Stringer are brilliant and hilarious. I never enjoyed a conversation more.

has been on my required Vonnegut reading list for a while, but turned me on to Stringer's work.
Favorite Quote: "Saving myself is going to be a lifetime job, so I don't really know if I can really get to a point where I have the time or wherewithal to save the next guy."
And
"If you have a hell of a lot in your mind, the language will arrive"

Transcripts of talks between the two authors discussing their writing.

Optimal for procrastination. If you are writing or editing or have to do work that you don't want to do, this is a good book to push off that work for just a little bit longer. Pleasant, short, pithy.

Not really any Bombshells in here, there are things to be said for writing as good thing, and a rare acknowledgement that not writing can be just as good because it is painful and hard and difficult and won't make you any money and you will die in obscurity if not lucky. Gut Punch reality check.