"Around the age of 40 I thought, just say it." That's the whole lesson. Years of trying to sound like a writer, and then one day the fatigue of it becomes the breakthrough. The voice was there the whole time.
This is such a lovely interview, I LOVED her most recent book - such a gorgeous novel and her description of why she writes is stunning! "The interior life coming up against the exterior world that we all live in."
I have a notebook or favourite lines from novels I have read. Strout delivered one of my favourite, favourites: "she thought privately, that poets just about sat on the right hand of God."
Such a brilliant interview Pandora, thank you. I can’t believe I’m yet to read her work but what a treat. Doesn’t she have the most AMAZING anecdotes? The one of her and her mother in the car observing the woman’s coat on the street, magic
Elizabeth Strout's ability to capture the quiet complexities of human relationships and emotions is unparalleled. Her characters feel so real, it's as if she's peeking into the souls of people we pass by every day. Can you say relatable?! Also, Olive Kitteridge texting with proper paragraph spacing? Iconic!
She’d write texts like emails. (She would not download WhatsApp.) She’d reply every Wednesday, when doing her weekly correspondence. And if someone over the age of 18 used an emoji in a message, she’d call to check they hadn’t had a stroke - and, on discovering that they were fine, would threaten to cease communications if they ever tried it again
I like her even more. It is sort of along the lines that I won't date anyone who uses "textese" and stupid abbreviations. Apps?! Good lord. Maybe that is why I am single.
‘There goes a person’ resonated so much with me. I yearn to know everything about everyone I see. On the train to London, I wish I could ask everyone why they’re going to London - and one day the train was stopped for an hour so we all started talking to each other and I had my answers. Bliss! (They were all fascinating answers too - no boring ones. Off-peak journeys are by far the most interesting!) xx
I love that line so much. It reminds me of my mum once telling me, while we were driving, that she loves driving by an open front door as she can sometimes see all the way inside - everyone in their own houses living their own little lives, it’s fascinating and wondrous
Great interview Pandora! I just love Elizabeth’s writing. I also think Claire Keegan writes in the same sort of way but I feel more connection with Elizabeth’s characters. I agree her writing has got ‘leaner’ since Amy and Isabelle and this latest book gripped me from start to finish, I read it so fast. I hope she keeps them coming for a long time!
Yes they share a certain sparseness, don’t they. I feel like Keegan has even more economy with words. And more gaps to fill in? With larger social things folded in (like the laundries) rather than smaller interpersonal things
That was brilliant - thank you so much for sharing. I adore her books and can’t wait to read the latest one. And so interesting about finding her voice and how she stopped trying to ‘write like a writer.’ Because I was thinking up to that point how reading the transcript of her speaking in the interview felt very similar to the way she writes in her books. Wonderful!
I was thinking that when I was editing! That she sounds very like she writes. I’ve condensed this interview for length and clarity but I was also quite mindful not to mix in too much of my own punctuation, as a reflection of my own speech patterns - if that is possible, that was my ambition as such! Because her way of writing and speaking is singular
Ah well, you definitely succeeded - she sounds so like Lucy Barton! It’s such a distinctive voice and I just love the way she speaks/writes. It’s such a great interview. How amazing to have met her and I’m so glad she lived up to your rightly high expectations
Fabulous interview. I finished Elizabeth's book this evening and have to admit I shed a tear for Artie and the state of the world. This is the 10th book of Strout's I have read and adore every one of them. And to hear that she is an admirer of our beloved William Trevor from Ireland has made my day 🥰
Wonderful interview. I have just finished 'Tell me Everything' and just adored it. It was so fascinating to experience the familiar characters of Lucy, Olive and Bob interacting and seeing them through the eyes of each other. I can't quite comprehend that they are fictional characters (it feels like blasphemy just to type it!) - it feel like they really exist and their lives are springing out of the page for me to share with them. Now can't wait to read this new novel.
"Around the age of 40 I thought, just say it." That's the whole lesson. Years of trying to sound like a writer, and then one day the fatigue of it becomes the breakthrough. The voice was there the whole time.
