I'm trying to focus on my job as I see it, which is to write the next thing and to remain, to the degree that I ever was, a noticer. Garth Risk Hallberg degreefocusjob Change image and share on social
I had one week in the fall of 1996 where I was like, 'I'm America's greatest living teenage poet.' Garth Risk Hallberg americafallgreat Change image and share on social
Any character that can't be kept straight, to me, isn't a character who should be in the book - you know, anyone not vivid enough to have a claim on my attention. Garth Risk Hallberg attentionbookcharacter Change image and share on social
I had a major bug for cities and for paintings and literature and all the things I thought went on in cities. Garth Risk Hallberg bugcityliterature Change image and share on social
I think there is a real thing going on where writers are feeling more liberated to write with a big canvas because of a demonstrable, continued appetite for long-form storytelling. Garth Risk Hallberg appetitebigcanvas Change image and share on social
A fragmented film such as 'Babel' gives the impression of 'edginess' but, in its form, tells us nothing we didn't already know. Garth Risk Hallberg babeledginessfilm Change image and share on social
I have this weird tropism for islands. Take me to an island as far from New York as I can possibly go. Garth Risk Hallberg islandpossiblytropism Change image and share on social
In graduate school, I was a student of E.L. Doctorow, and he had us read 'Moby-Dick' in a week. Garth Risk Hallberg dickdoctorowgraduate Change image and share on social
I came to feel that, in addition to Imre Kertesz, Hungary has produced at least three contemporary novelists who deserve the Nobel: Peter Nadas, Peter Esterhazy and Laszlo Krasznahorkai. Garth Risk Hallberg additioncontemporarydeserve Change image and share on social
Sure, 'Les Miserables' can be melodramatic. And seeing the musical instead of reading the novel will save you some time and spare you the long part where Hugo goes on and on about the Parisian sewer system. But I would hate for the novel to lose that. Garth Risk Hallberg hatehugolong share on social
