The Writing Life Too

Sky is dusted with layers of grays and blues. Lovely and brooding. I’ve been sick most of this week so am writing and working between naps and a bit of self pity. I wanted to call your attention to a couple of stories that I heard on National Public Radio (www.npr.org).

The first is called Why Women Read More Than Men. It describes how Ian McEwan and his son passed out 30 books free at a London park at lunchtime. The story says, “ Nearly all of the takers were women, who were "eager and grateful" for the freebies while the men "frowned in suspicion, or distaste." The inevitable conclusion, wrote McEwan in The Guardian newspaper: "When women stop reading, the novel will be dead."”

Research has shown that women read more than men although theories of why this is true varies and research is ongoing. However, the story continues that a poll conducted recently found that the typical American read only four books last year, and one in four adults read no books at all. The story goes on with more stats: “A National Endowment for the Arts report found that only 57 percent of Americans had read a book in 2002 a four percentage-point drop in a decade. Book sales have been flat in recent years and are expected to stay that way for the foreseeable future.

Among avid readers surveyed by the AP, the typical woman read nine books in a year, compared with only five for men. Women read more than men in all categories except for history and biography. “. I wish they would have called me since I read about 100 books a year and most of my friends read far more than four books

The story also remarks that women read 80 percent of fiction, most book groups are comprised of women, and most literary blogs are written by women. Another exception is the Harry Potter books where 41 of the readers are girls. I wish a pollster would call me since I read about 100 books a year and most of my friends read far more than four book. In fact, wouldn’t it be interesting if writers were polled about their reading habits?

Then yesterday NPR correspondent Lynn Neary interviewed Ann Patchett, author of Bel Canto and other novels including her newest novel, Run. The story began with Patchett saying she can write anywhere, any time, but that her most necessary ingredient is her first reader, author Elizabeth McCracken. The two writers met in 1990 and since then are invaluable components in their writing practice. At one point the story switched to McCracken and she related how when she began reading the manuscript to Bel Canto in a crowded Cambridge bar and she wanted to grab the bartender or tell someone that the manuscript she was reading was going to be a bestseller.

Patchett went on to say that when she writes, Elizabeth’s knowledge and sensibilities are always in her mind. In the beginning of their relationship their critiques were mostly encouraging, but they’ve gotten tougher over the years. I think all writers need a trusted first reader, someone who can be relied on who is knowledgeable and opinionated.