In conversation with Don Watson. Plenty of highlights but they included:
(it was Sara who got excited about going on strength of this marvellous essay, but she was held up at the last minute and Cass was able to sub in; also there were Noah and a couple of associates)
- "If your dog bites you in the groin, then you didn't know your dog" (or words to that effect - re: Trump's election and artists needing to call out that they didn't and don't understand it; I think the dog is America in this metaphor)
- (Asked whether he believes in ghosts:) "Yeesss..." (in exaggeratedly uncertain tone of voice) (And a bit later, much more confidently:) "But I do believe in ghosts as a literary device."
- Plenty of wry, open-hearted humour (as could be expected) including anecdote about being on plane that looked for a while as if it might be in serious trouble
- Reminders of the importance of discipline in writing (including in leading the reader to a point where the difficult, odd turn is the only possible one), the way that a novel may need to teach its reader how to read it, the way empathy can arise through the process of re-drafting, novels defined as long pieces of prose with mistakes in them, and more.
(it was Sara who got excited about going on strength of this marvellous essay, but she was held up at the last minute and Cass was able to sub in; also there were Noah and a couple of associates)