This is such a lovely interview, I LOVED her most recent book - such a gorgeous novel and her description of why she writes is stunning! "The interior life coming up against the exterior world that we all live in."
I have a notebook or favourite lines from novels I have read. Strout delivered one of my favourite, favourites: "she thought privately, that poets just about sat on the right hand of God."
I adored this interview - thank you. x
This was such a joy to read. Thank you x
Thank you for this interview!
Such a brilliant interview Pandora, thank you. I can’t believe I’m yet to read her work but what a treat. Doesn’t she have the most AMAZING anecdotes? The one of her and her mother in the car observing the woman’s coat on the street, magic
Such a good interview! It made me want to read the book asap. Finished it in one day. Couldn’t put it down. Thank you, both.
Fab interview! Thank you for sharing.
Elizabeth Strout's ability to capture the quiet complexities of human relationships and emotions is unparalleled. Her characters feel so real, it's as if she's peeking into the souls of people we pass by every day. Can you say relatable?! Also, Olive Kitteridge texting with proper paragraph spacing? Iconic!
She’d write texts like emails. (She would not download WhatsApp.) She’d reply every Wednesday, when doing her weekly correspondence. And if someone over the age of 18 used an emoji in a message, she’d call to check they hadn’t had a stroke - and, on discovering that they were fine, would threaten to cease communications if they ever tried it again
I like her even more. It is sort of along the lines that I won't date anyone who uses "textese" and stupid abbreviations. Apps?! Good lord. Maybe that is why I am single.
‘There goes a person’ resonated so much with me. I yearn to know everything about everyone I see. On the train to London, I wish I could ask everyone why they’re going to London - and one day the train was stopped for an hour so we all started talking to each other and I had my answers. Bliss! (They were all fascinating answers too - no boring ones. Off-peak journeys are by far the most interesting!) xx
I love that line so much. It reminds me of my mum once telling me, while we were driving, that she loves driving by an open front door as she can sometimes see all the way inside - everyone in their own houses living their own little lives, it’s fascinating and wondrous
And if I was queen of the world, I would ban curtains!
Great interview Pandora! I just love Elizabeth’s writing. I also think Claire Keegan writes in the same sort of way but I feel more connection with Elizabeth’s characters. I agree her writing has got ‘leaner’ since Amy and Isabelle and this latest book gripped me from start to finish, I read it so fast. I hope she keeps them coming for a long time!
Yes they share a certain sparseness, don’t they. I feel like Keegan has even more economy with words. And more gaps to fill in? With larger social things folded in (like the laundries) rather than smaller interpersonal things
That was brilliant - thank you so much for sharing. I adore her books and can’t wait to read the latest one. And so interesting about finding her voice and how she stopped trying to ‘write like a writer.’ Because I was thinking up to that point how reading the transcript of her speaking in the interview felt very similar to the way she writes in her books. Wonderful!
I was thinking that when I was editing! That she sounds very like she writes. I’ve condensed this interview for length and clarity but I was also quite mindful not to mix in too much of my own punctuation, as a reflection of my own speech patterns - if that is possible, that was my ambition as such! Because her way of writing and speaking is singular
Ah well, you definitely succeeded - she sounds so like Lucy Barton! It’s such a distinctive voice and I just love the way she speaks/writes. It’s such a great interview. How amazing to have met her and I’m so glad she lived up to your rightly high expectations
Fabulous interview. I finished Elizabeth's book this evening and have to admit I shed a tear for Artie and the state of the world. This is the 10th book of Strout's I have read and adore every one of them. And to hear that she is an admirer of our beloved William Trevor from Ireland has made my day 🥰
Wonderful interview. I have just finished 'Tell me Everything' and just adored it. It was so fascinating to experience the familiar characters of Lucy, Olive and Bob interacting and seeing them through the eyes of each other. I can't quite comprehend that they are fictional characters (it feels like blasphemy just to type it!) - it feel like they really exist and their lives are springing out of the page for me to share with them. Now can't wait to read this new novel.
It felt almost too spoiling to see them all together, didn’t it
Love the interview, loved the book. Very haunting.