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Every time I turn around, Jami Attenberg has published another novel or memoir.
But I do not begrudge her this, because I know how she does it.
about writing books, featuring advice from dozens of writers.
We chatted the other day before she left her home in New Orleans for the tour.
What I really liked about reading this book was well, my writing advice is like yours.
You have to write alot.
Sure, be nice to yourself, but go.
But then other people had other kinds of advice.
J. Courtney Sullivans thing was so brilliant.
She had a really young kid.
She didnt have child care.
And so every night she would send herself an email with the same subject line.
Thats a brilliant technique.I could write this book because these people all told me I could.
You said recently youve been thinking a lot about aging, as one does at our age.
Are you leaving yourself bread crumbs about aging?I think so.
It has to do with aging as a woman, menopause, the culture.
Its very small, personal stuff, building a little community out of it.
But its not the big thing that I do well!
I always say its not the thing that I do and then itll always become something more.
I think Im using this thinking for a character.
If youve been writing professionally for a long time, nothing you do is a waste of time.
Do you know what I mean?
Yeah!Its the same thing as the vibe of the book.
Its not a waste of time.
People worry too much about that.
Why dont you be playful?
Im not that.Just sit down and try it.
All of our lives show that if you follow interests, they take you somewhere worthwhile.
This book is really interesting about this is really 90s but about declaring, Well, Im an artist.
Im living an artists life.
Where I live and how I live reflect these choices.
The staff wore stewardess outfits!]
That is so funny.
We were like, This seems kind of interesting and cool.
Your imagination never really steers you wrong.
Your curiosity doesnt steer you wrong.
Had you published your first book yet?No, I just had a blog.
And I was making zines.
I still have them.
Theyre like precious little objects to me.
And they dont take two years, too.
Im really seeing,Okay, this is the second half of my life.
I figured out what I like to do, but theres more to learn, more to try.
I just want to keep doing as much cool stuff as I can for the rest of my time.
I was thinking about bad habits habits that have stayed too long at the fair.
Thats drinking, eating, smoking.
It was definitely how I took a break.
If I write a couple hundred words, then I can have a cigarette.
And it was part of going out.
The conversation was better outside than it was inside.
Or so we believed.
I dont know if its true, but it is fun to hang out with the smokers.
Im okay without it.
A lot of the book is super-plain advice.
Like, Listen, youre going to do a messy draft.
Do you ever do anything esoteric or superstitious?
Hes a great tarot reader.Thats what his bio should be.
Legendary tarot reader Alexander Chee.
But yeah, I spend time thinking about ghosts and visiting otherworldly places, catacombs and cemeteries.
I live in a very haunted city.
Its a special environment thats very creative, and theres a lot of interesting old houses.
This city is really inspiring to me.
This city maybe helps me.
And I know a lot of people who are creative or interesting or open to creative conversations.
Its having people it’s possible for you to surround yourself with.
The book is so much about community, and I really believe in that.
Finding your people is half the battle.
People have asked you since forever: How do I write a novel?
Has your answer now changed, cemented?
The most important thing is that thebestpart of it is the writing.
The best part of it is making something cool.
Which is a question that people ask: How much should I be focusing on social media?
And Im like, You should be focusing on getting 65,000 words down on the page.
Why do you want to be here?
What kind of writer do you want to be?
What kind of stories do you want to tell?
Those are the real questions you should probably be asking.
The answers are going to fill you up.
The answers are going to help you grow as a person.
Do I sound self-help-y?
Youre saying what I say to young writers, which is: You probably dont write enough.
If you wrote a thousand or 4,000 words a day, youre going to feel more secure.
Youre going to be a better writer every day that you write.
But that also feels boring and unsatisfying.
They just spent time trying different things and writing about different things.
And I dont think youre supposed to do something you feel like youre supposed to.
You make a career out of what you love to do.
There are people writing books all over the place.
There are people making their art all over the place.
You dont have to be in New York City anymore.
The internet has changed all that.
The way we communicate has changed all that.
you could be anywhere and make your art.
Im also not saying that you’re free to make a living at it.
In fact, the book is not about that at all.
This book is not about getting a publishing deal but the satisfaction you get out of making your art.
People talk about adversity a lot in the book, which I really appreciate.
Shes saying, If youre going to write, youre going to write.
If youre not going to write, youre not going to write.
We should go to peoples doors like Jehovahs Witnesses, like Prince.
My stuff is fine, but the book is really just a vessel for their advice.
I really loved hearing from parents about how they met those challenges.
I mean, I fight for it too, but theyve chosen this more complex path.
She had four kids and then she worked onthat story collectionover a ten-year period.
Somebody asked, How do you manage your time when you have other obligations?
I always am afraid to answer that question.
I literally dont have any obligations except I have to take my dog for a walk twice a day.
I have the luxury of time.
She said that you have to be willing to disappoint other people to be a writer.
I thought that that was really fascinating.
