I was stationed in Norfolk, Virginia, for a while, about which the less said the better, and then I was in the Mediterranean, about which the more said the better. Harry Mathews mediterraneannorfolkstation Change image and share on social
After the navy, I transferred to Harvard and finished there. I was there the spring term of 1951 and I stayed through the summer term and a whole other year, so I was able to do two years in a little less than a year and a half. Harry Mathews finishhalfharvard share on social
And then, when I left Princeton in the middle of my sophomore year, I went into the navy. Harry Mathews leavemiddlenavy Change image and share on social
I thought Cheever was magnificent and that if I could write like him that would be the best I could do. And then I realized that what I really wanted to write had nothing to do with what he was doing. Harry Mathews cheevermagnificentrealize Change image and share on social
Well, the great thing for me about poetry is that in good poems the dislocation of words, that is to say, the distance between what they say they're saying and what they are actually saying is at its greatest. Harry Mathews dislocationdistancegood share on social
What I wanted to do and what I needed to do was something entirely different, and through reading Roussel I learned that I could do what I wanted all on my own and that I didn't have to rely on what had actually happened in my somewhat limited life and reading. Harry Mathews happenlearnlife share on social
My next project is to get back to that. Actually, to learn how to write poetry. I'm not kidding. Harry Mathews backkidlearn Change image and share on social
My mother could never understand why I didn't write a thriller, which I've finally done. Harry Mathews finallyhavemother Change image and share on social
It has always been something I could do, and it may seem odd that in my case I seem to create an interesting narrative and frustrate the reader's opportunities to follow it at every step. Harry Mathews casecreatefollow Change image and share on social
My idea was to go to Vienna to study conducting and perhaps play in an orchestra first, so I thought before I got to Vienna I could do with a little training in Paris. Harry Mathews conductideaorchestra Change image and share on social
