Author uses writing to learn from inside
Husain Sumra
Issue date: 11/5/09 Section: News
The Center for Literary Arts continued its Major Author Series with speaker Denis Johnson, as about 150 people gathered in King Library.
"It was very inspirational," junior English major Dana Demercuril said.
In his talk, held in the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Library, Johnson said he started out as a poet when he was 20 years old at the University of Iowa.
He said he wanted to learn the craft of writing through poetry.
"I was going to learn the word from the inside," he said.
Johnson said he published his first book of poetry at the age of 20.
Laura Curren, a junior liberal studies major, said she would like to get some of her poems published and that Johnson's situation at 20 inspired her.
"It just encourages me to keep going," she said.
Johnson said writing poetry was easy for him.
"I was able to keep track of things enough to write a poem," he said.
Johnson said he started to write novels while at the University of Iowa, but he couldn't finish any of them.
"I started a new one every week," he said.
Johnson said he started writing short stories and wrote them like he would like to read them.
The short stories were initially exercises to help his writing, but he said he enjoyed the voice he was writing in.
He said that later in his life he had malaria and hepatitis, his wife left him, and the Internal Revenue Service was after him.
He said he thought he was going to die, so he sent seven of his stories to his agent, who sent them to The New Yorker.
Johnson said his old editor had become the editor for The New Yorker, but after his stories were put in The New Yorker, the publication lost around 60 subscribers and the editor eventually left.
He said that when he wrote his book of short stories, "Jesus' Son," he gave his publisher 10 stories and those 10 stories were going to be half of the book of short stories.
Johnson said he didn't finish writing the book, because he got tired of writing it.
He said his writing has changed from short stories and poetry to more recent efforts such as the book "Tree of Life."
"I see a more of a gradual evolution there," he said.
He said he shifted his writing from a more personal style based on life experiences to a more universal approach.
Johnson said he became a playwright for a while and that he liked the experience.
"It can be just marvelous," he said.
He said the only time it can be gratifying to watch his work become a live play is when the play lives up to or surpasses the quality of his writing.
Johnson said working with actors as a writer is a good experience that he recommends to young writers.
"Actors are insecure," he said.
He said actors wanted to sit with him and learn about his characters all the time.
Johnson said he had some advice for students during budget cuts.
"Just go out and experience the world a little bit, and then come back," he said.
"It was very inspirational," junior English major Dana Demercuril said.
In his talk, held in the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Library, Johnson said he started out as a poet when he was 20 years old at the University of Iowa.
He said he wanted to learn the craft of writing through poetry.
"I was going to learn the word from the inside," he said.
Johnson said he published his first book of poetry at the age of 20.
Laura Curren, a junior liberal studies major, said she would like to get some of her poems published and that Johnson's situation at 20 inspired her.
"It just encourages me to keep going," she said.
Johnson said writing poetry was easy for him.
"I was able to keep track of things enough to write a poem," he said.
Johnson said he started to write novels while at the University of Iowa, but he couldn't finish any of them.
"I started a new one every week," he said.
Johnson said he started writing short stories and wrote them like he would like to read them.
The short stories were initially exercises to help his writing, but he said he enjoyed the voice he was writing in.
He said that later in his life he had malaria and hepatitis, his wife left him, and the Internal Revenue Service was after him.
He said he thought he was going to die, so he sent seven of his stories to his agent, who sent them to The New Yorker.
Johnson said his old editor had become the editor for The New Yorker, but after his stories were put in The New Yorker, the publication lost around 60 subscribers and the editor eventually left.
He said that when he wrote his book of short stories, "Jesus' Son," he gave his publisher 10 stories and those 10 stories were going to be half of the book of short stories.
Johnson said he didn't finish writing the book, because he got tired of writing it.
He said his writing has changed from short stories and poetry to more recent efforts such as the book "Tree of Life."
"I see a more of a gradual evolution there," he said.
He said he shifted his writing from a more personal style based on life experiences to a more universal approach.
Johnson said he became a playwright for a while and that he liked the experience.
"It can be just marvelous," he said.
He said the only time it can be gratifying to watch his work become a live play is when the play lives up to or surpasses the quality of his writing.
Johnson said working with actors as a writer is a good experience that he recommends to young writers.
"Actors are insecure," he said.
He said actors wanted to sit with him and learn about his characters all the time.
Johnson said he had some advice for students during budget cuts.
"Just go out and experience the world a little bit, and then come back," he said.
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