At the beginning of every semester, I ask my graduate students whether there is something I should read that will help me understand their work. Alice McDermott begingraduateread Change image and share on social
I've always believed you go to literature to find the shared human experience, not the categorized human experience. Alice McDermott believecategorizeexperience Change image and share on social
I'm a novelist. I'm not a crusader, and I'm not an editorial writer. And I'm not writing fiction to convince anybody of anything. Alice McDermott convincecrusadereditorial Change image and share on social
I don't want to write about violence, and I don't want to hang a plot on a murder. I think it's cheap. Alice McDermott cheaphangmurder Change image and share on social
I'm more interested in character than events. I've observed that about myself as a writer. I find events, even the most dramatic sort, not to be such fertile ground. Alice McDermott characterdramaticevent Change image and share on social
I believed in fictional characters as if they were a part of real life. Poetry was important, too. My parents had memorized poems from their days attending school in New York City and loved reciting them. We all enjoyed listening to these poems and to music as well. Alice McDermott attendbelievecharacter share on social
You're a human being, and every time a list of prize nominations comes out and your name isn't on it, you do have that thumb-in-the-eye feeling. Alice McDermott eyefelthuman Change image and share on social
Right away I think of two books - 'Wuthering Heights' and 'Rebecca' - and of just sinking into them as a young reader. I think they must have appealed not just to my romantic adolescent soul, but I suppose there's also an appealing darkness in both of them. Alice McDermott adolescentappealbook share on social
I guess I cringe when the discussion leads to, rather than books and sentences and characters and the stuff that writers are supposed to be concerned with, how to have an online presence and how many followers you have on Twitter. That stuff always makes me uncomfortable. Alice McDermott bookcharacterconcern share on social
