From PaperLanternLane
One thing I miss about school is sitting around the table with a group of readers and taking a story — usually a short story — and breaking it down to see how it works.
Today I came across this Podcast at The New Yorker: it’s my favorite writing teacher, ZZ Packer, reading “Paper Lantern” and then talking with Deborah Treisman about the mechanics. Here’s the audio link: Paper Lantern by Stuart Dybek. If there’s anything that helps me figure out my own writing, it’s seeing how someone else pulls it off. I started out enjoying the story, ZZ’s voice, and her great big laugh, but ended up with the perfect writing prompt for today.
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P.S. We’ve been talking about the importance of libraries lately. How about this Dybek quote: “The public library is where place and possibility meet.” My 10 year old self would have agreed.
