I spent three and a half years writing the novel 'Chang & Eng,' about the conjoined brothers for whom the term 'Siamese twins' was contrived, and when I think of these afflicted people, my only emotion is one of profound sympathy. Darin Strauss afflictbrotherchang share on social
It's a very performative thing, grief. As with so much in modern life, I think there's a whole performative layer to what we do because we feel like there's a private TV show viewing our lives. Darin Strauss feelgrieflayer Change image and share on social
To a lot of us, literature's eternal significance had seemed beyond arguing - like, say, the illegality of government-sponsored torture. Darin Strauss argueeternalgovernment Change image and share on social
I got a job writing for a financial technology newsletter in Manhattan. I didn't even understand what I was writing about. The newsletter had, like, 2,000 subscribers, and it was $700 a year for a subscription. Darin Strauss 000financialjob share on social
My wife and I live in Brooklyn, N.Y., not too far from where my Long Island childhood happened. Darin Strauss brooklynchildhoodhappen Change image and share on social
A tragedy's first act is crowded with supporting players, policeman scribbling in pads and making radio calls, witnesses crimping their faces, EMS guys folding equipment. Darin Strauss actcallcrimp Change image and share on social
I'm very strict in my belief that non-fiction should be truthful, and fiction is for invented narratives. Darin Strauss belieffictioninvent Change image and share on social
Constant rejection. No security. Career paths being dictated by freelance reviewers. And of course, the terror of the writing desk, of the blank page. Why is it so hard for our non-writer friends to understand this - that it's a job? Darin Strauss blankcareerconstant share on social
You can work really hard and well on something, and someone you respect might hate it; worse, they're not empirically wrong for doing so. This is scary, especially for people who haven't been published. Darin Strauss badlyempiricallyhard share on social
Regret doesn't budge things; it seems crazy that the force of all that human want can't amend a moment, can't even stir a pebble. Darin Strauss amendbudgecrazy Change image and share on social
