Those who know New York City primarily through tourism or mass culture may think of us natives as possessing certain shared characteristics, not all of them flattering. But the true, volatile charisma of New York lies in how balkanised it is. Jonathan Dee balkanisedcharacteristiccharisma share on social
More than periods where I don't write anything, I have periods where I just write junk and I know I'm writing junk but I can't stop. Jonathan Dee junkperiodstop Change image and share on social
I wrote my first novel in the same conditions as most first novelists - I had a full-time job, I shared an apartment, I had no time - and so I became a compulsive outliner of everything. Ever since then, my process has consisted of trying to forcibly rid myself of that compulsion. Jonathan Dee apartmentcompulsioncompulsive share on social
New York is ultimately not the synthesis but merely the sum of its unfathomable subjectivities, its personal histories, its uncategorisable figures. Jonathan Dee figurehistorypersonal Change image and share on social
You never want to be in a position where your reader feels like you're passing judgment on your own characters. Any novel where you feel like the author is talking to the reader over the characters' heads is in a bad place. Jonathan Dee authorbadcharacter share on social
In order to describe a particular subculture, you might want to portray people who are typical or representative of that subculture; but to dramatize it, to make it an interesting setting for a story, you want to bring someone anomalous into that setting, to see how she conforms to it, and it to her. Jonathan Dee anomalousbringconform share on social
The first draft often is really fast, and I'd be terribly ashamed if anybody ever saw it. Jonathan Dee ashameddraftfast Change image and share on social
It's nice to have something else going on when a book comes out so you're not just sitting by the phone, waiting for things to happen. You don't want to be the guy Googling himself all day. Jonathan Dee bookdaygoogling Change image and share on social
You never want to have to give your child bad news of any kind. Jonathan Dee badchildgive Change image and share on social
Don't get me wrong: I can and do waste time on the Internet with the best of them, but in some respects, I am an embarrassingly analog guy. I am not on Facebook. I write whole books on yellow legal pads. I do not own a cell phone. Jonathan Dee analogbookcell share on social