The Writer's Desk - Hardcover

Jill Krementz

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0679450149 ISBN 13: 9780679450146

Publisher: Random House, 1996

Synopsis

Intimate, fascinating photos of famous writers at work, by the photographer who has raised author portraiture to an art form. These are rare glimpses into the mysterious, private world of the writer, putting readers closer to their favorite authors than they have ever been before. Introduction by John Updike. 58 photos.

About this title

Review:

A dangerous book--deadly to keep on your desk as Jill Krementz's compelling photos of authors at work will lure you back again and again, leaving your own writing untended. This volume cost me two or three good pages as I peeked in on Eudora Welty and read about her anticipated six o'clock bourbon, glanced at books on Tennessee Williams's shelves and wondered if Veronica Chambers ever gets a stiff neck from writing on her laptop like that. The Writer's Desk is a perfect gift for readers, yes, but if you're a writer, well, you've been warned.

From School Library Journal:

YA. Students of creative writing will find validation in this peek at the work spaces of famous writers and the spare but telling comments about their writing regimes. Writers of fiction and nonfiction, living and dead, mainly from the U.S. and Europe, form an eclectic mix. Some are familiar contemporary figures such a Amy Tan, Stephen King, and Joyce Carol Oates; others are from an older generation and include Archibald MacLeish, Dorothy West, and Ralph Ellison. Krementz has captured the 57 writers at work in evocative black-and-white photos. Each entry includes a short text by the subject describing how he or she creates or created. These routines are enlightening in their rich variety. Some writers follow strict schedules and allow no interruptions; others have no plan, often seemingly wasting time until the creative urge takes over. Every manner of dress (from pajamas to jacket and tie), position (from sitting on top of a desk to reclining with a lap-top in bed), and environment (from a cluttered office to the rustic cabin) is described. Readers' curiosity may well be piqued by these insightful tidbits and result in further research on an unfamiliar author. An introduction by John Updike includes an interesting description of how he uses his three desks as well as an unnecessary elaboration of the book's contents.?Jackie Gropman, Kings Park Library, Burke,
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Random House
• Publication date: 1996
• ISBN 10: 0679450149
• ISBN 13: 9780679450146
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 110