Big Issues In a Small Way
Esquire.com publishes Last Line Articles, which features discussion topics chosen by a different author each week. This week, Chimamanda Adichie, author of One Story’s issue #27, Transition to Glory, discusses how she writes her stories.
“Big things” like race inspire me, but I am interested in writing about them in the smallest, most oblique way. I’m happily old-fashioned in my literary tastes, very keen on social realism, on fiction that is strong on character and place and has something to say about real things and real people without being preachy. Some of my favorite stories about race — by Brock Clarke, by James Alan McPherson — are serious and funny and sure but aren’t self-righteous.
The rest of Chimamanda Adichie’s article (and her super-adorable picture) can be found here.
Popularity: 9% [?]
Esquire needs to tone down the raunch, in a big way. When it was “literary” it was still a gentleman’s magazine; it’s not that today. They need to move away from the gross and sleazy image they’ve become — down that alley lies dumbed-down writing and stupidity. You know, they don’t even give good fashion advice anymore. Even their advice on wearing khakis is all wrong. They need to completely relaunch as something new. If they won’t do it, someone else needs to launch a new mag for the traditional gentleman. And publish fine literature.
Comment by Mark F. — March 6, 2008 @ 11:43 am