Shaddup You
I have no idea what she's like as a person, and I haven't read her books or seen her on TV or such like. Regardless, I somehow just know that a few of you literary highbrows are going to say something about how her work is (enter series of negative adjectives here) or that she's an obnoxious interviewee or whatever opinions you've formed about her. Whatever. For now, let me just make the observation that Ann Patchett...
...is way cuh-yoot.
Even her name is adorable.
Okay, I looked into her a bit more. This story is priceless:
Dave: So you wrote for Seventeen for a while.
Patchett: I'm not exactly sure how that happened. I sold them a short story. Most of what I ended up doing was nonfiction. Seventeen was good for me because they were so cruel. They bought one out of every five articles that I wrote, and they would let everyone in the office, down to the janitorial staff, comment on everything. There would be notes in seven different colors of ink, people writing back saying, "That wasn't the way I felt when I was fourteen. You need to represent my point of view."
They were horrible, the worst organization to work for, but in terms of nonfiction, I lost all my ego. I can write for any magazine now, in any voice. I can do it in two hours, I could do it in my sleep, it's like writing a grocery list. I give them a lot of credit for making me the workhorse I am today.
I did next to nothing for other magazines in those days. I was always nervous, trying to win their approval. Then I got an editor there whom I despised, we had a screaming fight on the phone - you don't know me, but I've screamed maybe three times in my life, I'm just not a screaming kind of person - and I said, "That's it. I'll never darken your door again." At that moment, it was like my whole career broke open and I was suddenly able to do some different things. Being with Seventeen was great, cutting them loose was great.
I also worked for Bridal Guide. That's a big one.
Hmmmm... I recognize myself in this. I don't think being broken until you can write for any magazine is all that much of a plus though. The idea that you need a total asshole as a mentor is such a cliche too. I've learned more from patient but firm-handed editors than any of the, "Well, this just doesn't feel right. Do it again. No, I don't have time to give you more input. Just do it."
...is way cuh-yoot.
Even her name is adorable.
Okay, I looked into her a bit more. This story is priceless:
Dave: So you wrote for Seventeen for a while.
Patchett: I'm not exactly sure how that happened. I sold them a short story. Most of what I ended up doing was nonfiction. Seventeen was good for me because they were so cruel. They bought one out of every five articles that I wrote, and they would let everyone in the office, down to the janitorial staff, comment on everything. There would be notes in seven different colors of ink, people writing back saying, "That wasn't the way I felt when I was fourteen. You need to represent my point of view."
They were horrible, the worst organization to work for, but in terms of nonfiction, I lost all my ego. I can write for any magazine now, in any voice. I can do it in two hours, I could do it in my sleep, it's like writing a grocery list. I give them a lot of credit for making me the workhorse I am today.
I did next to nothing for other magazines in those days. I was always nervous, trying to win their approval. Then I got an editor there whom I despised, we had a screaming fight on the phone - you don't know me, but I've screamed maybe three times in my life, I'm just not a screaming kind of person - and I said, "That's it. I'll never darken your door again." At that moment, it was like my whole career broke open and I was suddenly able to do some different things. Being with Seventeen was great, cutting them loose was great.
I also worked for Bridal Guide. That's a big one.
Hmmmm... I recognize myself in this. I don't think being broken until you can write for any magazine is all that much of a plus though. The idea that you need a total asshole as a mentor is such a cliche too. I've learned more from patient but firm-handed editors than any of the, "Well, this just doesn't feel right. Do it again. No, I don't have time to give you more input. Just do it."